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Clement Charts Course For Pennine Ridge Winner Decorated Invader

Trainer Christophe Clement was delighted to see Decorated Invader record a second graded stakes victory in Saturday's Grade 2 Pennine Ridge at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., and said that both the Grade 2, $150,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on July 18 and the $500,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 15 at Saratoga Race Course are both likely targets for the Declaration of War colt.

Piloted by Joel Rosario, who later guided Oleksandra to victory in the Grade 1 Jaipur presented by America's Best Racing, Decorated Invader broke sharply from the rail tracking pacesetter Proven Strategies and took command to the inside around the far turn to draw off to a 4 ¾-length victory as the heavy favorite.

“He came out of the race well. There are two stakes at Saratoga. We'll see how he trains, but the plan is to go there,” Clement said. “We'll go there and if he's fine, we'll do both and if he needs the extra time then we can just run in the Saratoga Derby. He looked great this morning.”

Owned by Terry Finley's West Point Thoroughbreds, William Sandbrook, William Freeman and Cheryl Manning, Declaration of War made his 2020 bow when taking the Cutler Bay over the turf on March 28 at Gulfstream Park. A winner of four races all over different surfaces, the colt by Declaration of War took the Grade 1 Summer at Woodbine en route to a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf – his lone off-the-board effort.

Oak Bluff Stables' seven-time stakes winning New York-bred Therapist is a candidate for either the $100,000 Kingston going 1 1/16 miles on July 5 or the $75,000 Banrock going six furlongs.

“He just worked this morning with Irad Ortiz, Jr. and looked great,” Clement said. “He has two options both for New York-breds either the Kingston or the Banrock a few days later.”

The son of Freud was victorious against open company in the last out First Defense, which was his first victory since taking the Elusive Quality last April.

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Decorated Invader Shows New Dimension Winning Pennine Ridge

The Christophe Clement-trained Decorated Invader continued his steady ascent to the top of the 3-year-old turf division with an authoritative 4 ¾-length victory over five rivals in the Grade 2, $150,000 Pennine Ridge on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The sixth running of the Pennine Ridge, contested at a mile on Belmont's Widener turf course, was carded as the second of six graded stakes on the loaded 12-race Belmont Stakes day program.

A son of Declaration of War, Decorated Invader showed a good deal of promise as a 2-year-old, including a Grade 1 win in the Summer Stakes at Woodbine and a fast-closing fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf to close out the year, but took noticeable steps forward as a sophomore. The bay colt came from far back to win the Cutler Bay by 1 ¼ lengths in his 2020 debut in May at Gulfstream Park and then showed a completely new dimension in the Pennine Ridge.

Breaking from the rail with Joel Rosario aboard, Decorated Invader put himself just off the early pace set by Proven Strategies. As the pacesetter ambled along through leisurely splits of 23.86 seconds for the opening quarter-mile, 47.50 for the half, and three-quarters 1:10.61 for three-quarters over firm turf, Decorated Invader tracked him intently in third while covered.

Proven Strategies angled out a bit around the far turn, allowing Rosario and Decorated Invader to quickly seize the opportunity, surging through the vacated inside path and vying for the lead as the field turned for home. The pair soon wrested control away from the frontrunner, and from there they opened up decisively, bounding down the stretch to complete the distance in a snappy 1:33.66.

“He's very classy,” Rosario said. “The pace was OK, but not too fast. He was there for me and so relaxed, so I just let him be there [closer up] because it looked like there was no pace up front. I made a move before the turn and I saw the horse inside [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.”

Decorated Invader, owned in partnership by West Point Thoroughbreds, William Freeman, William Sandbrook and Cheryl Manning, bumped his bankroll to $370,535 with the victory. As the odds-on favorite, he returned $3.20 on a $2 win wager.

Clement was content to bask in the victory and marvel at his talented 3-year-old.

“I've always liked him since Day 1 and I think he's been a tremendous horse since the beginning,” said Clement. “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.”

Proven Strategies held well for second, finishing 1 ¾ lengths in front of third-place finisher Mr. Kringle, who closed from the back of the compact field to nab blacktype. Vanzzy, Famished, and Venezuelan Hug completed the order of finish. Maroon Maniac was scratched.

Saturday's stakes action at Belmont Park will culminate with the 152nd running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes in Race 10 at 5:42 p.m. Eastern. The American Classic, contested as the first leg of the Triple Crown this year, will see a 10-horse field led by morning-line favorite Tiz the Law looking to become the first New York-bred to win the Belmont since 1882. NBC will have live coverage starting at 2:45 p.m.

