Emmanuel | Horse Racing Free Tips

More Than Ready’s Emmanuel Takes Turf Debut in Pennine Ridge

'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready), at one point considered a leading Triple Crown contender, looks to have found a new home on the lawn after leading at all calls Saturday to justify 19-10 odds in Belmont Park's nine-furlong GII Pennine Ridge S.

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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Unanimous Consent Looks To Stay Undefeated In Pennine Ridge

Trainer Chad Brown sends out undefeated Unanimous Consent (GB) (Almanzor {Fr}) in Saturday's GII Pennine Ridge S. at Belmont Park. After breaking his maiden on debut as a 2-year-old Sept. 11 over one mile on the grass at Monmouth, he returned off a six- month layoff to beat allowance company Feb. 4 over the grass at Tampa. Stepped up into stakes company for the first time, he took Aqueduct's Woodhaven S. when last seen Apr. 23.

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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Rising Stars Square Off in the Blue Grass

'TDN Rising Stars' Smile Happy (Runhappy) and Emmanuel (More Than Ready) face off Saturday as they try to secure their spots in the GI Kentucky Derby starting gate at Keeneland in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S.

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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Fountain of Youth Has A Little Something For Everyone

If variety is the spice of life, Saturday's GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park is certain to set your taste buds on fire, as a legitimate case can be made for as many as seven of the 11 horses left in the final local lead-up for the GI Curlin Florida Derby in four weeks' time.

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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