Kentucky Derby runner returns in Saturday’s Pennine Ridge

By the New York Hot List Staff // Thursday, May 27, 2021

A field of nine 3-year-olds was drawn for Saturday’s feature at Belmont Park, the $200,000 Grade 2 Pennine Ridge, which will be run at nine-furlongs on the inner turf course. Sainthood will make his first start on the grass as he returns from an 11th place finish in the Kentucky Derby and Hard Love will try and win his second turf stake in New York this year.

Sainthood qualified for the Derby with a second in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3). On the first Saturday in May he was pressured to stay mid-pack in the early going and came up empty down the stretch. Trainer Todd Pletcher will send the son of Mshawish to the grass after finding success on dirt and synthetic tracks.

“He and Mshawish have similar physiques and like Mshawish, this one seems pretty versatile,” Pletcher said. “We’ve had turf in the back of our minds with this one all along. With him being out of a Lemon Drop Kid mare and being by Mshawish, his breeding suggested that. I thought his two works on the turf here were really good.”

Hard Love, on the other hand, is a proven turf horse. He won his debut on the grass course at Belmont Park as a 2-year-old and followed that with a second in the Central Park at Aqueduct. He picked up right where he left off with a victory in the Woodhaven at the Big A in his 2021 debut last month. Trainer Jonathan Thomas is looking ahead to the longer distances available on the turf in New York.

“My guess is that the further the races get, the closer to the pace he’ll be,” Thomas said. “He seems to have pretty good tactical speed. I would imagine the further the run, the better he’s going to get. His strength is his stamina.”

Here are the Hot List picks for the Pennine Ridge (G2):

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

(5) Sainthood will make his turf debut for Todd Pletcher after last being seen in the Kentucky Derby. After running well on the dirt and the synthetic, Sainthood took to the turf in his last two workouts at Belmont. He is bred to race on the grass and obviously gets class relief after facing the country’s top 3-year-olds in the Derby. Top turf rider Joel Rosario will get on board for the first time. (4) Hard Love is the 9-5 morning line favorite based on his two victories from three starts in his career. The son of Kitten’s Joy should appreciate the stretch out to nine-furlongs as he looks to follow-up on his victory in the Woodhaven on April 17 at Aqueduct as an odds-on favorite. (7) Public Sector found immediate success for Chad Brown winning his debut at Saratoga and then placing in the Pilgrim (G2) at Belmont. He was then 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). In his first race this year, the British-bred colt was second in an allowance. (8) Safe Conduct has two wins in three tries on the grass for Phil Serpe including an allowance win over the aforementioned Public Sector. He has two speedy workouts on the local turf course.

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