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Triple Crown News Minute Presented By Kentucky Equine Research: Mining The Belmont Stakes Undercard

Saturday's 152nd Belmont Stakes highlights a 12-race card at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., which has an 11:45 a.m. ET first post. The Belmont itself, now the opening leg of the Triple Crown and run at nine furlongs instead of its traditional mile and one-half, goes as the 10th race, with a scheduled post time of 5:42 p.m. ET, and will offer qualifying points for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby on the basis of 150-60-30-15 to the first four finishers.

The Belmont can be seen on NBC, which will also be airing the final day of the Royal Ascot meeting on Saturday morning beginning at 9 a.m. ET

Prior to the NBC telecast, many of the Belmont undercard races can be seen on “America's Day at the Races” on the FOX Sports networks.

In today's Triple Crown News Minute, Ray Paulick and news editor Chelsea Hackbarth look at some of the horses competing in the five other graded stakes on the Belmont card, including the 9-year-old gelding Pure Sensation, making his fourth appearance in the now-Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes, a race he won in course record time in 2016.

Watch today's Triple Crown News Minute below:

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‘Top Class’ Decorated Invader Headlines Saturday’s Pennine Ridge

Grade 1-winner Decorated Invader headlines Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 Pennine Ridge over the Widener turf course at Belmont Park.

The one-mile event for 3-year-olds pays homage to the two-time stakes winner over the Belmont Park turf who set a stakes record in the 1994 Grade 3 Hill Prince when stopping the clock in 1:39.87. Pennine Ridge, who was owned by Allan Dragone's December Hill Farm and trained by David Donk, boasted a consistent 15-4-3-1 record when competing at Belmont Park.

Decorated Invader, owned by Terry Finley's West Point Thoroughbreds in partnership with William T. Freeman, William Sandbrook and Cheryl Manning, took Gulfstream Park's Cutler Bay on March 28 in his most recent start. The son of Declaration of War hit the gate at the break and was 15 lengths off the pace before making a five-wide move at the top of the stretch to garner a career-best 88 Beyer Speed Figure for the victory for trainer Christophe Clement.

As a 2-year-old, Decorated Invader graduated at second asking over the Mellon turf course at Saratoga besting next-out winner Summer to Remember. He then took his talents to Canada where he won the Grade 1 Summer at Woodbine en route to a close fourth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Decorated Invader has trained forwardly for Clement, most recently recording a half-mile breeze in 50.20 seconds over the Belmont inner turf on June 12.

“Decorated Invader is doing great. He's had two very nice breezes at Belmont with Joel [Rosario] aboard and he couldn't be doing better,” Clement said. “I think he's a top class horse and the distance should be perfect for him.”

Bred in Kentucky by Redmon Farm, Decorated Invader is out of the Arch broodmare Gamely Girl. He was a $200,000 acquisition from the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Indian Creek.

Jockey Joel Rosario piloted Decorated Invader to his last out win, and will retain the mount from post 1.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will saddle Leonard Green and Jonathan Green's Proven Strategies, who arrives off a runner-up effort in the English Channel.

The dark bay son of Sky Mesa displayed frontrunning fashion in his last three outings, which included a seventh-out maiden victory and an allowance win, both taking place against Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park.

Prior to his maiden win, Proven Strategies made three starts against stakes company, including a runner-up finish to Another Miracle in the Skidmore at Saratoga.

Jockey Jose Ortiz seeks a second Pennine Ridge triumph aboard Proven Strategies from post 3.

Two years after winning the Pennine Ridge with subsequent dual Grade 1-winner Catholic Boy, trainer Jonathan Thomas and owner Robert LaPenta will have Maroon Maniac entered in the one-mile event.

The dark bay Violence colt graduated in an off-the-turf maiden route at Tampa Bay Downs on April 14. This came after finishing second on debut to next-out winner Domestic Spending.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano will attempt a third straight Pennine Ridge triumph when aboard Maroon Maniac from post 6.

Daniel M. Ryan's Vanzzy has won over dirt and all weather surfaces and will make his turf debut for trainer Michael Pino.

The Verrazano bay was a wire-to-wire winner of the Rushaway at Turfway Park last out, where he set a leisurely pace and drew off to win by 4 ¼ lengths.

Two starts prior to his stakes victory, he scored another wire-to-wire stakes victory over the Tapeta surface at Woodbine in the Display on December 14.

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche, who piloted Vanzzy in the Rushaway, returns to the saddle from post 5.

Rounding out the field are Venezuelan Hug [post 2, Luis Saez]. Mr. Kringle [post 4, Jose Lezcano], and Famished [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.].

Slated as Race 4 on Saturday's 12-race card, which offers a first post of 11:45 a.m. Eastern, the Pennine Ridge will feature on America's Day at the Races, produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, and airing live on FOX Sports and MSG+. Free Equibase-provided past performances are available for races that are part of the America's Day at the Races broadcast and can be accessed at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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