The Week in Review: Beyond Derby Aspirations, Pletcher Duo Blooms

Getting a 3-year-old to peak precisely on the first Saturday of May is an over-arching goal in our sport. But even for the very upper crust of colts, a brush with GI Kentucky Derby aspirations ends up being nothing more than an early diversion on a much longer development arc.

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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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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Pletcher Points Sainthood To Belmont Derby; Happy Saver Suburban Bound

The Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge did not end up being the turf debut that Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher had in mind for Sainthood when inclement weather forced the nine-furlong test onto the main track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Nevertheless, Sainthood recorded his first graded stakes triumph, registering a career-best 86 Beyer Speed Figure.

Since finishing 11th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby earlier this month, Pletcher breezed the Mshawish colt twice on grass. His anticipated turf debut will come in his next start however, as Sainthood is targeting the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational on July 10, first leg of the Turf Triple series.

Owned by WinStar Farm and CHC, Sainthood broke his maiden over the main track at Fair Grounds Race Course en route to a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks on March 20 over the all-weather surface at Turfway Park.

“I talked to [WinStar Farm CEO and racing manager] Elliot Walden after the race and felt like the Belmont Derby is probably the logical place to point,” Pletcher said Sunday morning. “He still has to prove himself on turf but judging by the way he ran on synthetic and the way he breezes on the turf, he should take to it. It's a big race and we have the option of going back to the dirt down the road, but we'll focus on the turf for now.”

Pletcher said Wertheimer et Frere's Happy Saver will return to graded stakes action in the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban on July 3, a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” event for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic.

The son of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, also trained by Pletcher, made his 4-year-old debut a winning one on Friday against salty allowance company going a one-turn mile at Belmont Park. The conquest, which garnered a 96 Beyer, kept his undefeated record intact with his previous effort taking place in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup in October.

A start in the historic 10-furlong test could result in a rematch with Group 1 Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide, who previously finished second to Happy Saver in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and also is targeting the Suburban.

“He came out of it in good order, I thought he ran well off the bench,” Pletcher said. “We didn't have him fully cranked up, so being able to come back and win off the layoff off sort of a moderate work tab was good. Hopefully, he'll move forward off that, the Suburban is on the radar. Timing wise, it's good, he's bred to go a mile and a quarter and obviously has already won at that distance. That's the most likely target.”

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Sainthood Finds Sloppy Going To His Liking In Pennine Ridge

Grade 1 Kentucky Derby-participant Sainthood was expected to make his turf debut on Saturday, but instead the Mshawish colt capitalized on a race moved to the main track. Sainthood earned his first stakes win by besting The Reds in a stretch duel for a one-length score in the Grade 3, $200,000 Pennine Ridge at 1 1/8 miles for sophomores at Belmont Park.

The seventh running of the Pennine Ridge, originally slated for two turns on the inner turf course, was moved to a one-turn dirt contest due to heavy rain earlier in the day. It was automatically downgraded to Grade 3 because of the surface switch, although the American Graded Stakes Committee will review this year's running to consider reinstatement of its original grade.

Winstar Farm and CHC's Sainthood, making his first start since running 11th in the “Run for the Roses” for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, broke sharp under jockey Joel Rosario, leading the pared-down five-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 24.75 seconds on the sloppy and sealed track.

Shawdyshawdyshawdy, who tracked in second position, challenged the pacesetter under Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez from the rail and earned the lead, posting a half-mile in 48.56.

Rosario urged Sainthood up approaching the far turn, overtaking Shawdyshawdyshawdy from the outside. But The Reds, under Kendrick Carmouche, kept pressing from the outside, with the duo linking up at the top of the stretch and challenging eye-to-eye into the last furlong. Sainthood responded to Rosario's left-handed encouragement, gaining separation near the final sixteenth and repelling The Reds' re-rally attempt to complete the course in 1:50.57.

“He handled it [the slop] well. He broke on top and I was just looking to follow somebody,” Rosario said. “He was moving really well and I know the other horse [The Reds] had the jump on me, but I kept riding and I was hoping he would fight back and he did.

“I thought maybe he got me, but I knew I hadn't asked him for everything he got, so I knew he'd have a little more in the end,” he added.

Sainthood, who broke his maiden at second asking in February on dirt at Fair Grounds before running second in the G3 Jack Ruby Steaks on Tapeta in March at Turfway Park in his Derby prep, improved to 2-2-0 in five starts and more than doubled his bankroll to $201,900.

“I think he's a versatile colt, much like his sire Mshawish, who we trained and won graded stakes on dirt and turf for us,” Pletcher said. “This horse has run well on dirt and synthetic and slop today. I thought he actually ran a solid race in the Derby. He didn't disgrace himself by any means for a colt as lightly raced as he was. His two works here on the turf I thought were pretty impressive. We came into today hoping to get him on the turf, but it's also great to have one as versatile as he is who can run on just about anything.”

Sainthood, the 4-5 favorite, returned $3.80 on a $2 win wager. Pletcher said the effort could facilitate a start in the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby going 1 1/4 miles on turf in the opener of the Turf Triple series for sophomores on Saturday, July 10 at Belmont.

“We got a good prep for it if we decide to go that way,” Pletcher said. “It's good to have a horse with this many options. We'll talk to the team and come up with a plan, but that will be towards the top of the list.”

Flanagan Racing's The Reds traveled wide throughout after exiting from the outermost post 5. Trained by John Kimmel, The Reds finished five lengths clear of Shawdyshawdyshawdy in his first start since being elevated from second to first in the Federico Tesio in April at Pimlico Race Course after Excellorator's disqualification.

“The post didn't cost him, the best horse won the race,” Carmouche said. “Just no pace. My horse ran well, if we had a little more pace it would have been better for him.”

Safe Conduct and Minuteman completed the order of finish.

Step Dancer, Shaftesbury, Hard Love and Public Sector all scratched.

Live racing continues Sunday with a nine-race card and a 1 p.m. Eastern first post. The $100,000 Paradise Creek for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs on the Widener turf course is slated for Race 8 at 4:40 p.m.

Starting on May 1, Belmont Park re-opened to a limited number of spectators. All admission must be purchased in advance at nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

For comprehensive information on health and safety protocols in effect for the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, please visit: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/visit/plan-your-visit.

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