McTigue Seeks Second Grade 1 in Smithwick Memorial

Irvin Naylor's McTigue enjoyed a breakthrough score last out in the 2 3/8-mile Grade 1 Leo O'Brien Handicap on July 5 at Saratoga Race Course, and returns to that course and distance in Wednesday's Grade 1, $150,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial steeplechase for trainer Cyril Murphy. The hard-trying McTigue has flourished in his 7-year-old season, which began in April off a nearly three-year layoff dating to a close third-place effort in the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard Handicap in August 2023 here. He returned with a flat finish in the Daniel Van Clief Memorial at Foxfield, but improved second off the layoff with a third in the restricted Green Pastures in May at Percy Warner. On June 3, the bay gelding stepped back up to top company in the local Grade 1 Beverly R. Steinman, and was a top contender at 5-1 odds, but was quickly out of the race after losing jockey Harrison Beswick at the first fence. "The Steinman was done before he started, but it got him away from the farm, on the trailer and got his blood up, and in the end, it served a purpose," said Murphy, who won the 2023 Smithwick with Belfast Banter. "In the end, he came back better from it mentally. He was a little edgy in the paddock on the day of the Steinman, and on the day of the O'Brien, he was much more composed and went out and ran a race to match it." McTigue demonstrated his true ability in the Leo O'Brien, showing patience when rating more than 20 lengths off the pace in the first half. He was asked for his best entering the last of five bends as runaway pacesetter and returning rival Take Your Seats tired, and despite Rocket One getting the jump on him entering the stretch, McTigue showed determination under Graham Watters to sweep past on the outside in the final sixteenth and win by one length in a track-record time of 4:30.45. "That was gratifying," Murphy said. "If you go back beyond his layoff, he was hinting that there was something like that in his future and then he went to the sidelines with an injury. We gave him all the time he needed, believing that if he was given the time and came back, he wasn't going to lose any enthusiasm for racing. We were living the dream that it could happen, and it did. It just took him a couple of races to brush off some of that rust and get himself back sharp." McTigue has been a model of consistency since moving to the States in 2023, hitting the board in 5-of-7 efforts for Murphy that include an additional win over the Spa inner turf in the restricted Jonathan Kiser in August 2023. He has banked $314,304 through a lifetime record of 23-6-2-5, and a jumps record of 13-5-0-2. "He's still a young horse with young legs underneath him and not many miles on them," Murphy added. "It's good to see the enthusiasm, heart and determination in him to want to get it done. We gave him all the time he needed, and this is like his way of saying, 'thank you.'" Watters will ride again at 156 pounds, two pounds less than the high-weighted Fil Dor, who was a distant sixth in the O'Brien after tracking in second early and fading. "He's been hiked up 12 pounds for a one-length win last time, but he'll run his race," said Murphy. "He ran very well last time and ran as we hoped he might, so if he runs a similar race, he'll be in the mix for sure." Fil Dor [Conor Tierney, 158 pounds], trained by Richard Hendriks, has made four American outings, led by a prominent 1 1/4-length score in the Grade 1 Colonial Cup in November at Camden in his first effort for Hendriks. He was away from the races until a fourth in the three-mile Grade 1 Iroquois in May at Percy Warner ahead of the O'Brien. Campaigned by Del Rio Racing, the 8-year-old Doctor Dino gray has banked over $400,000 through a 32-7-10-5 lifetime record, with 30 of those efforts coming over jumps. He was a multiple stakes-winner in Great Britain and Ireland before moving stateside last fall. Trainer Keri Brion, winner of this race in 2021 with Baltimore Bucko and last year with Historic Heart, brings two contenders to this year's edition in Leo O'Brien third-place finisher St James the Great [Stephen Mulqueen, 146 pounds] and Grade 1-debuting Salted Carmel [Harrison Beswick, 142 pounds]. Serio Racing Stables, USA Steeplechase, R and L Racing, Paul Willis and Mary Willis' St James the Great was a distant third through the early stages in the O'Brien, and made up ground willingly in the late stages under returning rider Stephen Mulqueen, but was no match for the top two and was defeated 13 1/2 lengths. The 5-year-old Catholic Boy gelding started out on the flat for Brion in 2023 before switching to the hurdles in the fall of 2024. Since then, he has two wins from 11 efforts over jumps, led by a 4 1/2-length handicap score in March going 2 1/8 miles at Aiken. Leipers Fork Steeplechase's Salted Carmel has made four efforts over jumps, beginning in November with a neck maiden victory at Aiken. The 5-year-old Kitten's Joy gelding followed with a third in an allowance tilt in his seasonal bow in April at Middleburg and a distant off-the-board finish in the Marcellus Frost at Percy Warner before a fourth when returning to allowance company last out on June 29 at Colonial Downs. Completing the field are the pair of stakes-winners Roja Redemption [Freddie Procter, 142 pounds] and Smart Uncle [Jamie Bargary, 142 pounds] for Hall of Fame trainer Jack Fisher; stakes-placed Take Your Seats [Evan Dwan, 144 pounds] for trainer Thomas Garner; and three-time jumps winner L'Avvocato [Jack Power, 142 pounds] for conditioner Katherine Neilson. The Smithwick is slated as the opener of Wednesday's 10-race card, which also features the state-bred $200,000 Johnstone in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.