“He is a worthy favorite,” said Appleby. “He broke his maiden on soft ground, and he's won a Group 2 on soft.”

Apply also brings Godolphin's Naval Power (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), winner of six of seven lifetime, including his last two going a furlong further at Meydan. There were 13 months and a castration between those two wins, but his G2 Singspiel S. victory Feb. 23 earned him a ticket to the U.S. for a barn that has excelled in graded events in America.

“He has won on soft ground, and this will give him a chance to gain experience over here,” said Appleby.

The 2022 Maker's Mark Mile victor, Charles Fipke's 'TDN Rising Star' Shirl's Speight (Speightstown), has not found the winner's circle since that signature win. He's faced Master of the Seas in two of his last three, getting closest with a runner-up finish in the Woodbine Mile. He clearly has an affinity for Keeneland, with a second in the 2022 edition of the Breeders' Cup Mile to another Appleby trainee in Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

“Hard to believe, but [Shirl's Speight] has been running in all of the big ones with a couple of seconds,” said trainer Roger Attfield. “He's been doing well since his last race, which was the [Jan. 27 GI] Pegasus [World Cup Turf Invitational].”

The Maker's Mark field is rounded out by uber-impressive two-back GII Hill Prince S. winner Integration (Quality Road); 'TDN Rising Star' and Mar. 2 GIII Canadian Turf S. winner Emmanuel (More Than Ready); and a Chad Brown-trained pair of recent Tampa allowance winners in Kubrick (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Equitize (GB) (Kingman {GB}).

Du Jour (Temple City), winner of the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. Mar. 3, reportedly didn't make the trip from Santa Anita and will be scratched.

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Off the board in only two of his 13 prior starts, the chestnut just missed in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot leading into the Breeders' Cup, took the GI Woodbine Mile by 5 1/4 lengths three starts back and finished second only to Cartier Horse of the Year Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) four back in the G1 Qatar Sussex Cup at Goodwood.

Up to challenge him from the inside is Todd Pletcher's 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready), entered off a pair of graded-stakes wins in Florida this spring for owners WinStar Farm and Sien

A Group 1-placed juvenile in Ireland, Dr Zempf (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) makes just his second start stateside off a win against optional claiming company at Gulfstream Mar. 10 for Chad Brown and Peter Brant

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“It was a good work. They went in 48 and change, finished up nicely and galloped out well. I was happy with it,” Pletcher said.

Owned by WinStar Farm and Siena Farm, Emmanuel acquitted himself well on the dirt during the buildup to the Triple Crown, finishing third to Zandon (Upstart) in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. in April, but handled a switch to the grass with aplomb for his most recent appearance, a front-running defeat of Napoleonic War (War Front) and Limited Liability (Kitten's Joy) in the GII Pennine Ridge S. over nine furlongs. The top three finishers in the Pennine Ridge are guaranteed berths in the Belmont Derby.

Annapolis races as a homebred for Ramona Bass and is a son of the talented My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song), who became one of the top turf males of his generation last season with a 'Rising Star'-worthy debut at Saratoga Sept. 4 ahead of a very game success in Belmont's GII Pilgrim S. last October. He returned to action as the 1-2 favorite in the June 3 GII Penn Mile, but was forced to settle for second behind 83-1 Wow Whata Summer (Summer Front) after chasing that one throughout.

“I thought he ran well. Unfortunately, we caught a lot of rain, and it was an extremely heavy track,” Pletcher said. “It was tough to do that off that layoff, I thought he gave us a good effort. He just couldn't accelerate that last part with the boggy ground.”

In other news from the Pletcher barn, the conditioner indicated that 'TDN Rising Star' Shahama (Munnings) will make her next start GII Mother Goose S. at Belmont June 25. The $425,000 OBS April graduate, a half-sister to top sire Lookin At Lucky (Smart Strike), won the G3 UAE Oaks at Meydan Feb. 18 before her repatriation. In her lone appearance for Pletcher, the blaze-faced bay finished a respectable sixth to Secret Oath (Arrogate) from a high draw in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks May 6.

“We zeroed in on the Mother Goose after the Kentucky Oaks and we felt like the mile and a sixteenth suited her a little better than the one-mile Acorn. I'm happy with the way she's doing,” Pletcher said.

The Hall of Famer has won the Mother Goose six times, including last year's running with 18-1 Zaajel (Street Sense).

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It's always intriguing to watch how one-time Derby hopefuls progress over months and even years, and two of them from Todd Pletcher's barn signaled Saturday that they might be A-level factors in the second half of this season.

