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Keri Brion Honors Mentor With Trifecta Finish In G1 Jonathan Sheppard

Trainer Keri Brion already notched a Grade 1 steeplechase win during the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course. She upped the ante in Wednesday's opener, saddling the trifecta as The Mean Queen, Baltimore Bucko and French Light crossed the wire 1-2-3 in a prestigious race named after her mentor in the Grade 1, $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard contested at 2 3/8 miles.

The 80th edition of the race formerly known as the New York Turf Writers Cup was contested as the Jonathan Sheppard for the first time, honoring the Hall of Fame trainer who won the race a record 15 times and trained at least one winner at Saratoga every year from 1969-2015. Brion, who was Sheppard's assistant before his retirement, saw The Mean Queen overtake stalemate and pacesetter Baltimore Bucko in the final, flat portion of the race, drawing away for a 4 3/4-length victory.

Buttonwood Farm's The Mean Queen already made history when the 5-year-old Irish-bred Doyen mare won in her native country in April at Wexford, making Brion the first U.S.-based conditioner to capture an Irish hurdle race.

She was set to win the Jonathan Kiser Novice in July at Saratoga before jockey Thomas Garner was unseated in the stretch. Returning to Saratoga's inner turf track, The Mean Queen and Garner had no such issues closing this time, completing the course in a final time of 4:40.14 to give Brion a sweep of the two Grade 1 steeplechase contests on the Saratoga slate after Baltimore Bucko won the A.P. Smithwick on July 22.

“I remember when they said that this race was going to be named after him, I was still in Ireland and I was thinking, 'I hope I just have one,”'Brion said. “Jonathan won the Turf Writers 15 or so times, so now that it's the Jonathan Sheppard, I hope I can win it 15 times.”

Baltimore Bucko, one of four Brion entrants in the eight-horse field, led through all nine jumps over a course labeled yielding. The British-bred Baltimore Bucko held that advantage under jockey Richard Condon before The Mean Queen overtook him from the outside at the top of the stretch. The field's lone mare, who carried 147 pounds, faced no late challenge, besting the boys to improve to 5-1-0 in seven career starts.

“I was just a passenger, really,” Garner said. “She was doing a little bit too much for the first mile and a half. She was running through the bridle a little bit and when I got her settled, she traveled so great and jumped so great. She's everything you want in a filly. I couldn't be happier.

“She's only 5 and realistically hasn't had a lot of racing,” he added. “This time last year, she hadn't even had a run. She was still getting prepped to run in a point-to-point in Ireland. To come here and run in a Grade 1 eight or nine months after her first race is a massive achievement.”

Garner also said he took the outcome of the A.P. Smithwick personally but was glad to earn redemption less than a month later.

“I know a lot of people would have had a lot of money on her at those odds, but there wouldn't have been anyone more gutted than I was,” Garner said. “I walked to the weighing room, got in the car and went straight home. I didn't want to speak to anyone. I didn't want to see anyone because this is what I love doing. I love riding winners and for that to happen, especially at a place like this which I love, it was actually heartbreaking. I know a lot of people on social media and close to the horse think I jumped off it, and that's probably an uneducated view of the race. I'm just glad that I made it better today. There was no one more gutted or upset about the last day than me.”

Off as the 4-5 favorite, The Mean Queen returned $3.60 on a $2 win bet.

“I guess this is how it was always supposed to be. She redeemed herself,” Brion said. “I had no doubt that she would run a huge race. Today, we learned a bit more about her. I think she's a very special animal.”

Baltimore Bucko and French Light, who finished 1-2 in the A.P. Smithwick, again dueled in the rematch, with the former edging his stablemate by a nose for second as the 156-pound highweight.

“He carried top weight. He's gone up a stone since he won here the last time and to go out there on the rain-softened ground and do what he did and stay on for second is a real performance,” Condon said. “The Mean Queen is quite a special mare and giving her nine pounds isn't easy. It was a great run from Baltimore Bucko.”

French Light was two-lengths clear of City Dreamer, trained by Hall of Famer Jack Fisher, for third.

“It's so exciting for two of the greatest people, Rod and Alice Moorhead [of Buttonwood Farm] and Irvin Naylor, who owns French Light, who was third. They've been so supportive and bought these horses off my recommendation,” Brion said.

Recent Revelations, Gibralfaro, Redicean and A Silent Player [also trained by Brion] completed the order of finish.

