SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Keri Brion saddled Jimmy P to win the $150,000, 2 3/8 mile Beverly R. Steinman Steeplechase Handicap on June 3.
Jimmy P rallies past Rocket One, left, in the Steinman (Photo by Tod Marks)Jimmy P, owned by Madaket Stables and Molly and Paul Willis and ridden by Stephen Mulqueen, won by a neck over Rocket One, trained by Jack Fisher, and Coutach (GB), trained by Ricky Hendriks.
"He's a really cool horse," said Brion. "I think his accomplishments speak for themselves. Not many horses win a grade 1 in three consecutive years, especially in Saratoga. That's a tough feat."
"I'm privileged to train him," said Brion. "He'll go to the Sheppard next. "I'd like to try to win it three years in a row."
JIimmy P, the 8-year-old son of Slumber, is now 3-for-5 in steeplechase races at Saratoga, adding the Steinman to back-to-back wins in the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard Handicap in 2024-25.
"He’s a funny horse. All credit to Stephen there, he never gave up,” Brion said. “He's a horse who doesn’t really ever travel, and you kind of saw that throughout the race. He was having to niggle him along. That’s just him. He never missed a fence and jumped for fun.”
MULQUEEN, who rode Jimmy P in both his Sheppard wins, said the gelding needs some reminders during his races.
“He loves Saratoga," said Mulqueen. "He saves his best runs for here. He’s genuine, but he’s quirky. You need to know him. He never really traveled in the race. With a full lap to go I gave him a reminder and I pulled him out wide, and he picked up, and once he passed a couple of horses I was happy. Then he came off the bridle again down the back and the two horses in front of me got a couple lengths on me, so I just dropped him back in and I followed them and he picked up again. For as quirky as he is, when you let him down, he’s tough.”
Brion said Jimmy P relished the added distance from the 2 1/8-mile Commonwealth Cup last out.
“The farther along he goes, the better he gets and you kind of saw then when he jumped the last and came up on the heels of them,” Brion said. “Stephen said he always thought he had it down the lane, while I, on the other hand, was like ‘oh my God’ until the end. What a cool horse. He loves Saratoga."
McTigue jumped the first fence badly and unseated jockey Harrison Beswick and ran off well clear of the field, leaving a rank Coutach to establish a large lead through the first lap with Jimmy P tracking in mid-pack.
Race high-weight Ziggle Pops unseated jockey Jaime Bargary at the sixth fence while Coutach’s lead diminished and Jimmy P inched up to third just off Rocket One.
It looked like Rocket One in a runaway in the stretch, but a determined Jimmy P, under a heady ride by Mulqueen, anglied inside in the final eighth to will himself in front of Rocket One and win by a neck.
Coutach finished third with Little Trilby and We’re Back Again completing the order of finish.
McTigue and Ziggle Pops were caught by the outriders and walked home.
Both Beswick and Bargary visited onsite first aid and walked out under their own power.
