A New Perspective on Garner in Jonathan Sheppard’s Saratogian

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Thomas Garner has enjoyed a wealth of success at Saratoga Race Course in recent years. The recently retired steeplechase jockey won six Grade 1 races at Spa — four Jonathan Sheppard Handicaps and two AP Smithwick Memorials — before switching to show jumping earlier this year.

In his short career as a conditioner, Garner has gone 2-2-2 in 19 starts, earning $63,400. Today, he will get his first taste of the big stage when he rides owner Jillian Johnston’s Zarak the Brave in the $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard, a 2 3/8-mile handicap race for older horses.

French-bred Zarak the Brave will make his North American debut at Sheppard. The five-year-old son of Zarak out of the Boris de Deauville mare Tempo Royale has gone 4-4-4 in 14 starts with earnings of $341,735 in races in France, Ireland and England. The 9-5 favorite on the morning line in today’s contest, Zarak the Brave will carry a top bid of 158 pounds, including rider Graham Watters.

Garner said to expect some nervousness today.

“I think I’d rather ride them,” Garner said with a laugh. “I’m actually more nervous looking at my horses than riding them. I’m never nervous riding them, but it’s a whole different ballgame when you’re taking care of them and seeing them every day. I really enjoy it, and I’m rooting for Zarak to put us in the spotlight on Wednesday.”

Finally, Zarak the Brave finished second in the Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Hurdle in April at Fairyhouse in Ireland, when under the care of previous trainer Willie Mullins. There he carried 160 pounds and was beaten by half a length by Brewin’upastorm in a 2 1/2-mile contest on soft ground. The gelding made his season debut in January, winning the 15-furlong Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas, winning on soft ground by 1 1/4 lengths before finishing fourth on the heavy Cheltenham track in March’s Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy.

“He’s in good form,” said Garner. “His form in England and Ireland speaks for itself. It’s an honour to have a horse like that in my stable. I’d like to give him a chance before this race, but he’s the class of this race and I’m looking forward to it.”

The talented Bay put together a productive campaign last year, scoring three times in four starts; his only effort off the board came when he was withdrawn at Tipperary in October. The season was capped by an emphatic victory in the two-mile Galway Handicap in Galway in August.

Pickanumber (Jamie Bargary, 152 pounds, 5-2) from Leipers Fork Steeplechasers finished a solid second from last in the Grade 1 AP Smithwick Memorial here on July 21, finishing 4 1/4 lengths behind the winning Ziggle Pops in a pace-setting race on his American debut. One of three Sheppard runners for trainer Leslie Young, the 6-year-old from Shantou was a dominant winner by 15 lengths in the Pertemps Network Swinton Handicap two starts in May at Haydock Park in England, following up an April handicap by 1 3/4 lengths at Huntingdon.

Young will also field Artistic Choice (Danny Mullins, 140 pounds, 15-1) for Leipers Fork Steeplechasers and Too Friendly (Gerard Galligan, 148 pounds, 6-1) for Irvin Naylor.

Artistic Choice, a 5-year-old grey Caravaggio, has two second-place finishes in three starts this year, with his best result coming on his season debut in April when he won by a neck in a 2 1/8-mile handicap at Foxfield. The Irish horse is a two-time winner in Britain and is seeking his first stakes victory.

Too Friendly will finish fourth for the first time in the United States in a flat two-mile handicap on June 29 on an all-season surface at Newcastle. The 6-year-old gelding son of Camelot is returning to jumping after four flat starts last time out, his last hurdling appearance being a solid eighth in a two-mile handicap on good ground at Plumpton in March.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Daigneault Thoroughbreds’ Abaan (Bernard Dalton, 154 pounds, 4-1) will be looking to avenge a fifth-place finish at Smithwick, where he lost his four-race winning streak. The Kate Dalton-trained 7-year-old gelding Will Take Charge was the favorite at Smithwick, where he trailed by two lengths in the first half of the 2 3/8-mile course and tried to push gently. He moved to the inside for the final run but stumbled and finished far behind the winning Ziggle Pops.

A Grade 3 winner on the Flat when under the care of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, Abaan enjoyed a career change last August when he switched to show jumping. He finished second in the first-place hurdle before winning the first of four straight, by 7 1/4 lengths in a 2 1/4-mile horse race in September at Colonial Downs. The chestnut horse has three points, led by a three-length victory in the 2 1/2-mile Foxbrook Champion Hurdle in October at Far Hills.

Completing the competition are group No. 1 Jimmy P (Stephen Mulqueen, 144 pounds, 10-1) and Going Country (Parker Hendriks, 140 pounds) under the care of trainer Keri Brion; and stakes race winner Kiyomori (Harrison Beswick, 142 pounds, 20-1) under the care of trainer Todd Wyatt.

Originally published: August 13, 2024 at 11:59 PM