Jimmy P takes G1 Jonathan Sheppard in tour de force performance

Madaket Stables, Molly Willis and Paul Willis’ Jimmy P poured it on in the final turn to notch his first Grade 1 triumph in style in Wednesday’s $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard, a 2 3/8-mile steeplechase handicap for older horses, at Saratoga Race Course.

The race is named in honor of the late Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard, who won more than 3,400 races in his storied career that was highlighted by Grade 1-winning Champions Forever Together, Informed Decision and Divine Fortune, as well as breed-shaping Grade 1-winning sire Storm Cat. This event, previously run as the New York Turf Writers Cup, was renamed in 2021. Sheppard passed away last August at age 82.

Fittingly, the inaugural running of this race under the Sheppard name was won by The Mean Queen for conditioner Keri Brion, a pupil of Sheppard who attributes much of her successes to the legendary trainer. Brion came back with two chances to win again this year with the Stephen Mulqueen-piloted Jimmy P and Going Country, and it was the former who delivered in a big way as he led a Brion-trained exacta.

"He did it so easy. He doesn't strike me as a super-fast horse - he just stays,” said Brion. “The whole way around you could tell Stephen was completely in hand, and always happy so you knew he was going well. He's deceiving because he always runs but he's not really on the bridle, so you don't really know, and he just gave him a squeeze and [was] gone.”

The 6-year-old Slumber gelding showed a tremendous reversal of form after being soundly beaten in his first two outings this year. He finished second in this event last year, but returned with aplomb this year to decimate his rivals by 34 1/2 lengths with a decisive move into the far turn.

Brion said Jimmy P trained exceptionally into this race after an even fourth last-out in the Grade 1 Beverly R. Steinman in June at Belmont at the Big A.

"I trained him wrong into the Beverly Steinman. I was training him with my other horse and this horse takes more training, so I probably did him a disservice,” said Brion. “He ran a fine fourth, but he was very tired after that day. Today, I knew I had him ready. He was a fresh horse and a lot of these aren't. A lot of these had run 3 1/2-weeks ago, so when he came around the turn Abaan was my biggest concern because he has such good flat form, but I could tell he got the jump. I did think he'd win today; I did not think he'd win like that.”

After one false start that left behind the Leslie Young-trained Too Friendly, Jimmy P was well-rated in fourth in the early stages of the race as the Jamie Bargary-piloted Pickanumber showed the way over the firm inner turf course. The pacesetter raced well clear of Going Country through the first of five turns before post-time favorite Zarak the Brave fell and unseated jockey Graham Watters at the second fence.

Mulqueen held his position through the first full lap as Pickanumber continued to lead the field with longshot Kiyomori moving up to track in second before tiring quickly on the backstretch for the final time. The well-regarded Abaan made his move from last approaching the final fence and moved up into contention on the outside as Pickanumber became leg-weary, but it was Jimmy P who made an eye-catching move up the inside to take a clear command entering the final turn.

Jimmy P opened up on his rivals and showed a stunning turn of foot in the last quarter-mile, increasing his margin with every stride as his rivals tried in vain to close the gap. Jimmy P was never threatened and crossed the wire all alone under a celebrating Mulqueen in a final time of 4:31.64. Going Country kept on well to preserve place honors over Abaan. Artistic Choice, Pickanumber and Too Friendly completed the order of finish. Kiyomori was eased in the stretch and did not finish.

Zarak the Brave was apprehended on the backstretch and walked to the dirt course to be provided a ride home in the equine ambulance. Watters visited first aid and has been cleared. Artistic Choice returned lame and was also provided a ride back in the equine ambulance.

Mulqueen said the gelding was poised to put in a better run than last time.

"He blew them away, didn't he? I am not going to say I expected it, but I expected a bigger run,” said Mulqueen. “He probably needed the run the last day and he finished fourth. He had been stepping forward at home, so look I was really looking forward to riding him. All he does is keep galloping, if he was in Ireland he would be running over three miles. Stamina is not a problem for him. I knew when I jumped the last, he picked up. I thought he maybe pulled a couple of lengths clear, I was afraid to look behind me because I thought I could hear some, but I had a glance at the screen, and he was miles clear wasn't he?"

Bred in Kentucky by Madaket Stables and Head of Plains Partners, Jimmy P posted his fourth win since moving to jumps in July 2022. He banked $90,000 in victory while improving his lifetime record to 21-5-2-2. The win made New York stallion Slumber the sire of a graded stakes winner on both the flat and over jumps from just 15 horses to race.

Like Jimmy P, Going Country also previously finished second in the Sheppard, running well in 2022 to finish far behind the talented Snap Decision. Brion said she was pleased to see the Yeats gelding give another strong account of himself after a flat fifth in the Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick on July 21 here.

“That's super cool because it's taken him a while to come back to form,” said Brion. “He was coming off an injury and the owners were great and gave him a ton of time. We did it the right way and he rewarded us today - second in a Grade 1, he's back to his old form."

The next steeplechase Grade 1 in North America is the $150,000 Lonesome Glory Handicap in September at Belmont at the Big A, but Brion, who also trains top jumper Freddy Flintshire, said she is unsure if either of today’s runners will resurface there.

"We'll have to see. It's hard to say. It was such a big effort from both of them,” said Brion. “Going Country has raced two times up here. We’ll just have to see how they are out of this."

Live racing resumes Thursday at Saratoga with the 10-race New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day card, featuring the $125,000 Rick Violette in Race 7. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

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