What?? No haha. You can't compare the skill required in those hurdle events to the steeple. Freaking Jakob jumped in the steeple of Junior WC on a whim and absolutely rekt everybody and I highly doubt he was training hurdle drills his whole life in preparation. Meanwhile, you don't see Usain Bolt run the 110h and hulk smash just for sh!ts and gigs.
Anybody who's been on a college track team knows the deal on steeple. It's for the guys who are borderline scorers/qualifiers in the real events that want to "help the team" by running in the weakest event. Smith doesn't tolerate such weakness.