SARATOGA, N.Y.--Hudson River Farm's Iranistan led all the way in the $50,000, 2 1/16 mile Steeplechase Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 13 to win by a 1/2 length.
Iranistan takes a jump early in the Handicap at Saratoga (Photo by Tod Marks)Trained by Jonathan Sheppard and ridden by Darren Nagel, Iranistan was briefly headed in the stretch by Must See the Doc, trained by Leslie Young, but the 6-year-old gelding fought back to regain the lead and prevail.
"Ed Swyer owns Hudson River Farms, and he's a businessman in Albany," said Sheppard. "Saratoga is his home track, so it's special to win there."
Sheppard's horses traditionally run at the back of the pack and make a big move later in the race to get to the front, but Iranistan is the exception that proves the rule.
"He's not very fast, but he has a high cruising speed," said assistant trainer Keri Brion who saddled Iranistan. "He's really gritty. He doesn't like another horse coming to him, he fights back."
"DARREN said, `He's got the heart of a lion,'" said Brion. "Iranistan is a barn favorite, and he's Darren's favorite horse."
Iranistan was bred by Crossed Sabres Farm and was owned by that farm for his first four races. trained by Sheppard.
After running at Gulfstream on Feb. 1, 2018, he was bought by Swyer and won his first race over fences at Camden just one month later.
"Iranistan was in our barn the whole time, so he'd been schooing over fences," said Brion.
Iranistan won his first four races for Swyer in 2018, including two allowance races, the Marcellus Frost Champion Hurdle Stakes and a flat race at Delaware Park.
"He was second and third in the Smithwidk and Turf Writers, and then he got hurt prepping for Fair Hill," said Brion. "He did a tendon and was out for over a year."
Brion said she wasn't sure where Iranistan would run next.
"His rating will probably go up after this race," said Brion. "If his rating stays under 130 he'll probably run in the last race at Saratoga. If his rating goes over 130, I don't know what we'll do with him. We'll have to see what the fall schedule looks like."
Must See the Doc, who was getting 13 pounds from Iranistan, ran second to him throughout the race, briefly headed him in the stretch but was beaten back to finish second, 4 1/2 lengths in front of Maccabee.
Must See the doc was ridden by Tom Garner, who had ridden Young's winner Court Ruler at Saratoga the day before.
Tom Garner deserved that bit of success after his exploits a few days earlier.
Garner made international headlines when he and three friends participated in a dangerous water rescue outside of Philadelphia that was caught on camera.
Garner and his pals saved a father and four children from a vehicle sinking in floodwaters when he formed part of a human chain pulling the victims from their partly submerged car in terrible weather conditions.
"Jonathan is a very high risk for covid-19, so he's been staying in Florida," said Brion. "I talk to him every morning and after the races."
"The farther I stay stay from the horses the better they do," joked Sheppard, whose training methods are adhered to despite his absence.
Sheppard also has had two flat winners in the last two days.
Hudson River Farms' Solo Try won a $15,450, 6 furlong Maiden Claiming race at Presque Isle on Aug. 11.
Running in a typical Sheppard fashion, Solo Try was far back, was four wide on the turn, navigated through traffic and drove clear to win by 1 3/4 lengths.
The evening before Iranistan's win, Rosbrian Farm's Konstantinova won a $17,000, 1 mile and 70 yards Maiden Claiming turf race at Penn National by 4 1/4 lengths, beating Smarty Socks, trained by Ricky Hendriks, another steeplechase trainer.
"Konstantinova will run back a week from Monday at Colonial Downs over fences," said Brion.
Benrie Houghton had a one-two finish in a $19,100, 1 mile and 70 yards Claiming turf race for fillies and mares.
Douglas W. Gibson's homebred Moon Chant won by 1 1/4 lengths over Barlar LLC's Witch, who was 9 1/4 lengths in front of the third placed horse.