Within the span of 15 minutes June 4, 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready) and Dynamic One (Union Rags) each posted one-length victories, respectively, in the GII Pennine Ridge S. at Belmont Park and in the Listed Blame S. at Churchill Downs.

Emmanuel had been brought up to the cusp of this year's Derby, but after running a no-impact third in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. over a drying-out track that he might not have cared for, Pletcher said the $350,000 KEESEP colt would be freshened for nearly two months and then resurface on grass in the Pennine Ridge against fellow sophomores.

The switch yielded immediate-gratification results, and Emmanuel could now be targeting a bigger lawn party, the GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. July 9.

Debuting last Dec. 11, Emmanuel won his first two dirt starts at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs by a combined 10 1/4 lengths while on the front end at every call. In the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S., this robust pacemaker was favored until the final flash, then got knocked off his game by failing to attain the lead and enduring a tour-of-the-track trip that hooked him four and five wide on the turns.

After that, Pletcher was on the fence between running back in the GI Florida Derby or shipping for the Blue Grass. Since he had fellow 'Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit) primed for the Gulfstream spot, Emmanuel had to take his show on the road to Keeneland.

Charge It ended up running second in a Florida Derby that featured a three-way pace meltdown, while Emmanuel was no match for blunt-force closer Zandon (Upstart), who would end up going off as the second fave and running third in the Derby.

Pletcher, who also trained Emmanuel's sire in the early 2000s, said as far back as January that Emmanuel was “a bigger, scopier colt” than most of More Than Ready's progeny. He likened Emmanuel to his trainee Verrazano, “a big, physical, strong imposing colt” who won the 2013 GI Haskell Invitational S.

Emmanuel dispatched with his Pennine Ridge foes like an in-control 19-10 favorite who relished being on the lead, practically walking through the first six of nine furlongs, but igniting to life when roused for run in both upper and deep stretch. Like we saw in his first two dirt starts, Emmanuel was never fully extended.

And while his 88 Beyer Speed Figure appears at first glance to be on the soft side (matching his Blue Grass number on dirt), it's also an artifact of the dawdling internal fractions, and offset by a final furlong timed in an eye-catching :11.89 for the “about” distance.

Better late than never…

Dynamic One has taken a bit longer to figure things out. Now four, he ran the worst of four Pletcher entrants in the 2021 Derby, getting pinballed at the break and checking hard the first time past the sixteenth pole. He was never in it to win it, turning for home last at the quarter pole and gaining only one position by passing an eased-up entrant.

After an 0-for-3 start in the winter of 2020-21, Pletcher hadn't sugarcoated that he expected better out of this $725,000 KEESEP colt. But he also explained how Dynamic One was hindered by shorter distances and outer gate draws before breaking his maiden by 5 1/4 lengths in start number four when stretched out to nine furlongs. In a bid to accrue last-chance Derby qualifying points, Dynamic One earned respect with a wide-on-both bends effort in the GII Wood Memorial S. at 15-1 odds, losing the race only on the final head bob.

Despite a top-side pedigree anchored by the 2012 GI Belmont S. winner and a female family that resonates with Phipps-homebred stayers, Dynamic One was in way over his head when taking the seemingly obligatory shot in the Derby. He rebounded by winning the Listed Curlin S. at Saratoga last summer, ran seventh in the GI Runhappy Travers S., then was shelved until this spring, when he ran third in the GIII Challenger S. at Tampa and second in the GIII Ben Ali S. at Keeneland.

But Dynamic One's trip-troubled go in the Ben Ali was far better than it appeared on paper. Committed to the rail, he was rated back “on hold” for a good portion of his backstretch run, then got shuffled to last to regroup. He blitzed through a wall of traffic off the turn with his head cocked out toward the stands, and was getting to the tiring repeat winner, Scalding (Nyquist), in the final stages.

On Saturday in the nine-furlong Blame, bettors let Dynamic One drift up to 6-1 behind second-favored Scalding and another Pletcher entrant, the 11-10 chalk Americanrevolution (Constitution). A five-way speed scrimmage broke out on the first turn, then percolated down the backstretch, playing right into Dynamic One's off-pace tactics.

Cued to quicken three-eighths out, he methodically picked off speed-sapped leaders, and being spun out to the six path turning for home was no worry given the head of steam Dynamic One had built over the course of his prolonged, quarter-mile bid.

