Iranistan streaking into A.P. Smithwick

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Four months after making his debut as a jumper, Iranistan will try to become a Grade 1 winner when he runs in the $175,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial Handicap on Monday at Saratoga.

The Smithwick, run over eight fences and 2 1/16 miles, was originally carded for last Thursday, but rain forced all scheduled turf races to the main track, postponing the Smithwick. The same seven horses entered for last week are back in on Monday.

Iranistan, a 4-year-old gelding by Einstein, won three consecutive steeplechase events from March 31 to May 12 by a combined 27 1/2 lengths.

“He has been very impressive in what he’s done so far,” trainer Jonathan Sheppard said. “He’s got a very powerful way of running and jumping.”

Sheppard even put him back on the flats for a maiden win going 1 1/2 miles on July 4 at Delaware.

“I hadn’t planned on running him there until four days before the race,” Sheppard said. “He had a legitimate excuse to get a little bit tired, but he handled it really well. It took the outrider to pull him up.”

Iranistan gets in with 143 pounds. He gets 13 pounds from probable favorite Modem, who has finished second in five consecutive Grade 1 steeplechase events, including this race last year.

Sheppard had trained Iranistan on the flats for Carolyn Vogel. But when Sheppard told Vogel he thought Iranistan would be a better steeplechaser, Vogel sold him the horse for a client, Ed Swyer, who races under the name Hudson River Farms.

Sheppard also runs All the Way Jose, who fell and did not finish this race in 2017 before finishing third in the New York Steeplechase. He won the Grade 1 Lonesome Glory last September at Belmont. He missed a race early in the season due to a minor issue, then fell when it looked like he was in position to win the Group 1 Iroquois at Nashville in May.

“He’d never fallen in his life,” Sheppard said. “Knock on wood, he seems in very good fettle right now.”

On Friday, Sheppard sent both horses out for workouts over the Oklahoma turf course. Neither went very fast, but Sheppard wanted them to stretch their legs.

“I often work horses a little bit closer to their race than a lot of people do,” Sheppard said. “I thought it was a nice work, I was pleased with both horses, and I appreciate NYRA for giving us the opportunity to go out there.”

Another improving steeplechaser is Personal Start, who has won three consecutive races, including the David Semmes Memorial Steeplechase at Great Meadow. Prior to this winning streak, Personal Start had one win from his first 11 steeplechase starts.

“Early in his career, he was very aggressive, and we were trying to get him to settle in his races,” trainer Richard Valentine said. “As he’s gotten older, we’ve let him run the way he wants to. I think he likes to be forwardly placed.’

Oskar Denarius and Overwhelming complete the field.