Iranistan thrown into the deep end

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard could have taken the conservative approach with Iranistan by entering him in Wednesday’s $75,000 Jonathan Kiser Stakes for novice steeplechasers.

But Sheppard – and others – believe Iranistan could be a budding star on the steeplechase circuit, and he opted for Thursday’s more prestigious Grade 1, $175,000 A.P. Smithwick at Saratoga.

Iranistan, a 4-year-old gelding by Einstein, makes his graded stakes debut in the Smithwick, a 2 1/16-mile event that serves as a stepping-stone to the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Cup on Aug. 23.

“It’s a fairly significant step up running against top older horses,” Sheppard said Monday. “There is a novice stakes that he would eligible to. But he gets penalized in the weights. Here, he’s actually getting some weight. We think nothing ventured, nothing gained. Let’s find out.”

Iranistan gets in with 143 pounds. He gets 13 pounds from probable favorite Modem, who has finished second in five consecutive Grade 1 steeplechase events, including this race last year.

Sheppard had trained Iranistan on the flat for Carolyn Vogel. But when Sheppard told Vogel he thought Iranistan would be a better steeplechaser, Vogel sold him the horse for a client, Ed Swyer, who races under the name Hudson River Farms.

Iranistan won three consecutive steeplechase events from March 31 to May 12 by a combined 27 1/2 lengths.

“He has been very impressive in what he’s done so far,” Sheppard said. “He’s got a very powerful way of running and jumping.”

Sheppard even put him back on the flat for a maiden win going 1 1/2 miles on July 4 at Delaware.

“I hadn’t planned on running him there until four days before the race,” Sheppard said. “He had a legitimate excuse to get a little bit tired, but he handled it really well. It took the outrider to pull him up.”

Sheppard also runs All the Way Jose in the A.P. Smithwick. All the Way Jose fell and did not finish this race in 2017 before finishing third in the New York Turf Writers Cup. He won the Grade 1 Lonesome Glory last September at Belmont.

All the Way Jose missed a race early in the season due to a minor issue, then fell when it looked like he was in position to win the Group 1 Iroquois at Nashville in May.

“He’d never fallen in his life,” Sheppard said. “Knock on wood, he seems in very good fettle right now.”

Another improving steeplechaser is Personal Start, who has won three consecutive races including the David Semmes Memorial Steeplechase at Great Meadow. Prior to this threerace winning streak, Personal Start had one win from his first 11 steeplechase starts.

“Early in his career, he was very aggressive, and we were trying to get him to settle in his races,” trainer Richard Valentine said. “As he’s gotten older, we’ve let him run the way he wants to. I think he likes to be forwardly placed.”

When assessing the field, Valentine pointed to Iranistan and Modem as the two horses he fears.

“Iranistan could possibly be one of the best jumpers if he continues to go in the direction he’s going,” Valentine said.

Oskar Denarius, Show Court, and Overwhelming complete the field.