Italian Wedding turns tables in Turf Writers Cup

Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard had four chances of winning Thursday's Grade

1, $150,000

New York Turf Writers Cup Steeplechase Handicap for the 14th time, and it

was his homebred Italian Wedding who did the honors at Saratoga. Most recently

runner-up in the August 1 A.P. Smithwick Memorial over the course, the

eight-year-old son of Alphabet Soup struck the front turning for home and stayed

on resolutely to earn his biggest career victory. In the process, Italian

Wedding turned the tables on Smithwick hero Mr. Hot Stuff, who wound up fourth.

Italian Wedding went off as part of an entry heavily favored at 4-5, along

with stablemates Divine Fortune and Martini Brother. Sheppard's fourth runner,

Hunt Ball, was a separate wagering interest at 12-1.

Ridden by Bernard Dalton, Italian Wedding was held up off the early pace

established by Brave Prospect. Mr. Hot Stuff dragged his way into second, and

after the Smithwick winner vied with Brave Prospect on the final circuit,

Italian Wedding himself crept closer. Mr. Hot Stuff disposed of Brave Prospect

in their last journey down the backstretch, only to find Italian Wedding

challenging him on the far turn.

Italian Wedding then seized command, but a new challenger emerged in All

Together. Maintaining his relentless gallop all the way to the line, Italian

Wedding rebuffed All Together by a length and completed the 2 3/8 miles over

National fences in 4:30 3/5 on the firm course.

Martini Brother got up for third, handing Sheppard a one-three result. Next

came Mr. Hot Stuff, Spy in the Sky, Demonstrative, Divine Fortune and Hunt Ball.

Brave Prospect stopped and left the course before the 10th fence.

Italian Wedding paid $3.90 to win while improving his resume to 20-4-3-1,

$208,504. The chestnut gelding, who was third in the 2010 Jonathan Kiser Novice

at the Spa, scored his only previous stakes win over this same course and

distance in the 2011 Michael G. Walsh Novice Stakes. Fourth in the Carolina Cup

in his lone outing of 2012, he returned with a fine runner-up effort in the

Smithwick, and moved forward here.

"He ran really well last time in the Smithwick off about a year-and-a-half

layoff," Dalton said. "I didn't feel like he got tired the last time, and Mr.

Sheppard said he felt like he had a horse that improved off that run. I had a

lot of confidence going into the race.

"The horse jumped and traveled the whole way. I felt one come to me after the

last (jump) and the horse did, too, and he came back on the bridle and kind of

won a little easy in the end, you know? He just pulled away again. He was in

front from the top of the lane and he just got a little idle. He made my job

very easy. The trainer does all the hard work. We just steer them around there."

"He's a tough, honest little horse," Sheppard said. "He seems to like

Saratoga. He won up here two years ago. Obviously, he ran well in the Smithwick.

It's a handicap, so he was getting a little bit of weight from some of the top

horses. Bernie (Dalton) seems to really suit him."

The Florida-bred is a half-brother to fellow steeplechase stakes scorer

Cubist. They are out of the winning Citidancer mare Effervescent, herself a

half-sister to steeplechase stakes victor Three Carat, who placed in such major

events as the 2005 Turf Writers Cup and Breeders' Cup Steeplechase and the 2007

Colonial Cup.

Italian Wedding's second dam, the winning Gemini Dreamer, is a half-sister to

two-time Iroquois Steeplechase star, 1990 Colonial Cup and 1991 Dueling Grounds

International hero Victorian Hill.

"He is a horse that I bred myself," Sheppard said of Italian Wedding. "I own

his dam and his grandmother, and it means a lot. It was a fun race, and I was

really proud of him."

Sheppard was asked if winning the Turf Writers Cup ever gets old.

"Not really, no. I hope I can do it again," the Hall of Famer said.

Two races later, Stud TNT's homebred Vitoria Olimpica notched his first U.S.

stakes win in Thursday's highlight on the dirt, the $98,000

Alydar

Stakes. A Group 1 winner in his native Brazil, the four-year-old was coming

off a sixth in a July 24 turf allowance in his debut for Todd Pletcher.

Since Stud TNT now owns the silks made famous by so many Calumet Farm

legends, Vitoria Olimpica carries the same colors as the race's namesake.

Vitoria Olimpica, the 9-2 third choice in his first dirt try, was perched in

third early by John Velazquez. The 5-2 Percussion carved out splits of :24, :47

4/5 and 1:11 2/5 while prompted by Csaba. Aussi Austin drafted in a

ground-saving fourth, and 4-5 favorite Easter Gift anchored the closely-bunched

field of five.

Rounding the far turn, Easter Gift rolled up on the outside and put his head

in front down the stretch. But Vitoria Olimpica still had plenty left and

responded to the favorite's bid. The Brazilian-bred edged three-quarters of a

length clear in a final time of 1:49 for 1 1/8 miles on the fast track and

returned $11.40 to win.

Easter Gift crossed the wire three-quarters of a length to the good of

Percussion, who held Aussi Austin by a neck. It was another 7 3/4 lengths back

to the trailing Csaba.

Vitoria Olimpica now sports a mark of 8-4-0-2, $147,807. The Northern Afleet

colt won his first two starts as a juvenile, including the Grande Premio Conde

de Herzberg, and finished third in the Grande Premio Jockey Club Brasiliero.

Only 11th in his three-year-old bow in the Grande Premio Presidente da Republica,

Vitoria Olimpica rebounded next time in the Grande Premio Linneo de Paula

Machado. He made his Brazilian finale in the November 11 Grande Premio Derby

Paulista, where he was elevated to third via disqualification.

The chestnut colt was produced by the Royal Academy mare Magic Rafaela, a

full sister to Group 3 heroine Notre Dame and a half-sister to Group 1 star Send

inthe Clowns, multiple Group 2 victress Princesa Carina and multiple Grade 2

winner Out of Control. Further back, this is the family of Argentinean Horse of

the Year Algenib, Group 1 scorer Alphard and Group 2 king Silver Planet -- all

sires -- as well as multiple Group 1 queen Nortak.

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