'Jose' and His Jockey Go All the Way in Lonesome Glory

The paths of Buttonwood Farm's All the Way Jose (Senor Swinger) and jockey Darren Nagle have a striking similarity.

Nagle, the young Turk of the jockey colony, is highly talented but never quite delivered the whole package. All the Way Jose, bred and trained by Racing Hall of Fame member Jonathan Sheppard, breezed to the National Steeplechase Association's novice champion in 2014 as a 4-year-old, but was disqualified from his only on-the-board finish over the next two years.

They were both potential stars destined to be might-have- beens-until this year. Nagle, who crossed into his 30s last month, allowed his weight to drift upward a bit this year, made peace with himself, and jumped to the top of the jockey standings as he heads into the fall months, usually his most productive season.

Under the care of Sheppard assistant Keri Brion, All the Way Jose began to tap some of his potential this past spring. He absolutely annihilated a field in the Fair Hill Races' Valentine Memorial H. over the Memorial Day weekend under Brion and ran a respectable third in Saratoga Race Course's G1 New York Turf Writers Cup Aug. 24, his first start with Nagle.

Those efforts put All the Way Jose on course for Belmont Park's G1 Lonesome Glory H. on Thursday, and the stars aligned for 'Jose' and his jockey. Sheppard laid out a game plan, Nagle delivered a textbook ride, and All the Way Jose won by 1 1/4 lengths over Modem (GB) (Motivator {GB}), who now has finished second in his three U.S. starts, all Grade 1 races in New York.

Sheppard's plan was simple: Allow All the Way Jose to run away from the starter, settle in stride, and see what happened. All the Way Jose and Nagle followed the blueprint. Sent to the starter as the 3.35-to-1 second betting pick behind 1.95-to-1 Modem, All the Way Jose broke on top before allowing Irvin S. Naylor's Charminster (Ire) (Broadway Flyer) to set galloping fractions.

All the while, Nagle kept All the Way Jose on the inside path and saved ground while hardly breaking a sweat. Charminster, 11, began to feel the pressure at the eighth fence, and All the Way Jose took over. After the last fence on Belmont's backstretch, Nagle continued to throttle down the pace and allowed his mount a little breather well into the final turn.

Nagle asked for more at the three-sixteenths pole, Modem made his bid in midstretch, and All the Way Jose scored his first Grade 1 victory. The Lonesome Glory also was Nagle's first Grade 1 win at a New York Racing Association track. Nagle said he is confident that All the Way Jose will prosper as the race distances lengthen. Next on the calendar is the $400,000 G1 Grand National at 2 5/8 miles in Far Hills, N.J. Oct. 21.

“His stride is his biggest asset, so you better use it,” Nagle said. “I think he's more of a three-mile horse, so he's pretty constant in his stamina. Even though it was a 2 1/2-mile race, I wanted to ride it like a three-mile race to suit my horse. I could've looked stupid, but it went right to plan. It couldn't have worked out any better than that.”

Thursday, Belmont Park
LONESOME GLORY H.-G1-Stp, (NB) $150,000, BEL, 9-21, 4yo/up, 2 1/2mT, 4:33.37, fm.
1–ALL THE WAY JOSE, 142, g, 7, Senor Swinger–Maternity
Leave, by Northern Baby. O-Buttonwood Farm; B/T-Jonathan
Sheppard (PA); J-Darren Nagle. $90,000. Lifetime Record:
23-5-5-2, $306,500.
2–Modem (GB), 156, g, 7, Motivator (GB)–Alashaan (GB), by
Darshaan (GB). (16,000gns 4yo '14 TAJUL). O-Robert A.
Kinsley; B-D. J. & Mrs Deer (GB); T-Elizabeth Voss. $27,000.
3–Swansea Mile (Ire), 144, g, 7, Dylan Thomas (Ire)–Hurry Up
Helen (Ire), by In the Wings (GB). (£30,000 5yo '15 DONSEP;
£19,000 RNA 6yo '16 GOFAUG). O-Rosbrian Farm; B-Mr W.
Kane (IRE); T-Richard J. Hendriks. $15,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, 3/4. Odds: 3.35, 1.95, 5.70.
Also Ran: Casino Markets (Ire), Mr. Hot Stuff, Charminster (Ire), Hinterland (Fr), Simenon (Ire).

Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.