Despite his name, this is not the type of colt who will wow you with one spectacular flourish. But slow and steady still wins a few races here in speed-centric North America, and when five horses lined up at the eighth pole, all with a chance to win it, it was clear that Dynamic One had built the best momentum.

Off a career-best 99 Beyer, Dynamic One is a candidate for either the GII Stephen Foster S. at Churchill July 2 or the GII Suburban S. at Belmont July 9.

That latter option could set up both Emmanuel and Dynamic One for important 10-furlong tries on the same afternoon in two different races.

Not exactly the 1 1/4-mile test those Pletcher stablemates were initially aimed for at earlier points in their careers–but not bad consolation prizes, either.

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A 6 3/4-length debut winner at Gulfstream going a mile in December followed by an easy Tampa optional claiming tally in January, the WinStar Farm and Siena Farm representative was fourth in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 5 and third after showing the way in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. Apr. 9 behind subsequent GI Kentucky Derby third finisher Zandon (Upstart).

Having gotten acquainted with the lawn thanks to a pair of local breezes leading up to this, the $350,000 Keeneland September yearling found no company on the front end here as he cruised through splits of :25.19, :51.72 and 1:15.91. Pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr. seemed to play a bit of possum as he allowed his rivals to stack up behind him entering the stretch, but when he got Emmanuel to switch leads the bay found another gear to slam the door and stride away in command despite drifting slightly. Chad Brown-trained Napoleonic War (War Front) was second, while Shug McCaughey pupil Limited Liability (Kitten's Joy) rounded out the trifecta.

“He was the speed of the race,” said Ortiz, who had never ridden the winner before. “He broke well and put me in a good position. I just kept it together and stayed out of his way. He was ready. He's by More Than Ready, so he had a great pedigree to run on turf. I expected that he would like it and he did like it.”

Winning conditioner Todd Pletcher, who won the inaugural running of this event in 2014 as well as last year's renewal with another WinStar Farm co-owned making his turf debut, said, “He's bred for the turf, but he's always trained really well on the dirt. He's had some good dirt races, but we kind of wanted to experiment with this. We worked him twice on the turf. My biggest concern was two weeks ago we worked him and it had a little give to it like it does today, and I didn't think he was as good as he was the following work when it was firm. It looked like we had a pace advantage and took advantage of that and he ran well… He quickened when Irad asked him to, but I do believe he'll be even better once we get him a little firmer ground.”

The GI Caesars Belmont Derby going 10 panels July 9 is the next logical spot.

“That's what we're thinking,” Pletcher said. “We'll see how he comes out. We haven't ruled out going back to the dirt at some point. All our options are open.”

Saturday, Belmont Park
PENNINE RIDGE S.-GII, $200,000, Belmont, 6-4, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:51.11, fm.
1–EMMANUEL, 118, c, 3, by More Than Ready
                1st Dam: Hard Cloth, by Hard Spun
                2nd Dam: Trensa, by Giant's Causeway
                3rd Dam: Serape, by Fappiano
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. 'TDN RISING STAR'. ($350,000  Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC; B-Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher;  J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $110,000. Lifetime Record: GISP, 5-3-0-1, $272,100. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Napoleonic War, 118, c, 3, War Front–Naples Parade, by Street Cry (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Peter M. Brant; B-White Birch Farm, Inc. (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $40,000.
3–Limited Liability, 118, c, 3, Kitten's Joy–Hold Harmless, by Blame. O/B-Stuart S. Janney, III LLC (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $24,000.
Margins: 1, HF, 1. Odds: 1.90, 3.60, 5.70.
Also Ran: Unanimous Consent (GB), Daunt, Elizar (Fr). Scratched: Gilded Age.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Emmanuel is one of 51 Northern Hemisphere graded/group winners (106 overall) for the ever-present international powerhouse More Than Ready. He is bred on a version of the cross responsible for U.S. highest-level scorers Uni (GB) and Hit the Road, and myriad Group 1 performers in Australasia. Hard Spun is the broodmare sire of 13 graded winners, including recent European MG1SW Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never), Asian MG1SW Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and champion juvenile Good Magic.
Emmanuel was produced by a half-sister to globetrotting MG1SW Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy) and 2017 GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner Free Drop Billy (Union Rags), who has had several strong breezers from his first crop this 2-year-old sales season.
Emmanuel's 2-year-old half-brother by Kitten's joy was a $125,000 KEESEP yearling turned €272,715 Goffs Dubai Breeze Up Sale graduate in March. Hard Cloth produced a full-sister to Emmanuel last year and a Munnings filly Apr. 8.

