Sainthood Takes Pennine Ridge Despite Surface Switch
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Sainthood wins the Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park
A main purpose of a race such as the Pennine Ridge Stakes (G2T) is to provide 3-year-old turfers a springboard to the much more lucrative $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T).
And as much as Mother Nature did her best to sidetrack those plans, the connections of Sainthood had to walk away from the $194,000 Pennine Ridge with a pretty good feeling about future plans for their son of Mshawish .
The Pennine Ridge was moved from Belmont Park's soaked inner turf course to the sloppy main track by two days of rain. Originally a grade 2 stakes, the race could be reclassified as a grade 3 affair by the American Stakes Committee due to the surface change.
Still, a rainbow shone above for Sainthood. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt missed his chance to race on turf for the first time but did little else to alter his status for the July 10 opening leg of the New York Racing Association's Turf Trinity series.
If anything, the grit he showed in the Pennine Ridge should convince his connections to continue testing him in the top stakes for 3-year-olds.
Owned by WinStar Farm and China Horse Club, Sainthood battled back after being passed in the stretch by The Reds to record a determined one-length victory in the May 29 race and become his sire's first graded stakes winner.
"We got a good prep for (the Belmont Derby) if we decide to go that way," Pletcher said after Sainthood was victorious in his initial race on a wet track. "We'll talk to the team. That's got to be toward the top of the list."
The Pennine Ridge added to the versatility on Sainthood's résumé as it gave him a win on a sloppy track to go along with a maiden victory on a fast dirt track and a second in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on a synthetic surface at Turfway Park. He was also 11th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), his last start before Saturday's race.
"It's great to have a horse like this with that many options," Pletcher said. "He's a very versatile colt, much like his sire who was a grade 1 winner on the turf and dirt for us."
The win was the second in five starts for Sainthood, a $62,000 purchase by Sitak Stable from Select Sales' consignment to the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sales October Yearlings Sale. His earnings now stand at $201,900. He is the third foal and first winner out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Lemon Hero, whose most recent foal is an unraced 2-year-old colt by Midnight Storm named Onemoreandthecheck.
Sainthood ($3.80) was a 4-5 favorite in the Pennine Ridge, which started out with nine entrants but went off with five on the main track.
Jockey Joel Rosario put Sainthood on the lead in the early stages as they dueled with Shawdyshawdyshawdy through fractions of :24.75 and :48:56 in the 1 1/8-mile test. Turning for home, as Shawdyshawdyshawdy dropped back to third, Federico Tesio Stakes winner The Reds rallied from last to collar Sainthood turning for home and grab a short lead in mid-stretch. But in the final furlong, Sainthood dug down and fended off The Reds to draw clear and cover the distance in 1:50.57.
"The other horse kinda got the jump on me," Rosario said. "I was hoping (Sainthood) would find something, and he did."
What Sainthood "found" did not surprise Pletcher.
"I told Joel, (Sainthood) is better with a target and if you are fortunate enough to make the lead, he might idle a bit," Pletcher said. "When he made the lead, he kind of got a little bit lost, but when that other horse put a head in front, he fought back."