“All four of these horses came out of the same stable in Ireland [Baltimore Stable in Wexford, Ireland], which is pretty incredible,” Brion said.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Saratoga with a 10-race card featuring the $100,000 Union Avenue for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track in Race 9 at 5:39 p.m. Eastern.

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Brion Saddles Four Starters For Race Named For Mentor Sheppard

Trainer Keri Brion will hold a strong hand in a prestigious stakes that bears the name of her long-time mentor, saddling half of the eight-horse field in Wednesday's $150,000 Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard in a 2 3/8-mile steeplechase contest at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The 80th edition of the race formerly known as the New York Turf Writers Cup will be run for the first time under its new name, which honors the Hall of Fame trainer who won this race 15 times and trained at least one winner at Saratoga every consecutive year from 1969-2015. It will be the opener of Wednesday's 10-race card with a 1:05 p.m. Eastern post time.

Brion, a longtime assistant to Sheppard, took over the training responsibilities for many of his horses upon his retirement and has started to carve out her own reputation, saddling the top-two finishers of the Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick on July 22 at Saratoga when Baltimore Bucko and French Light ran 1-2 going 2 1/16 miles in the first Grade 1 hurdle race of the meet. In addition to that stellar pair, Brion will also send out The Mean Queen and A Silent Prayer.

“It's incredible that it shaped up the way it has with having half the field,” Brion said with a laugh. “When I heard the race was renamed, I was actually still in Ireland and I said to myself I was just hoping I would have a horse for that race. Now, I'm sitting here really hoping I win the race. It would mean a lot for me but I would love to win it for owners who were so supportive of Jonathan for so many years. Everything I know about steeplechase racing came from Jonathan, so it would obviously mean a lot to me to do it.”

Buttonwood Farm's Baltimore Bucko topped his stablemate by 5 3/4 lengths last out, building on his runner-up effort going 2 1/4 miles in the Green Pastures at the Nashville-based Percy Warner in June.

“It's amazing how fast he's come through the ranks,” Brion said. “I had both of these horses [French Light] in Ireland with me over the winter and they ran over there, so they have that added experience, which I think helped bring them along a lot quicker than maybe some others.”

Baltimore Bucko, a 5-year-old gelding, will now carry the high weight of 156 pounds with Richard Condon set to ride from post 3.

Irvin Naylor's French Light, carrying 152 pounds, will be looking to build on his stellar effort in his graded stakes debut, drawing post 4 with Jamie Bargary on the call.

“They went from being bottom weight end to being top weight and second top weight, so that changes things a little,” Brion said. “But the way they were first and second, you'd like to believe the weight shouldn't bother them too much.”

French Light raced five times for Brion in Ireland to start his 6-year-old campaign before making a statement in his return to North America. Brion said that race last month has only expediated his progress.

“His first race back in the states was the Smithwick, so I think he has a lot of improvement in him, just having that run in him,” Brion said.

The Mean Queen, also owned by Buttonwood Farm, appeared on her way to beating the boys before unseating rider Thomas Garner in deep stretch in the Jonathan Kiser Novice on July 28 at Saratoga.

The 5-year-old Doyen mare has already helped Brion accomplish something unprecedented when she captured the Slaney River Hurdle in April in Ireland, making her conditioner the first U.S. trainer to win a hurdle race in the country. She will re-team with Garner again, carrying 147 pounds from post 6.

“She made history for me,” Brion said. “She wasn't the winner of the novice stake, but she was by far the best in that race. There wasn't really anywhere else for her to run until September. She's doing really well. Her name fits her very well; she isn't easy to train, so it's easier just to run her. But she gets some weight off the boys and she's in a good spot. I think she's in with a shot as well.”

A Silent Player, also owned by Naylor, was fifth in the Jonathan Kiser last out in his stakes bow and will carry the co-field-low weight of 142 pounds with Barry Foley set to ride from post 5.

“He suffered an injury to his hind leg in his win in November, so his run back last time was his first time since his injury,” Brion said. “It's a lot harder to have a horse ready to go in Saratoga off an injury. He had to rehab off it, so I think he will be much improved this time around. He's pretty similar to Baltimore Bucko, to be honest. He's the bottom weight at 142, and I think that will really help. I think he'll run a lot better than he did in his last start.”

Hall of Famer Jack Fisher will send out two contenders in City Dreamer and Gibralfaro from posts 1 and 2, respectively.

