Choral Society scores upset in A.P. Smithwick

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Weight proved to be the great equalizer in Thursday’s $125,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase, as longshot Choral Society, starting under a relatively feathery 142-pound impost, finished full of run to register a 1 1/4-length victory over Martini Brother, with Demonstrative, the 158-pound highweight and 1-2 favorite, finishing a disappointing third.

Choral Society, a 6-year-old son of Holy Bull, raced near the rear of the seven-horse field until the group turned into the stretch the final time in the Grade 1 Smithwick, which covered 2 1/16 miles. Choral Society took the final of the nine hurdles efficiently under jockey Paddy Young, angled inside the laboring leader, Diplomat, near the sixteenth pole, and finished full of run to win going away.

Martini Brother, who like Choral Society carried only 142 pounds, 16 fewer than the favorite, also finished well after clearing the final fence to be second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of the struggling Demonstrative, who failed to respond when put under strong handling from jockey Robert Walsh three furlongs from the wire.

Demonstrative became the third reigning Eclipse Award champion to lose his Saratoga debut this summer, joining Judy the Beauty and Untapable.
Choral Society, whose only previous hurdle wins came against maidens and midlevel optional-claiming and allowance competition more than a year ago, completed the grueling distance in 3:51.77 and paid $34.40. He is trained by Jack Fisher for Petticoats Loose Farm.

“Sixteen pounds is a lot of weight,” said Fisher. “I have another horse, Mr. Hot Stuff, who was beaten a neck by Demonstrative carrying 158 pounds earlier in the year in Nashville, and I chose not to bring him up here because of the weights. It’s just tough on those good horses giving up 16 pounds. It really sets things up for a longshot to win. I was concerned coming over the last fence, but this horse beat me at Parx coming from nowhere, so I knew we had that.”

Fisher said he felt that a short field and the prospect of an honest pace, along with the break in weights, would set the race up for Choral Society, who was eligible for one of the novice events held earlier in the meet.

“As they get older, the jumpers get better because they get more efficient at their jumping, and they don’t take as much out of themselves,” said Fisher.

Fisher said “absolutely” when asked whether he’d bring Choral Society back for the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Cup later in the meet. But he added, “If they give me too much weight, I won’t come.”