OZONE PARK, N.Y.--Keri Brion saddled Upland Flats Racing’s Freddy Flintshire, ridden by Steve Nulqueen, to win his first graded stakes victory in the G1, $150,000 Lonesome Glory, a 2 1/2-mile steeplechase handicap, at Belmont at the Big A on Thursday, Sept.19.

Freddy Flintshire over a fence on the second lap (Photo by Tod Marks)
L’Imperator, trained by Arch Kingsley, finished second, with Hidden Path, trained by Ricky Hendriks, third.

Freddy Flintshire raced third behind the battle between front running stablemate Going Country and Evie’s Prince, moving up in the final turn and going into the lead in the stretch.

He held off the late run of post-time favorite L’Imperator to win by 1 length,

"He had a great trip," Brion said. "That was kind of the plan because Going Country just kind of stays, he doesn't have a big turn of foot. Our thought was there's not much pace in the race, so just go out to the front and we wanted Freddy to sit in behind where he was comfortable. It just worked out well that he was sitting in behind the pace and had a nice lead the whole way around.”

'I'm so happy for his owner Patrick Lewis," said Brion."He bought him off my recommendation, and he's been very patient."

"These races are hard on them," said Brion of the races at Sratoga and Belmont in which the last hurdle is on the backside, not in the stretch. "The sprint to the end is not what they're used to."

 

BRION, who also won the G1 Jonathan Sheppard in August with Jimmy P, said she learned a great deal about the Freddy Flintshire from his dull off-the-board effort in his seasonal bow in the Grade 1 Beverly R. Steinman in June here.

"We've taken our time and let him mature," she said. "He had some time off for small, little issues. We didn't run him in the spring. I brought him to the Steinman here and I got it all wrong, he wasn't fit enough. Jimmy P also wasn't fit enough, so I don't think I trained very well this spring. But coming into the summer, we had the plan to split them up and try to make both of them a G1 winner, and we did that. So, for once, mission accomplished."

Brion said that Jimmy P is likely to be the one to run in the G1 Grand National on Oct. 19 at Far Hills rather than Freddy Flintshire.

"I don't think he's a Grand National horse,” Brion said of Freddy Flintshire. “I think he enjoys a flat type of track, so we'll see. I also didn't know that he got 2 1/2 miles, but he does. So, we'll have to have a think. It's a good problem to have two G1 winners in the barn, so I won't complain.”

After two false starts, the field of five got off to a slow beginning over the firm footing as L’Imperator broke off late and Going Country took charge.

Evie’s Prince jumped the first fence better from second and took the lead, the first of several exchanges as the two set a moderate pace with Freddy Flintshire in third and L’Imperator, ridden by Gerard Galligan just ahead of Hidden Path.

The field of five was separated by just a length or so in the final turn, when Hidden Path stuck his head in front of Going Country at the top of the stretch.

But Mulqueen angled Freddy Flintshire widest of all from behind to take dead aim at the leaders.

L’Imperator, who looked very strong, was blocked by a wall of horses and couldn't make a move around the field until Freddy Flintshire accelerated to his outside.

"I was a little nervous around the turn,” Brion said. “He kind of got shuffled back but Stephen said he was never concerned; he always had the best horse.”

L’Imperator got free late in the stretch to make up ground with every stride, but he couldn't catch Freddy Flintshire, who finished in 4:45.31.

L’Imperator finished second two lengths better than Hidden Path with Evie’s Prince and Going Country completing the order of finish. Westerland and Welshman were scratched.

Mulqueen said the stalking trip worked out picture-perfect.

"It was lovely, really. I just wanted to follow the pace around. He jumped great,” said Mulqueen. “I got a bit crowded turning in for home, but I've learned here it is quite a long way home. I knew if I just waited until I straightened up that he had plenty of flat speed, and he's quickened up through gears and put the race to bed easy."

Bred in Kentucky by AJ Suited, the 6-year-old gelding improved his lifetime record to 20-4-4-4 and earned $90,000 in victory.

He has additional G1 placings when third in the past two runnings of the A.P. Smithwick Memorial at Saratoga Race Course.