Bob Le Beau Meets Seven Opponents in Lonesome Glory Chase

Bob Le Beau, winner of the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap at Saratoga Race Course, will carry the 154-pound highweight when he meets seven opponents in Thursday's Grade 1, $150,000 Lonesome Glory Handicap at Belmont Park.

 

Trained by Elizabeth Voss, Bob Le Beau stands atop the National Steeplechase Association's earnings table after his 7 1/4-length victory in Saratoga's premier jump race. The Irish-bred had won the Grade 3 Radnor Hunt Races' National Hunt Cup in May. Jack Doyle will ride the 6-5 morning-line favorite.

 

Second in the weights at 150 pounds is Gregory Hawkins' Alajmal, a Grade 1 winner who came back from a long layoff to finish fifth in the New York Turf Writers on August 27. Racing Hall of Fame trainer Janet Elliot named Bernie Dalton to ride Alajmal, 20-1 on the morning line.

 

Irv Naylor will seek to maintain his No. 1 spot in the owner rankings with the pairing of Charminster and newly imported Dawalan. Charminster finished third in the New York Turf Writers, and Dawalan is a multiple handicap winner in England. Both are trained by Cyril Murphy. Ross Geraghty rides Dawalan, 10-1, and Darren Nagle will be aboard Charminster, also 10-1.

 

Dawalan shares the 146-pound assignment with Sonny Via's Hinterland, who made his American debut with a seventh-place finish in the New York Turf Writers. Sean McDermott rides Hinterland, 20-1, for trainer Jack Fisher, who also will send out Gil Johnston's Syros, sixth in the New York Turf Writers.

 

Paddy Young, currently leading the national steeplechase jockey standings by wins, will ride Syros, who carries 140 pounds and is listed at 5-1 on the morning line.

 

Two steeplechase horses claimed out of Saratoga optional allowance hurdles will face the starter in the Lonesome Glory. Owner-trainer David Jacobson's All Together was fourth in the New York Turf Writers before a third in an optional allowance hurdle on September 2. Willie McCarthy has the mount aboard All Together, the 6-1 program choice.

 

Diplomat, claimed from a victory in the race, will make his first start for Newman Racing. Trainer Charlton Baker named Robbie Walsh to ride Diplomat, the Carolina Cup winner who carries 144 pounds in the 2 1/2-mile Lonesome Glory and who is listed at 4-1 on the morning line.

 

The Lonesome Glory will be run as race No. 2 on Thursday's card, following the $75,000 William Entenmann Memorial Hurdle, in which Schoodic is the 5-2 favorite over nine rivals.