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Riverdee Stable's City Dreamer ran second to Bodes Well in the Jonathan Kiser Novice and will step up to graded stakes company for the first time, carrying 146 pounds with Parker Hendriks in the irons.

His stablemate, the Riverdee-owned Gibralfaro was third last out in the A.P. Smithwick and will be competing in the Jonathan Sheppard for the third consecutive time, running fourth last year following a runner-up effort to Winston C in the 2019 edition. Gibralfaro will carry 148 pounds and have the services of rider Graham Watters.

Sharon Sheppard's Redicean, second in this stakes last year, two lengths back to winner Rashaan, returned off an 11-month layoff to run fourth in the A.P. Smithwick for trainer Leslie Young. After knocking off the rust, the 7-year-old British bred will break from post 8 carrying 150 pounds with Gerard Galligan aboard.

Half Married Syndicate's Recent Revelations made his first 23 starts in Europe and will look to make his mark in his North American debut, carrying 142 pounds in drawing post 7 with Harrison Beswick up.

Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Keri Brion Saddles First Grade 1 Winner With Baltimore Bucko In A.P. Smithwick Memorial

Buttonwood Farm's Baltimore Bucko paced the entire field over all eight hurdles and was equally strong in the flat portion of the race, posting a 5 3/4-length front-running victory in the Grade 1, $150,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial that marked the first steeplechase race of the 40-day summer meet at Saratoga Race Course.

Baltimore Bucko, carrying 142 pounds under rider Thomas Garner, surged to the front of the inner turf course, leading the six-horse field, and maintained his position through the entire 2 1/16-mile course.

The Keri Brion trainee cleared all the jumps easily and, when straightened for home out of the final turn, maintained his advantage over stablemate French Light, who gave Brion the exacta when finishing 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Gibralfaro for second.

The British-bred Baltimore Bucko, making his graded stakes debut, won for the first time in five starts in his 5-year-old campaign. Off as the 5-2 favorite, he paid $7.80 on a $2 win wager.

Brion, who also saddled fifth-place finisher Galway Kid, credited Garner for an astute ride.

“My other two need something to run at and I didn't think there was much pace, so I figured maybe he would get loose on the lead and no one would catch him,” said Brion, who won her first career Grade 1. “That was the tactical plan. It's hard to have three in a race and figure out what the best thing to do is. Tom gave him a great ride and no one came after it. They kind of gave him the race, but I'm not complaining.”

Gibralfaro, one of two entrants for Hall of Fame conditioner Jack Fisher, ran third in the Smithwick for the second consecutive year. Redicean, Galway Kid and Cite completed the order of finish.

Garner won a Grade 1 at Saratoga for the third consecutive year, after piloting Winston C to scores in both the 2019 A.P. Smithwick edition and that year's New York Turf Writers Cup in addition to winning the 2020 New York Turf Writers Cup [renamed in 2021 for Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard] with Rashaan.

“I rode him exactly how I wanted to,” Garner said. “I was worried Jack might put Cite in front, but we got a nice easy lead of the race and I jumped off into a real strong gallop. I took a pull three or four times just to stack them up behind me and I could use his jumping to kick on down the back. I really thought someone should have come to me a lot sooner, but then again my lad may have actually carried me further. He's done it really nicely and I haven't even given him a smack with my stick. I was really happy with the way he won it, and he's a horse for the future.

“The ground is still on the slower side, so I kept taking a pull to let him fill his lungs up a little bit,” Garner added. “He's helped me out as much as I helped him out. I was almost a passenger for most of the way and I just had to help him out that last couple of furlongs.”

French Light, bred in his namesake country, earned black type in his first graded stakes appearance under rider Richard Condon. It marked French Light's first race since April when running ninth in a two-mile race in Ireland.

“The difference between Baltimore Bucko and French is that Bucko had a run. French hasn't run since Ireland,” Brion said. “In a month, the tables might turn. But I was delighted with them. Galway Kid, to be fair, isn't as fast as the other two. He needs farther, but I was happy with him.”

Brion was an assistant to Sheppard for 11 years, learning under one of the best jumps trainer in history who himself won the A.P. Smithwick six times. Following Sheppard's retirement in January, Brion took over for a legend, with this race marking her first Saratoga starters. Now, Baltimore Bucko has a chance to compete in a race named for Brion's mentor in the Grade 1, $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard on August 19.

