Long layoff poses tall hurdle for Optimus Prime in A.P. Smithwick

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With Optimus Prime coming off an allowance victory on the flat on July 1, 2019, trainer Ricky Hendriks thought he had him prepared for the two Grade 1 steeplechase events held annually at Saratoga.

Shortly after that win, however, Optimus Prime was diagnosed with a torn suspensory and has been away from the races for a little more than a year.

Thursday, without the benefit of a prep, Optimus Prime will try to make up for lost opportunities when he starts in the Grade 1, $100,000 A.P. Smithwick at 2 1/16 miles over National fences.

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Optimus Prime is the 158-pound highweight based on his résumé, which includes a victory in the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers’ Cup Steeplechase here in 2018.

Hendriks said he would have liked to have gotten a prep race on the flat for Optimus Prime, but the 8-year-old French-bred gelding is out of conditions. Hendriks said he has given Optimus Prime “substantial” workouts at the Fair Hill Training Center.

“We set it up like a race for him,” Hendriks said. “We have a horse we use as a breezing horse with him, he sits in behind, he goes by him like he’s tied to the ground. [Optimus Prime] is a very, very fast horse. He has a huge turn of foot.”

Darren Nagle rides Optimus Prime on Thursday.

Hendriks also sends out Surprising Soul, who won the Grade 1 Lonesome Glory at Belmont Park last September in front-running fashion. Last time out, in the Group 3 Temple Gwathmey Hurdle, Surprising Soul got caught up in a speed duel with Iranistan and faded to fifth.

“I don’t think there’s a lot of speed in the race,” Hendriks said.

Ross Geraghty rides Surprising Soul under 148 pounds.

Moscato, the 11-length winner of the Temple Gwathmey on June 13, heads a three-ply entry from trainer Jack Fisher that includes Gibralfaro and Pravalaguna, a mare who might scratch to await a stakes for females at Colonial Downs.

Moscato was impressive in the Temple Gwathmey, especially since he hadn’t started in eight months.

“A commentator remarked that he thought Moscato was fat,” Fisher said. “If he was fat, then he should be better now.”

Gibralfaro, fourth in the Smithwick and second in the New York Turf Writers last year, finished fourth in the David Semmes Memorial, a length behind second-place finisher Chief Justice, who is in this spot Thursday. Gibralfaro carries only 142 pounds Thursday after carrying 158 last out.

“I thought he ran a good race,” Fisher said. “He ran like a horse that was carrying a lot of weight and couldn’t quite get his engine going.”

Completing the field are Belisarius, second to Moscato last out, Winner Massagot, and Redicean.

The A.P. Smithwick, the local prep for the New York Turf Writers Cup on Aug. 20, goes as the first Thursday. Post time is 12:50 p.m.

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Fresco tops Statue of Liberty

Already at this meet, trainer Christophe Clement has won two graded stakes and two 2-year-old races, including beating the boys with a filly in one of them.

For his next trick, Clement will try to win a stakes race with a maiden when he sends out Fresco in Thursday’s $100,000 Statue of Liberty division of the New York Stallion Stakes, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Despite being 0 for 3, Fresco could very well be the one to beat in this seven-horse field. She twice ran competitively against open company before getting beat a nose in a seven-furlong maiden race for New York-breds on June 25 at Belmont.

“She’s run well, she has not won,” Clement said. “My main question mark would be the distance, especially if we get some rain, but I can’t control that.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides from the rail.

Trainer Kelly Rubley ships up Dixie Cannon from Maryland. After winning two open-company races last fall, Dixie Cannon finished 11th in an open second-level allowance June 12 at Laurel. If you throw out that race, she fits. Dixie Cannon gets the services of Jose Ortiz.

Apollo’s Abraxas, trained by Kim Laudati, got away with a slow pace to win her maiden for $40,000 claiming going nine furlongs on turf July 2 at Belmont.

Nicky Scissors, a daughter of Mission Impazible, tries turf for the first time while also making her first start for Brad Cox.

Holmdel Park and Hunnybunnerdini complete the field for the Statue of Liberty, which is slated as race 4 on the card.