Belmont: Brown duo headlines G3 Pennine Ridge

Ryan Martin —-

ELMONT, N.Y – Trainer Chad Brown will saddle a pair of talented stakes debuters in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Pennine Ridge – a 1 1/8-mile event for 3-year-olds over the inner turf at Belmont Park.

Breaking from post 3, Peter Brant’s Demarchelier broke his maiden at first asking over Aqueduct’s inner turf in November where he defeated fellow Pennine Ridge aspirant Seismic Wave [post 7, Joel Rosario] by a head. Following a five-month hiatus, he continued his winning ways against winners at Keeneland on April 12 defeating next out winner Award Winner by three-quarters of a length.

A bay son of Dubawi, Demarchelier is out of the Sadler’s Wells broodmare Loveisallyouneed who is a full sister to Irish Group 1 winners Yesterday and Quarter Moon.

Jockey Javier Castellano will be aboard Demarchelier.

Klaravich Stables’ Value Proposition will take the leap from maiden to graded stakes company after an impressive 4 ¼ length triumph over a yielding inner turf at Belmont Park in a maiden special weight, where he recorded a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

Despite sitting well off of a slow pace, the son of Dansili was able to make up plenty of ground and took command at the top of the stretch under little urging from jockey Joel Rosario. Value Proposition, although green in the final sixteenth, proved to be much the best.

Value Proposition is out of the international stakes winning Diktat broodmare Dash to the Front who also produced two-time French Group 1 winner Speedy Boarding.

Brown said both horses will use the Pennine Ridge as a potential springboard for the first leg of the Turf Trinity, the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational slated for July 6.

“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 if they prove that they’re good enough.”

Jockey Jose Lezcano will guide Value Proposition, who breaks from the rail.

Trainer Todd Pletcher also sends out a talented duo of sophomores in Clint Maroon and Social Paranoia.

Owned by St. Elias Stable, Clint Maroon scored at stakes caliber last out over the turf at Aqueduct in the Woodhaven, which he won by four lengths. He will be attempting his fourth straight victory on Saturday. Prior to the Woodhaven, the son of Oasis Dream broke his maiden third time out on February 6 at Gulfstream before defeating winners over the South Florida turf course the following month.

Clint Maroon will be guided by Irad Ortiz, Jr. from post 5.

Pletcher also saddles Social Paranoia after a close third in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs as the lukewarm favorite.

Never off the board in seven career starts, Social Paranoia began his career on the main track as a 2-year-old before switching to grass where he finished behind Forty Under twice. After a six-month hiatus, the dark bay son of Street Boss broke his maiden by eight lengths over the turf at Gulfstream Park, where he recorded a career best 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

Social Paranoia will emerge from post 4 under Jose Ortiz.

Bloom Racing Stable’s Henley’s Joy is a two-time stakes winner. A close second against graded stakes caliber on two occasions, he will attempt his first win at said level when he breaks from post 8 in the Pennine Ridge.

Trained by Mike Maker, the son of Kitten’s Joy won the Kentucky Downs Juvenile in his second career start last September before finishing a nose behind Current in the Grade 3 Bourbon at Keeneland. He completed his 2-year-old season on a high note with a 4 ¼ length win in the Pulpit at Gulfstream Park. Three starts later, Henley’s Joy was beaten a half-length to Avie’s Flatter in the Grade 3 Transylvania at Keeneland before finishing off the board in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs last time out.

Henley’s Joy will be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

Completing the field are Swamp Rat [post 2, Dylan Davis] and Magnificent McCool [post 6, Rajiv Maragh].

The Pennine Ridge is carded as Race 8 on Saturday afternoon’s nine-race card. First post is 1:30 p.m.