Recent immigrants favored in A. P. Smithwick

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Several veterans of previous runnings of the $150,000 A. P. Smithwick (G1) return for today’s 2019 running, including Show Court, last year’s winner of the 2 1/16-mile event; Modem, the 2017 runner-up; and All the Way Jose, fifth last year.

None of the three gets much respect on the morning line, however, which has assigned favoritism to a pair of British-breds making their first starts in North America, Bedrock (3-1) and Vosne Romanee (7-2).

Bedrock, who generally has been racing at shorter distances, won his last two starts in Ireland, at Tipperary and Down Royal, last fall. The 6-year-old son of Fastnet Rock is 5-for-11 lifetime over hurdles and is highweight at 154, conceding 4-12 pounds to his 11 rivals. L. F. Young replaces Iain Jardine as trainer of record.

Vosne Romanee made his most recent start in England on May 22, a fifth in a 2-miler at Warwick. The 8-year-old son of Arakan sports a 107-3 record in 32 starts over jumps, with 10 victories, most recently at Ascot (at today’s distance) last November. Jack Fisher now trains for Foxtrot NH Racing Partnership.

Show Court (20-1) upset last year’s Smithwick at 141. The now 10-year-old Vinnie Roe gelding is winless in seven starts over hurdles since, two of which he did not finish. Most recently, in a 1½-mile tune-up on the Parx main track, Show Court finished a non-threatening seventh. A. J. Kingsley Jr. trains.

Modem (8-1) makes his third start in the Smithwick, following a second in 2017 and a sixth last year at 2-1. The 9-year-old son of Motivator has raced only once since, and that was a distant tenth in the same Parx allowance in which Show Court ran seventh. Prior to his sixth in the 2019 Smithwick, Modem had finished second in five straight steeplechases, including the Lonesome Glory, Grand National and Iroquois, all G1s.

Peppay Le Pugh, another horse not long off the plane – he raced in Ireland on Apr 20 is given some support at 6-1. Also at 6-1 is Winston C, who ran a close third in his North American debut for Jonathan Sheppard on May 1.

The rest of the Smithwick field consists of Sempre Medici (10-1), Gibralfaro (12-1), No All the Way Jose (15-1), Wunder (15-1), Hinterland (30-1), Portrade (30-1) and Belisarius (30-1).