Decorated Invader Much the Best in Pennine Ridge
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Decorated Invader wins the Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park
Decorated Invader showed he was a class above the rest June 20 in the $150,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes (G2T) when he found a narrow path along the rail to get by Proven Strategies and prevailed by 4 3/4 lengths in the one-mile turf test for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park.
The Declaration of War colt, trained by Christophe Clement for West Point Thoroughbreds, William Freeman, William Sandbrook, and Cheryl Manning, is 2-for-2 this year and has a career record of 4-1-0 in six starts for earnings of $370,535.
Proven Strategies, who has finished behind Decorated Invader in two grade 1 tests, sprang from the gate to take the lead. Pressed by Vanzzy, the Sky Mesa colt set early fractions of :23.86 and :47.50 through a half-mile.
On the far turn, Decorated Invader moved up from third where he had settled under jockey Joel Rosario and came on even terms with Vanzzy, who was still pressing the leader. As Proven Strategies clocked six furlongs in 1:10.61, Rosario found space along the rail and moved Decorated Invader up to challenge. Though Proven Strategies bounced into him slightly, Decorated Invader was not intimidated and drove through.
Battling momentarily, Decorated Invader shrugged off Proven Strategies and galloped clear to finish in 1:33.66 on firm turf.
"He's very classy. The pace was OK, but not too fast," Rosario said. "He was there for me and so relaxed, so I just let him be (closer up) because it looked like there was no pace up front. I made a move before the turn and I saw (Proven Strategies) come off the rail a little bit, go in and out, and I wasn't sure what he was doing. I let him go inside and started working from there.
"I think the further he goes—he'll go better. He's a big horse and he loves to run."
Joel Rosario and Decorated Invader head to the winner's circle
Clement was happy with the jockey's ride and thrilled to have another win for the connections.
"My only instruction to Joel today was if you had two choices—to be four or five lengths out of it or 10 lengths out of it—I'd prefer to be four or five out of it. He was bullish on the inside," Clement said.
Decorated Invader came into the Pennine Ridge off a win in the Cutler Bay Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Last year, he broke his maiden at Saratoga Race Course during the summer meet and then shipped to Woodbine to win the Summer Stakes (G1T), in which Proven Strategies finished fourth. He then finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America (G1T), again ahead of Proven Strategies.
"I've always liked him since day one, and I think he's been a tremendous horse since the beginning," Clement said. "He's been a top-class horse even last year. He was very unlucky in the Breeders' Cup. He won a grade 1 in Canada. He won at Gulfstream this year. He won one today, and I think he's good enough to do a mile, a mile and a quarter. I could be wrong, but I think he'll stay."
Bred in Kentucky by Redmon Farm, Decorated Invader is the sixth foal to race out of the Arch mare Gamely Girl, who also produced stakes winner Jubliant Girl. The dam was a winner of her only start before becoming a broodmare. She produced a Distorted Humor filly this year.