Brown Versus Pletcher in Pennine Ridge

A field of eight line up in the $200,000 Pennine Ridge (G3) at Belmont Park. (© Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com)

Trainers Chad Brown and Todd Pletcher will each send out a pair of runners in Saturday’s feature at Belmont Park, the $200,000 Pennine Ridge (G3).

The nine-furlong test on the inner turf course for three-year-olds drew a field of eight and will be the eighth race on the nine-race card.

Brown will saddle the 5-2 morning line favorite Value Proposition with Jose Lezcano aboard and Demarchelier (9-2), who will have Javier Castellano in the irons.

“Both horses are training well, and the distance should be good for them,” Brown said. “We’re using this race as a prep for the Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) if they prove that they’re good enough.”

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Pletcher sends out American Turf (G2) third place finisher Social Paranoia (7-2) with Jose Ortiz up and Clint Maroon (3-1), winner of the Woodbine who will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

Among the other contenders in the race are the Bill Mott trained Seismic Wave (6-1) who was fourth in the American Turf and the Mike Maker trained Henley’s Joy (10-1) who was a good second in the Transylvania (G3) at Keeneland but was eighth in the American Turf.

Completing the field are Swamp Rat (20-1) and Magnificent McCool (20-1).

Let’s head out to Belmont Park for Saturday’s featured race of the day:

Belmont Park

Belmont Park Race 8 The Pennine Ridge G3 Post time 5:18 ET

3 Demarchelier 9-2

4 Social Paranoia 7-2

1 Value Proposition 5-2

5 Clint Maroon 3-1

Demarchelier

One of two sent out by Brown, this gelding is perfect in two starts. He made a good late rally to get up late and break his maiden by a nose in his debut at Aqueduct. He returned off a 5 ½ month layoff and came with a good late rally to beat Alw-1 foes at Keeneland over good ground. The runner up and sixth place finishers both came back to beat Alw-1 company in their next starts. The colt has enough pedigree and the right running style to handle the extra ground. He is by Dubawi out of a Sadler’s Well mare that has dropped one other winner. This guy took action in both of his starts and the 9-2 morning line here looks a bit generous.

Social Paranoia

This colt tracked the early pace and came up ¾ of a length short in a third-place finish in the American Turf (G2) last out at Churchill Downs. He lost the place spot in a photo. He trounced maidens two back at Gulfstream Park to earn his diploma. Three back Pletcher thought enough of this guy after four in the money finishes in the maiden ranks to try him in the Pilgrim (G3) here last September and he ran well in a third-place finish over yielding ground. The son of Street Boss makes his third start off the bench here and looks primed for a top effort. He is out of a Deputy Minister mare that has dropped two other turf winners.

Value Proposition

The Brown trainee is the 5-2 morning line favorite. He was hammered in the betting in his debut in a seven-horse field and did not disappoint. He stalked the early pace, took over the lead handily and held on despite racing greenly and bobbling in deep stretch. He earned a solid number over the yielding turf and still appear to have a ton of upside. He is by Dansili out of the stakes winner Dash To The Front ($38,476) who has dropped six other winners and they have all won on turf including stakes winner Speedy Boarding ($746,200). He completes a strong one-two punch from Brown, but he may end up a light price.