While The Reds didn't quite knock one out of the park in Saturday's off-the-turf Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., trainer John Kimmel hopes to give the son of second crop-sire Tonalist a graded stakes win and said he is considering the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby on June 26 at JACK Thistledown in Ohio.
Owned by Flanagan Racing, The Reds arrived at the nine-furlong Pennine Ridge off a victory, via disqualification, in the Federico Tesio at Pimlico Race Course on April 24. Kimmel said he was hoping Saturday's test would be a prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational on July 10. But when inclement weather forced the race to the main track, he said that the chestnut colt's turf debut will likely have to wait.
“Had we gotten to test him out on the grass maybe we could have tried the Belmont Derby, but I'm not really sure now,” said Kimmel. “I think running a mile and an eighth on dirt for a half-million against some of the big class citizens might be a better option for him.”
The Reds was a maiden winner at fifth asking on January 31 over the main track at Aqueduct before finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Gotham at the Big A.
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