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Making his first start on turf for Todd Pletcher after exiting the Derby Trail is 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready). An impressive winner of his first two tries in Florida, he  finished fourth, beaten 5 1/4 lengths, after a very wide journey in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. He showed speed and tired to third behind Zandon (Upstart) in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. Apr. 9. Emmanuel is out of a half-sister to MG1SW Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy), who earned over $4.7 million while racing in Europe, as well as Free Drop Billy (Union Rags), who took the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity.

Chad Brown's second runner Napoleonic War (War Front) broke his maiden on debut Jan. 21, then caught a troubled trip when fourth in the GIII Kentucky Utilities Transylvania S. Apr. 8. He rebounded with a slim victory against allowance optional claiming company over the Belmont grass May 5.

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Smile Happy rallied past rivals with ease to take his career bow in style going two turns at Keeneland Oct. 29 and followed suit with a decisive victory in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. Nov. 27. Splitting foes, the dark bay closed from well back to be second to next-out GII Louisiana Derby winner Epicenter (Not This Time) in the GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds last out Feb. 19. His trainer Ken McPeek also saddles last year's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. winner Rattle N Roll (Connect), who adds blinkers after finishing fourth in the Louisiana Derby.

A dominant debut winner at Gulfstream Dec. 11, Emmanuel wired a Tampa optional claimer next out Jan. 30. The $350,000 KEESEP acquisition was fourth after a wide trip last time in Gulfstream's GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 5. He is joined by stablemate Commandperformance (Union Rags), who is still maiden of four starts, but finished second in the GI Champagne S. Oct. 2 and was fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 5.

Jeff Drown's Zandon (Upstart) has been knocking at the door of graded glory and looks to break through here. Opening his account in a Belmont sprint Oct. 9, the dark bay came up a nose short in Aqueduct's nine-panel GII Remsen S. Dec. 4. Hopping at the start of the Risen Star, he launched a five-wide bid, closing to be third.

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With the mid-week scratching of GII Remsen S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), Fountain of Youth favoritism could fall to Simplification, one of three in the race by boom sire Not This Time that will line up alongside one another in gates two, three and four. Having broken his maiden against fellow Florida-breds by nearly 17 lengths last October, the bay wired the field in the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man S. by a convincing four lengths going a mile, but was unprepared for the start of the Feb. 5 GIII Holy Bull S. last time and was ridden quietly by Javier Castellano. Despite a wide passage, he ran on bravely and just held off Mo Donegal for second while covering 37 more feet (about 3 3/4 lengths) more than the victorious White Abarrio (Race Day). His new-found versatility could serve him well in a race that maps above par on paper.

“The bad news in his last race, he didn't win. The good news, we know he can run from behind and run in the front,” said trainer Antonio Sano, who won the 2017 renewal with Gunnevera (Dialed In). “Each day, he is a more serious horse. Maybe before he was a little green, but right now, he has more concentration.”

He figures to need his very best against some high-class rivals. Rattle N Roll (Connect) makes his first start since a visually impressive, but modestly rated victory in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland Oct. 9. The $210,000 Keeneland September graduate was forced to miss the Breeders' Cup, but has been training well over this strip. His five-furlong breeze in :58 3/5 Feb. 26 was one tick slower than the time recorded by Howling Time (Not This Time), and whatever he does here, should come on for the effort.

“He's a beautiful horse to be around. He's a bit of a set-up horse,” commented trainer Kenny McPeek, who has never won this race despite his considerable success with 3-year-olds. “He needs pace in front of him. That's out of our control, but we're looking to get two races into him before Kentucky and go from there.”

The last of the Not This Time troika is the highly progressive In Due Time, who crushed the heavily backed Todd Pletcher duo of 'TDN Rising Star' American Icon (Gun Runner) and Iron Works (Distorted Humor) by 5 3/4-lengths in a first-level allowance going the one-turn mile Feb. 4. The 92 Beyer assigned to the Kelly Breen trainee is the joint-highest in Saturday's field and fastest going eight furlongs and beyond.

Another horse on the come is 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready), who looks for his third win in as many appearances in his graded stakes debut. While not beating much when graduating by 6 3/4 front-running lengths going the mile here Dec. 11–his nine beaten rivals are since 1-15 with several class droppers–he did it the right way and backed up the performance in no uncertain terms with a smooth Tampa allowance score Jan. 30 around two turns in which he controlled the pace and kicked home smartly in the final furlong.