“When I heard they changed the name that has been in the back of my mind the whole time, so I hope I can come back with these two [Baltimore Bucko and French Light] and maybe another one and give it a go,” Brion said.
Brion credited Sheppard, who won at least one race for 47 consecutive meets from 1969-2015 at Saratoga, with giving her the tools necessary to succeed on her own.

“I learned so much from him. Even how I brought them up here and how I got them here two days ahead of time, which is something Jonathan always did,” Brion said. “There's just a lot of preparation. We worked him in the field two weeks ago, worked him on the track last week and that's what he always did to get ready for the Smithwick. I feel like I'm so fortunate to have worked for him, I have learned so much. My success is just the product of him, honestly. I'm very lucky.”

Live racing resumes Friday with a 10-race card highlighted by the Grade 3, $150,000 Lake George for 3-year-old fillies going one mile on the inner turf in Race 9 at 5:39 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:05 p.m.

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Rashaan Earns First North American Victory In New York Turf Writers Cup

Rashaan didn't arrive in the United States until his 7-year-old campaign in 2019. On Thursday, he proved to his connections that he was worth the wait, leading a six-horse field out of the final hurdles and fending off stablemate Redicean's stretch-drive push to win the Grade 1, $100,000 New York Turf Writers Cup steeplechase in the card's opener at Saratoga Race Course.

Making just his fourth North American start, Rashaan won his first graded stakes and first since shipping from his native Ireland last year, posting a two-length score in the 2 3/8-mile race over the firm inner turf course.

Pravalaguna led the field and was still in command heading over the ninth and final hurdle with Rashaan tracking close in second under jockey Thomas Garner. Into the flat portion of the race, Rashaan overtook the pacesetter and was set down entering the stretch.

Straightening for home, Redicean, also trained by Young, made a bid to Rashaan's inside, but Garner kept his charge alert and they dueled in the final sixteenth before drawing away, posting a final time of 4:34.20.

Garner, who won the New York Turf Writers Cup for the second straight year after piloting the Jonathan Sheppard-trained Winston C in 2019, had his choice to ride either Rashaan and Redicean entering Thursday and said he doubted his selection only for a moment.

“The plan was to be handy with him,” Garner said. “He's a horse that's not easy at all. He has all the ability in the world, but it's only on his terms. Training him at home, if he doesn't want to train in the morning, he won't go anywhere. He's a real tricky one.

“The team did a great job with him,” he added. “I ride him every day. He's a happy horse and he really enjoyed his work. I came here hopeful rather than confident, I actually thought the better horse was Redicean and I'd made the wrong choice but he put his best foot forward. He's got so much ability and when he wants to do it, there's not a lot that will get by him.”

Owned by Bruton Street-US, Rashaan was a 13-time winner in Europe in a career that started in 2015. Trained by Leslie Young, he did not finish his first start in the country in the Grade 1 Grand National Hurdle on October 19 at Far Hills before running back seven days later to finish fifth in the Grade 2 David L. Ferguson Memorial Hurdle.

Off an eight-month break, Rashaan earned his first North American blacktype by running third in the Grade 3 Temple Gwathmey Hurdle on June 13 at Glenwood Park At Middleburg before earning a trip to the winner's circle in his Saratoga debut.

“Rashaan has all of the ability. He's won 13 races in Ireland and he was bred by the Aga Khan and is related well to serious flat horses,” Young said. “He had been training very well. We had a horse win last week and they all worked very well, but he was doing it very easily. I thought if he could just do this in a race without overthinking it.

Off at 8-1, Rashaan returned $18 on $2 win wager. He improved his career earnings to $358,687.

His stablemate, Redicean, was fourth in the Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick Memorial on July 23 at Saratoga but finished 3 ¾ lengths clear of 8-5 Moscato for second. That marked Redicean's best finish in six starts, with his previous win coming at the Spa in last year's Jonathan Kiser Novice.

“Redicean had also been training very well and last time when he ran in the A.P. we got a little bit excited, and I think he likes to go on a little longer,” Young said. “We were hopeful going in today and we're happy it worked out.”

Gibralfaro, 8-5 favorite and defending New York Turf Writers Cup-winner Optimus Prime and Pravalaguna completed the order of finish. Belisarius and Zanjabeel scratched.

Live racing resumes Friday at Saratoga with a nine-race card that includes the Grade 1, $85,000 Skidmore for 2-year-olds in Race 3 going 5 ½ furlongs on turf at 2:20 p.m. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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