Chad Brown duo top the Pennine Ridge at Belmont Park on Saturday

By NY Hot List staff | Thursday, June 2, 222

As is usually the case in turf stakes races in New York, Chad Brown has more than one horse entered. Brown has two 3-year-olds in the $200,000 Pennine Ridge at Belmont Park on Saturday. The nine-furlong Grade 2, which is scheduled for the inner turf course, drew a field of seven.

The Brown runners, Napoleonic War and Unanimous Consent, are joined in the field by horses from the barns of Todd Pletcher, Shug McGaughey, and Christophe Clement.

Napoleonic War is the recent winner of an allowance at Belmont while Unanimous Consent is unbeaten in three career starts including the Woodhaven at Aqueduct in April.

Pletcher will transition Emmanuel from two starts on the Kentucky Derby trail to the turf. In Derby preps, the son of More Than Ready was fourth in the Fountain of Youth (G3) and then third in the Blue Grass (G1). He recently trained on the turf in preparation for the Pennine Ridge.

“He’s had two breezes now over the course. I thought the one yesterday was particularly good,” Pletcher said. “He’s got a lot of turf in his pedigree so it’s something that’s been on the back of our minds, but he had been doing well enough on the dirt that we felt like we had to continue on the Derby trail. 

“He ran a solid race in the Blue Grass. That form held up pretty well,” Pletcher added. “But we want to see where he fits on the grass and open up some options with him.”

The $200,000 Pennine Ridge (G2) – Belmont Park, Saturday, Race 9.

(7) Unanimous Consent will put his unbeaten record on the line as he tries graded stakes company for the first time. Trainer Chad Brown has an unbelievable record with favorites during the current Belmont meeting. Unanimous Consent moved flawlessly from a maiden win to an allowance to the recent Woodhaven at Aqueduct. (6) Emmanuel brings his excellent turf breeding from good performances on the Kentucky Derby trail to debut on the grass for Todd Pletcher. (3) Limited Liability made a winning 2022 debut in a Keeneland allowance for Shug MacGaughey after running third in the Pilgrim (G2) last year. (5) Elizar will make his first American start for Christophe Clement after winning his only race at Chantilly in France in October.

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