Optimus Prime stretches in Lonesome Glory Handicap

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Richard Hendriks said he wasn’t sure what to expect when he ran Optimus Prime in the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Handicap Steeplechase last month at Saratoga.

In his first start for Hendriks following a private purchase, Optimus Prime scored a 1 1/4-length victory in the Turf Writers going 2 3/8 miles.

“I was very impressed with him. He had worked well going up to the race. Still, you never know. We hadn’t trained the horse before, so we were a little unsure what to expect,” Hendriks said. “He ran a really big race.”

Optimus Prime will try to duplicate that performance Thursday when he stretches out to 2 1/2 miles in the Grade 1, $175,000 Lonesome Glory Handicap at Belmont Park. The Lonesome Glory, which goes as race 2, is one of two steeplechase stakes on Thursday’s card. The other is the $75,000 William Entenmann Memorial, which goes as the opener.

There are 10 races overall Thursday at Belmont. With the first two being jump races, the early pick five won’t start until race 3 and the early pick four won’t start until race 4.

Hendriks said the extra furlong and that Optimus Prime picks up eight pounds and must carry 158 on Thursday is somewhat concerning.

“When we purchased the horse they said he was definitely a two-mile horse,” Hendriks said. “We’re hoping he can get 2 1/2 miles; that’s one of the question marks. That, and he picks up some weight in the handicap as well.”

Hendriks also sends out Zanjabeel, who hasn’t performed since he won the Grade 1 Iroquois Stakes in Nashville on May 12. That was his third race in six weeks, so the decision was made to freshen him up.

“We think he’s better going the longer distances,” Hendriks said.

Ross Geraghty is the regular rider of both geldings. Geraghty rides Optimus Prime on Thursday, while Jack Kennedy rides Zanjabeel.

Show Court won the Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick but could manage only a fourth-place finish in the New York Turf Writers.

Jack Fisher has won three runnings of the Lonesome Glory and on Thursday sends out Schoodic, who has just one win the last two years, and Hinterland, who finished second in this race in 2015 and was seventh last year.

Three Kingdoms, Clarcam, and Personal Start complete the field.

Fisher entered three of the nine in the Entenmann, led by Gibralfaro, who finished second to Iranistan in the $100,000 Marcellus Frost Stakes at Percy Warner in Nashville. Iranistan was favored in both the Smithwick and New York Turf Writers where he finished second and third, respectively.

Fisher’s other Entenmann runners are Ice It, fifth in the Marcellus Frost Stakes, and City Dreamer, who would be making his first start in the United States after racing in Great Britain.

First post Thursday is 1:30 p.m.