High Oak (Gormley) upset last year's GII Saratoga Special S., soundly defeating Gunite (Gun Runner) in the process, but was better than nine lengths adrift of that one when last seen in the GI Hopeful S. Sept. 6. A recent Payson bullet could see him on or near the front. Markhamian (Social Inclusion) is also likely to be ridden for speed from his rail draw and tries a route of ground off a 2 1/2-length victory in the Jan. 15 Pasco S. at Tampa. Dean Delivers (Cajun Breeze), the GIII Swale S. runner-up whose three losses have come by one length combined, could also be forwardly placed, but may be up against it if a fast pace materializes.

Trainer Dale Romans told Daily Racing Form that he is leaning towards scratching GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile third Giant Game (Giant's Causeway) in favor of the GII Tampa Bay Derby or the GI Toyota Blue Grass S.

The Fountain of Youth is last of seven races that will be carried live on CNBC beginning at 4 p.m. ET as part of the '1/ST Saturday' Triple Crown series from Gulfstream and Santa Anita.

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WinStar Farm and Siena Farm LLC's 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready) will be in search of a third win in as many starts in the Fountain of Youth and tuned up for the 8 1/2-furlong test with a bullet half-mile in :48.05 (1/32) Saturday morning at trainer Todd Pletcher's base at Palm Beach Downs.

He worked great, I was very pleased with it,” said the conditioner, who also breezed GII Remsen S. hero Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo, 4f, :49.37) and GII Iroquois S. hero Major General (Constitution, 5f, 1:02.29). Both are under consideration for the Fountain of Youth.

“I don't know for sure. I have to talk to Jerry Crawford about Mo Donegal tomorrow,” Pletcher said. “I talked to [WinStar's] Elliott [Walden] a little bit this morning. One of my concerns is that it looks like it's going to be a big field. You might enter and draw a bad post. We might take a look at entering both Mo Donegal and Major General. All things being equal, Major General will probably go to the [Mar. 12 GII] Tampa Bay Derby.”

Rattle N Roll (Connect), winner of last year's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, prepped for his seasonal debut in the Fountain of Youth by drilling five-eighths of a mile in :58.67 Saturday morning over the Gulfstream Park main track.

“It went really well. The horse worked super,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “He worked fantastic and came out of it good. We're going to do a little gate work Wednesday, and he's all set.”

Howling Time (Not This Time), unraced since his fifth-place effort to Smile Happy (Runhappy) in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. in late November, went five furlongs in :58.54, while his Dale Romans stablemate Giant Game (Giant's Causeway) covered a similar distance in :59.04.

Simplification (Not This Time), an excellent second in the GIII Holy Bull S., went five furlongs in 1:02.66 at Gulfstream Park for trainer Antonio Sano.

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Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), winner of the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct and last-out third in Gulfstream's G3 Holy Bull, could head back to New York for his final Derby prep. How Mo Donegal trains over the next few weeks will determine whether the colt runs again prior to the G2 Wood Memorial on April 9. The Donegal Racing/Jerry Crawford-owned colt has won two of his four starts thus far, and was acquired as a $250,000 yearling purchase at the Keeneland September sale.

“The Wood Memorial is the 100-point race that we've got him targeted for since he won the Remsen at Aqueduct,” Pletcher told TDN. “I actually thought he ran a sneaky good race the other day [in the Holy Bull]. He was making up some ground late. It's just that everything kind of unfolded the wrong way for him and it took him a while to get out in the clear and able to make his run. It was the kind of effort we were hoping for, even though it wasn't the result we were wanting.”

Emmanuel (More Than Ready) has won a maiden race at Gulfstream and a first-level allowance at Tampa Bay Downs for owners WinStar Farm and Siena Farm, and could next be pointed to the G2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream on March 5. Pletcher has penciled in the colt, a $350,000 yearling at Keeneland September, as progressing through the G1 Florida Derby en route to Louisville.

Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile) required three starts to break his maiden, but won a first-level allowance at the Fair Grounds on Jan. 22 to set him up for a run in the G2 Risen Star on Feb. 19. The homebred Sumaya U.S. Stable colt is out of stakes-winner Lights of Medina.

Major General (Constitution) hasn't started since winning the G3 Iroquois at Churchill Downs, but could reappear in the Mar. 12 G2 Tampa Bay Derby. Owned by WinStar and Siena Farm, the undefeated colt was a $420,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland September.

Read more at the TDN.

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