January 5, 2025

Demonstrative jumps to victory in Lonesome Glory

Last updated: 9/18/14 4:15 PM


Mrs. George L. Ohstrom Jr.’s Demonstrative furthered his grip on the
steeplechase division with a driving victory in Thursday’s Grade 1, $150,000

Lonesome Glory

Handicap
at Belmont
Park
. Making light work of his top impost of 158 pounds, the 8-5 second
choice took command down the stretch, propelled by a couple of stag-like leaps
over the final fences, and completed 2 1/2 miles on the firm course in 5:01 3/5.

Demonstrative is now a nose away from a three-race winning streak, all in
major events. After missing by a nose to Makari in the July 31 A.P. Smithwick
Memorial at Saratoga, the Richard Valentine charge captured the August 25 New
York Turf Writers Cup back at the Spa, where Makari tragically died after
breaking his neck.

Despite Demonstrative’s rich vein of form at present, bettors sent off the
Jonathan Sheppard entry of Divine Fortune, Barnstorming and Bluegrass Summer as
the even-money favorite. Divine Fortune, the 2013 champion steeplechaser, went
forward to set the early pace, tracked by stablemate Barnstorming on the
outside. Demonstrative was placed in a ground-saving third by Robert Walsh, and
the pro tem divisional leader traveled well throughout.

As the field completed its second tour of the backstretch, Spy in the Sky
moved up from the back of the pack to challenge, and Divine Fortune began to
give way. Spy in the Sky wrested control on the final turn, but Demonstrative
went with him, and outkicked — and outjumped — him to pull clear in the
homestretch.

Parker’s Project, Sheppard’s fourth runner who was not part of the entry,
stayed on strongly in the final yards on the flat. But Demonstrative comfortably
held the 17-1 shot off by a length and paid $5.40 to win.

“He’s a big, strong horse, who can carry a lot of weight,” Walsh said. “He
was up close today, which, as it turned out, is where you wanted to be. I was
confident he would win turning for home.”

Spy in the Sky crossed the line third, followed by All Together,
Barnstorming, Bluegrass Summer and the tailed-off For Non Stop. Divine Fortune
did not finish after falling at the final fence, but both he and jockey Darren
Nagle sprang back up on their feet.

Demonstrative now sports a mark of 37-11-8-5, $675,061. Bred by Gainsborough
Farm in Kentucky, the son of Elusive Quality was initially trained in England by
Mark Johnston, for whom he won once on the flat. He was subsequently sold for
$39,713 as a three-year-old at Tattersalls July, repatriated by his new
connections, and transformed into a jumper.

The bay gelding boasts two wins in the New York Turf Writers Cup (2012 and
2014), the 2013 Iroquois Hurdle, the 2012 Colonial Cup Hurdle and Jonathan Kiser
Novice Hurdle, 2011 William Entenmann Novice Hurdle and the 2010 Raymond G.
Woolfe Memorial Hurdle. Aside from the aforementioned Smithwick, his stakes
placings also include last October’s Grand National Hurdle. Demonstrative opened
2014 with a distant sixth as the defending champion in the May 10 Iroquois.

“I didn’t have him fit for the Iroquois, and that was my fault,” Valentine
said. “He’s a good horse, a class horse. He just does everything. Now he’s
staying a little bit closer in his races. His running style needed to change a
little bit.”

Valentine mentioned another factor in the seven-year-old’s career-best form.

“We discovered he had been entrapping his epiglottis,” the trainer said. “We
did the tie-back operation at Cornell. Everybody who has scoped the horse has
been really impressed with the job they did.”

Demonstrative could take another crack at the October 18 Grand National, if
he gets the right ground conditions.

“If the ground were to come up firm at Far Hills we would probably go,”
Valentine said, “but if it were soft we’d stay home. He wants firm turf.”

Out of French Group 3 heroine Loving Pride, a Quiet American mare,
Demonstrative comes from the family of Canadian co-champion Negligee, and
further back, superb miler Zilzal.

Thursday’s opener, the $75,000
William
Entenmann Novice Hurdle
, went to another European flat horse-turned-jumps
prospect in Irvin S. Naylor’s Address Unknown.

Second best to Schoodic in the August 4 Michael G. Walsh Novice Hurdle at
Saratoga, Address Unknown accordingly rated as the 3-1 second choice in this
rematch. But the Cyril Murphy trainee comprehensively overturned the form as 7-5
favorite Schoodic disappointed in last of seven here.

Under Ross Geraghty, Address Unknown rallied from fourth to defeat All the
Way Jose by 2 1/4 lengths and completed 2 1/4 miles in 4:15 2/5. The Oasis Dream
gelding returned $8.20 to win and enhanced his own scorecard to 29-8-4-3,
$345,554.

Address Unknown was bred by Juddmonte Farms in Great Britain and has the
pedigree to match. He was produced by the Sadler’s Wells mare Return, a winning
full sister to multiple Group 2 victor Dushyantor. Return is a half-sister to
1993 Epsom/Irish Derby star Commander in Chief, outstanding miler and sire
Warning and Grade 1 heroine Yashmak, dam of current Prix La Rochette winner Full
Mast.

Originally based in Ireland with Dermot Weld, the bay placed in the 2010
Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial and the 2010-11 editions of the Oyster at Galway.
After selling for $43,710 at the 2011 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training
Sale, he resurfaced in the silks of Dr. Marwan Koukash in 2012. Address Unknown
raced mainly in handicaps, but he did finish third in the 2013 Grand Cup at York
for trainer Richard Fahey. He was imported later in the season, and posted two
poor efforts on the flat before reinventing himself over the jumps this
campaign. Address Unknown broke his maiden in this discipline at Fair Hill May
24, and promptly added an allowance at Monmouth June 13, before his stakes tilt
in the Walsh.



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