SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Jimmy P’s affection for Saratoga was on display in the last strides of Wednesday’s Grade 1 Beverly Steinman Handicap Hurdle. That was not necessarily the case for most of the race at 2 3/8 miles. Jimmy P ($10.06) rallied from third in the final half-mile to catch stretch leader Rocket One in the final strides, winning by a neck in 4:33.24. The $145,500 Steinman was Jimmy P’s third win in five career starts in hurdle races at Saratoga, with all the victories in Grade 1 races. Ridden by Stephen Mulqueen, Jimmy P stalked 6-1 Coutach, who had a clear lead for the first half of the race. The trailing pack moved within a few lengths of Coutach on the final circuit. Coutach sustained his advantage to the top of the stretch when he was caught by 9-2 Rocket One, who had raced in a stalking position. Rocket One appeared to be clear when Mulqueen moved Jimmy P to the inside in the final sixteenth. :: DRF Belmont Stakes Packages: Save big on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more. “The last half-furlong I thought I’d get them,” Mulqueen said. Mulqueen said he had to be careful with how he rode Jimmy P nearing the finish. “When he reaches the front, he pulls himself up,” he said. Rocket One finished 17 3/4 clear of Coutach, who was followed by Little Trilby and We’re Back Again. Little Trilby was the 5-2 favorite. McTigue unseated jockey Harrison Beswick after the first fence. Ziggle Pops unseated jockey Jamie Bargary midway through the race. Hidden Path was scratched. The finish was a turnaround from the manner in which Jimmy P was racing midway through the race when Mulqueen struck the 8-year-old gelding with his whip. “He wasn’t traveling,” he said. “I gave him a reminder to keep him interested and he picked it up.” Jimmy P, who is by Slumber, races for Madaket Stable and Paul and Molly Willis and trainer Keri Brion. The Steinman Hurdle was his second start of the year, preceded by a fifth-place finish behind Little Trilby in the Grade 1 Commonwealth Cup in Virginia on May 2. Last year, Jimmy P won the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard Hurdle at Saratoga for the second consecutive year. He was third in the 2023 Sheppard Hurdle. “He’s shown his best form around here,” Mulqueen said. Jimmy P began his career on the flat in 2020, and won a maiden race at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Tampa Bay Downs in 2021 when trained by Graham Motion. Over obstacles, Jimmy P has won 6 of 22 starts. In his career, he has earned $484,115. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.