Pennine Ridge rematches Breeders’ Cup trio

ELMONT, N.Y. – Oscar Performance enjoyed a dream trip when he won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita. Good Samaritan and Ticonderoga had anything but, finishing third and fourth behind him.

On Saturday, those three – each seeking to bounce back from a recent defeat – meet again in the Grade 3, $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park. The Pennine Ridge, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles over the inner turf course, is the local prep for the Grade 1, $1.2 million Belmont Derby Invitational on July 8 at 1 1/4 miles.

Good Samaritan may have had the worst of it in the Breeders’ Cup, where he had trouble negotiating the first turn and then had an extremely wide trip. He closed to finish third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths. In his 3-year-old debut, Good Samaritan was again extremely wide when rallying from 11 lengths back to finish second, one length behind Arklow, in the Grade 2 American Turf, run over a rain-soaked Churchill Downs course labeled “good.”

“He ran well,” trainer Bill Mott said. “We didn’t feel like he liked the soft ground.”

The Belmont turf course should be close to firm on Saturday.

Trainer Brian Lynch thought Oscar Performance didn’t care for the ground at Churchill either when he finished last in the American Turf after setting the pace. Lynch has been extremely pleased with Oscar Performance’s two workouts at Belmont Park, where last year he won the Grade 3 Pilgrim by six lengths over a course labeled “yielding.”

“I’m hoping to rebound,” Lynch said. “I feel really good about him.”

Oscar Performance does his best running on or near the lead. He broke slowly in the Grade 3 Transylvania, where he finished fifth behind Big Score. With a clean break in the Pennine Ridge, he is likely to be on the lead or stalking Secretary At War, who has won his last two starts, including the Woodhaven at Aqueduct.

Trainer Chad Brown is hoping for firm ground for Ticonderoga. Bowies Hero ships in from Southern California for Phil D’Amato. Prize Fight is cross-entered in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Penn Mile at Penn National. Muggsamatic and Makarios, each coming off a win, round out the Pennine Ridge field for turf. Bonus Points was entered for the main track only.

KEY CONTENDERS

Good Samaritan, by Harlan’s Holiday Last 3 Beyers: 90-91-92

◗ He is always coming in the stretch and gets to run nine furlongs for the first time.

◗ Would benefit from a pace battle between Oscar Performance and Secretary At War.

Oscar Performance, by Kitten’s Joy Last 3 Beyers: 64-84-93

◗ Lynch takes the horse off Lasix, medication he raced on for the only time at Churchill last out.

Bowies Hero, by Artie Schiller Last 3 Beyers: 89-76-67

◗ After ending his 2-year-old season with two disappointing efforts, he won the Singletary Stakes at Santa Anita in his 3-year-old debut.

“He stumbled, and he came running late, and he looked like he had a lot of horse there at the end,” D’Amato said.

Ticonderoga, by Tapit Last 3 Beyers: 85-87-85

◗ Still seems to run spotty in his races but returns to the course where he won his maiden by 4 1/4 lengths last September.

◗ With Joel Rosario, who rode him the last two times, committed to Good Samaritan, Manny Franco has picked up the mount.