The Pennine Ridge (Grade 3)- $200.000 Purse
BEL- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Eighth on the Inner Turf
June 1, 2019

As we move into the month of June, we will have a field of eight get together in the fifth running of the Pennine Ridge, a grade 3 turf event for three year olds. The race was won last year by a horse named Full Refund. His trainer, Spankys Barn may have been wanting that after the race, because after the Pennine Ridge, Full Refund’s form fell off, and he would never win again. He raced into March of this year, and is no longer with us now. Quite a tough turn events for a race that should, theoretically, be giving us horses with bright futures. Things were a lot better for 2017 winner, Sweep The Ravine. It’s mostly a field of upstarts, as six of eight runners have less then $100.000 in career earnings, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the two with more earnings should be the favorites. Let’s take a look!

#1- Nav Man (Aml Racing, ridden by J J Castellano)- The trainer should be happy to have drawn the rail for the race, but he will be even happier if Nav Man can turn his form around. This will be his turf debut, and comes on the heels of a couple of highly disappointing finishes in KYD prep races. He’s been given a couple of months of rest, and now the colt that is out of Google Maps needs to find his way.

#2- Manifestation (Arindel, ridden by J Rosario)- After claiming, and winning a three-way shake, the gelding for $40.000, Manifestation will look to give his trainer their first graded win. General Ferro also ran in that optional claimer (and won), but did not have a tag on him. Before the claiming race, he ran third in the Grade 3 Palm Beach, a pretty similar race to this. Somehow, Barcelona Farms, the prior trainer, soured on him a lot after that race, and I’m not really sure why. It was a great claim and should be a great asset for the new trainer. Jockey Rosario has been cold this year, winning just 6% of his races.

#3- Hard Cider (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- One of two in this field by Ferro, Hard Cider is still looking for his first win as a three year old. Last year, he showed a good amount of promise, and won the $75.000 Juvenile Turf at CRC for FL-breds to show for it. Since then, it’s been a mystery as to which horse will show up. While I do think the Springboard Mile result is much better then it looks, he has not been consistent. Tough to get too excited about that.

#4- Sargeant Major (Arq Racingfarms, ridden by J Alvarado)- The colt will be making his third start in about five and a half weeks. Therefore, I have to throw out my unproven theory that it’s not two quick starts that can do in a horse, it’s that third one. After a good looking run at the allowance level of picking up checks, he is making his graded debut here. I’d like him more if he had more rest.

#5- Almost Always (Williams9, ridden by L Saez)- Alright, so what did I say about Sargeant Major? With Almost Always, it’s his third start in less then a month. He’s been winning, but like the horse next to him, I can’t pick him on such short rest. Great claim though, as he was picked for just $7.500 last month. Trainer won a two-way shake for him.

#6- Dog Of Pompeii (Winning Link Stables, ridden by J L Ortiz)- Good, now we’re back to a horse that is rested coming into the race. The colt has won two out of six, and comes off a second place finish at the $100.000 Sullivan Stakes, topping three other CA-breds in the process. That was a good follow up from his showing at the unrestricted Cutler Bay in the race prior. Perhaps he’ll like the somewhat smaller field here, and will hope for a dry track. That seems promising, with just a 20% chance of rain here Saturday.

#7- General Ferro (Mb Stables, ridden by M Franco)- He was scratched out of the PEN Mile, a $500.000 race also running on Saturday, and shows up here. What do we read into that? Is the trainer less confident with him over something, or is he just that content with Arkenstone’s chances there, that first here is better then second there, perhaps? I think it’s the latter. That said, though, he is making a jump forward in class after winning a four horse optional claimer in his last start. One of those rivals, though, was Manifestation. Worked extremely well at PRX two weeks ago.

#8- Laffin Jamie (High Voltage, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- Started off his career successfully, winning three of five as a two year old including the $100.000 Awad right here last fall. This year, the trainer has moved his career forward more, and lately he is looking quite good. Two starts ago, in the Grade 3 Palm Beach, he scored the win and turned in a 99 SRF in the process. His last start was even better, in my opinion, even if only rendered him a third place finish, as it came in the Grade 2 American Turf, a race that a handful of horses decided to go into the $500.000 PEN Mile off of, including ones he finished ahead of. Think he would have had a shot there, but here, he is the one to beat.

Prediction: 8-7-1-6

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES