Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Oscar Performance seeks best form in Pennine Ridge
ELMONT, N.Y. – Oscar Performance, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner, will seek to rebound from a pair of disappointing efforts to begin his 3-year-old campaign when he heads a field of eight entered for Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park.
Oscar Performance went 3 for 4 at age 2, including a win in the Grade 3 Pilgrim here and the BC Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita. In two starts this year, he has finished fifth, beaten three lengths, in the Transylvania at Keeneland, and last in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Brian Lynch felt Oscar Performance floundered over the rain-soaked turf course at Churchill Downs. Lynch has really liked what he’s seen from Oscar Performance in his last two works, including a five-furlong move in 1:01.74 on Sunday in company with Turbo Street.
“His training has given me no excuses not to want to run,” Lynch said. “I feel really good about it.”
The Pennine Ridge, the local prep for the $1.2 million Belmont Derby on July 8, drew runners from multiple locales. Bowies Hero, the winner of the Singletary Stakes at Santa Anita, ships in from Southern California for Phil D’Amato, while Muggsamatic, the winner of the Sophomore Turf at Tampa Bay Downs in his last start, ships in from Monmouth for trainer Kathleen O’Connell.
Prize Fight, third in the Sophomore Turf, comes in from Kentucky for Mike Maker, while New York-based runners Ticonderoga, Secretary At War, and Makarios complete the field entered for turf. Bonus Points was entered for the main track only.
Lynch works stakes pair
While trainer Brian Lynch will be running a longshot in Meantime in the Belmont Stakes on June 10, he will have a couple of shorter-priced horses in a pair of graded stakes here June 9.
Lynch is pointing Lightstream to the Grade 3 Bed o’ Roses Invitational and Noholdingback Bear to the Grade 2, $250,000 True North.
On Saturday, that duo worked in company. Lightstream, who started about two lengths behind Noholdingback Bear, went five furlongs in 59.64 seconds, and Noholdingbackbear went in 1:00.04.
Lightstream, the winner of the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland as a 3-year-old, is looking to bounce back from a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs on Derby Day.
“I really don’t think she was 100 percent going into the Humana Distaff, and she caught a speed-favoring track,” Lynch said. “She made her signature move and sort of emptied out, but she’s come on from the race really well.”
Speaking of Saturday’s workout, Lynch said Lightstream “sat off of Noholdingback Bear and showed that move and had plenty left on the gallop-out.”
Lynch said he was pleased with Noholdingback Bear’s work, noting that he didn’t need much coming off a good second to Stallwalkin’ Dude in the Diablo Stakes on May 7.
Mohaymen to Met Mile
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin sent out Frosted to a memorable victory in last year’s Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap. This year, he plans to send out the enigma that is Mohaymen in the 124th renewal of the Met Mile, run on the June 10 Belmont Stakes card.
Mohaymen won the first five starts of his career, including four Grade 2 stakes, before losing his next five starts. In his 4-year-old debut this year, he finished fourth, 14 lengths behind Connect, in the Grade 3 Westchester.
On Sunday, Mohaymen was credited with a half-mile breeze in 47.02 seconds over the Belmont main track. He started about eight lengths behind two stablemates and closed to within about a length of the pair at the wire.
“He started off too far behind those two, but he worked well,” McLaughlin said Monday from Saratoga. “We’re going to go to the Met Mile. We’ll hope that he just needed a run first time out.”
Among those pointing to the Met Mile are Awesome Slew, Connect, Denman’s Call, Economic Model, Imperative, Mor Spirit, Rally Cry, Sharp Azteca, Solid Wager, Tom’s Ready, and Tommy Macho.
◗ Paulassilverlining, the winner of the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs and the Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland in her last two starts, returned to the work tab Sunday, breezing a halfmile in 49.32 seconds over the Belmont main track. Her major objective for the summer is the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga on Aug. 26, with a likely prep in the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss at Saratoga on July 26.
◗ Mind Your Biscuits worked three furlongs in 36.76 seconds Sunday, his first move since winning the Dubai Golden Shaheen in March. He is being pointed to the Grade 2, $350,000 Belmont Sprint Championship on July 8.