Belfast Banter finally gets a try at right distance in A.P. Smithwick

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A year ago at this time, trainer Cyril Murphy was still trying to figure out what distance was best for Belfast Banter.

Murphy felt longer was better for the Irish-bred gelding, which is why he held him out of the A.P. Smithwick at 2 1/16 miles and waited for the Jonathan Sheppard at 2 3/8 miles, where he finished fourth behind the dominant winner Snap Decision.

“He’s a horse that leads you to believe he wants to go longer, but what he really wants is a strongly run short race where he races on the bridle, traveling well,” Murphy said.

Wednesday, Murphy will cut Belfast Banter back to 2 1/16 miles in the Grade 1, $150,000 A.P. Smithwick at Saratoga. The Smithwick is the lead-in to the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard on Aug. 16.

In hindsight, Murphy said he should have run Belfast Banter in last year’s Smithwick. He ran Chief Justice instead, who finished second at 15-1, beaten a head.

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Belfast Banter hasn’t won a race since 2021 when he took a novice race at the Smithwick distance in Ireland. This year, he finished third to Snap Decision in the Temple Gwathmey Hurdle in Camden and then a closer third behind Welshman and Gordon’s Jet in the David Semmes Memorial at Great Meadow in Virginia.

In the David Semmes, Belfast Banter carried 158 pounds, giving six pounds to Welshman and 10 to Gordon’s Jet. Wednesday, Belfast Banter carries 144 pounds, eight fewer than Welshman and the same as Gordon’s Jet.

“We finally get a fair shake at everybody with the weights,” Murphy said. “It gives us a chance. There’s a couple of speed horses in there. We like to run behind a little bit of pace.”

Barry Foley rides Belfast Banter.

Hall of Fame trainer Jack Fisher, a four-time Smithwick winner, trains both Welshman and Gordon’s Jet, who run uncoupled on Wednesday.

Welshman has won three of his last four starts, including the David Semmes by two lengths over Gordon’s Jet. Fisher said Welshman, in his runner-up finish in the Carolina Cup in Camden “probably got to the front a little too soon.”

Fisher believes Welshman is probably better suited to the Smithwick than Gordon’s Jet.

“I think Gordon will be better suited when it gets a little longer,” said Fisher, alluding to the Sheppard.

Keri Brion sends out the uncoupled pair of Freddy Flintshire and Historic Heart. Freddy Flintshire has three wins and two seconds in his last five starts but is facing his toughest company to date. Historic Heart was fourth in last year’s Smithwick and has run just once since, a fourth July 1 in a maiden special flat race at Delaware Park.

Redicean finished second to Snap Decision – and 20 lengths clear of Belfast Banter – in the Temple Gwathmey two back. He finished a well-beaten eighth in the three-mile, Grade 1 Lonesome Glory at Percy Warner in May.

Noah And The Ark, third in the Iroquois, won the Grade 1 Lonesome Glory at 41-1 at Aqueduct last September. Salvino and West Newton complete the field.

The Smithwick goes as race 1 on a 10-race card that begins at 1:10 p.m. and ends with the $150,000 Statue of Liberty division of the New York Stallion Stakes.

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