Optimus Prime and Surprising Soul ready for battle in A.P Smithwick
Trainer Richard Hendriks will roll out two formidable contenders with Optimus Prime joining Surprising Soul in Thursday’s Grade 1, $100,000 A.P. Smithwick, a 2 1/16-mile steeplechase event at Saratoga Race Course.
Rosbrian Farm’s Optimus Prime, whose form has been transformed since arriving in North America in the summer of 2018, brings a three-race win streak dating back to 2018 into Thursday’s test.
The 8-year- old French- bred son of Deportivo won his North American debut in August 2018 when capturing the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Handicap at the Spa. Following a third in the 2018 Grade 1 Lonesome Glory Handicap at Belmont, Optimus Prime romped to an 18-length score in the Grade 2 David L. Ferguson Memorial Hurdle Handicap at Great Meadow to close out his campaign.
Optimus Prime won both his starts last season taking the Grade 2 David Semmes Memorial at Great Meadow and a 12-furlong allowance at Parx.
Darren Nagle has the call aboard the 158 pounds highweight.
Wendy Hendriks’ Surprising Soul, an 8-year- old son of Perfect Soul, made the grade in the 2018 Grade 3 National Hunt Cup Hurdle Handicap at Malvern.
Last year, Surprising Soul reached a new level when he followed up his good second in the Grade 1 Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle with a victory in the Grade 1 Lonesome Glory Handicap in September at Belmont Park.
Surprising Soul enters Thursday off a fifth in the Grade 3 Temple Gwathmey Hurdle Handicap in June at Glenwood Park at Middleburg. Ross Geraghty retains the mount.
Trainer Jack Fisher will saddle a tough trio in Riverdee Stable’s Gibralfaro and the Bruton Street duo of Moscato and Pravalaguna.
Gibralfaro, an 8-year- old Dalakhani gelding, captured the Grade 2 David L. Ferguson Memorial Hurdle
Handicap to close out his 2019 campaign that also included a win in the Queen’s Cup MPC Chase Hurdle at Charlotte.
A distant second in last year’s Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Handicap, Gibralfaro will look to go one better under Sean McDermott.
The 9-year- old Moscato, by Hernando, made three attempts at a Grade 1 score last season finishing third in the Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle at Percy Warner and the Grand National Hurdle at Far Hills. He was off-the-board in the Lonesome Glory.
Moscato opened his 2020 campaign by defending his title in the Grade 3 Temple Gwathmey Hurdle Handicap and jockey Michael Mitchell retains the mount.
Pravalaguna, an 8-yearold Great Pretender mare, provided former trainer
Willie Mullins a North American win in her stateside debut in the Peapack Hurdle in October at Far Hills. Her first start for Fisher will also mark her graded- stakes debut. Kieran Norris has the call for the first time.
Rounding out the field are Redicean [ Thomas Garner], Chief Justice [ Barry Foley], Belisarius [ Bernard Dalton], and Winner Massagot [Gerard Galligan].
The Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick is slated as the opening race on Thursday’s 10race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www. nyra.com/saratoga/racing/ tv-schedule.