Decorated Invader Favored in Pennine Ridge

West Point Thoroughbreds, William Freeman, William Sandbrook, and Cheryl Manning's Decorated Invader will likely have a target on his back in this year's $150,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes (G2T) at Belmont Park.

Part of the June 20 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) undercard, the one-mile grass race drew a field of seven 3-year-olds.

Decorated Invader, a son of Declaration of War, has raced at four different tracks in five starts for trainer Christophe Clement. As a 2-year-old he raced twice at Saratoga Race Course, finishing second and then breaking his maiden in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race. He then shipped to Woodbine where he defeated a field that included Pennine Ridge contender Proven Strategies in the Sept. 19 Summer Stakes (G1T) going a mile on a yielding turf course.

Upon exiting that race, his connections decided to try their luck in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore (G1T) in November. Though he placed wide fourth in that turf mile at Santa Anita Park, he finished a neck in front of Coventry Stakes (G2) winner and Darley Dewhurst (G1) runner-up Arizona with Proven Strategies another neck behind the pair.

Decorated Invader kicked off his 2020 campaign with a 1 1/4-length win under Joel Rosario in the March 28 Cutler Bay Stakes at Gulfstream Park, and has not raced since.

"Decorated Invader is doing great. He's had two very nice breezes at Belmont with Joel aboard and he couldn't be doing better," Clement said. "I think he's a top-class horse and the distance should be perfect for him."

Rosario will return Saturday's contest, with the pair drawing the rail. Decorated Invader is the 6-5 morning-line favorite.

His main competition is likely to come from the Mark Casse-trained Proven Strategies, who comes into the Pennine Ridge off two wins and two placings in four starts this year.

The Sky Mesa  colt did not break his maiden until March 4 when he defeated a Gulfstream Park field that included another Pennine Ridge contender in Venezuelan Hug in a turf mile. After that score, he won an April 5 allowance optional claiming race going 1 1/16 miles and then finished runner up in the May 2 English Channel Stakes over the same course and distance.

Sweet Melania Makes 2020 Debut in Wonder Again

Two races later it will be the girls turn to run a mile on the turf in the $150,000 Wonder Again Stakes (G3), in which trainer Todd Pletcher has entered Sweet Melania for her return.

The 3-year-old American Pharoah  filly has not raced since finishing third in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Santa Anita where she finished a length clear of Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac-Criterium des Pouliches (G1) winner Albigna.

Prior to that effort, Robert and Lowana Low's Sweet Melania won the JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland. She did not finish off the board in her six starts last year.

"She's got a nice turn of foot," Pletcher said. "She's tactical. You can place her wherever you want. She ran great at Keeneland and I thought she ran very well at the Breeders' Cup. In retrospect, I wish we'd had a little more time in between such a monster effort at Keeneland and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, but she still had a great performance that day."

Sweet Melania returned to training in April with Pletcher's string at Palm Beach Downs in Florida and posted a half-mile breeze in :49.78  June 13 over Belmont's dirt training track.

"I gave her a little time off and this seemed like a good launching spot," said Pletcher. "She's done well. She's grown and filled out a little bit. She's an easy filly to train and it seems like she's maintained her form from last fall."

Sweet Melania, pegged at 7-5 on the morning line, will be piloted by Jose Ortiz from post 2.

Competition in the Wonder Again figures to be a bit tougher than in that of the Pennine Ridge, though Sweet Melania only faces a field of four other 3-year-old fillies. Those rivals are grade 2-placed Antoinette for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott; Chad Brown-trained Selflessly, who finished fifth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf; and stakes winners Speaktomeofsummer and Highland Glory.

Entries: Pennine Ridge S. (G2T)

Belmont Park, Saturday, June 20, 2020, Race 4

• Grade IIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $150,000
• 3 yo
• 1:42 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Decorated Invader (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	Christophe Clement	6/5
2	2Venezuelan Hug (FL)	Luis Saez	118	Danny Gargan	6/1
3	3Proven Strategies (FL)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Mark E. Casse	3/1
4	4Mr. Kringle (NY)	Jose Lezcano	118	John P. Terranova II	10/1
5	5Vanzzy (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	122	Michael V. Pino	12/1
6	6Maroon Maniac (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Jonathan Thomas	8/1
7	7Famished (ON)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	John C. Kimmel	5/1

Entries: Wonder Again S. (G3T)

Belmont Park, Saturday, June 20, 2020, Race 6

• Grade IIIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $150,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 3:01 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Speaktomeofsummer (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	Christophe Clement	8/1
2	2Sweet Melania (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Todd A. Pletcher	7/5
3	3Highland Glory (KY)	Manuel Franco	122	Barclay Tagg	2/1
4	4Antoinette (KY)	John R. Velazquez	122	William I. Mott	6/1
5	5Selflessly (MD)	Javier Castellano	122	Chad C. Brown	5/2