SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Month by month, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar last October has shown to be a productive race. Of the 14 starters, six have subsequently won. Gstaad, first last October, won the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas on May 24. Stark Contrast, second in the BC Juvenile Turf, won the Grade 1 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 2. The number could reach seven if Bottas runs to expectation in Thursday’s Grade 3 Pennine Ridge Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Saratoga. Trained by Miguel Clement for Abdulhadi Mana Al Hajri’s Dahman Stable, Bottas drew the inside post in the $300,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes in a field that includes the rapidly progressing colt West End Kid, the stakes winners Blackmail and Talk to Me Jimmy, and the stakes-placed Noble Dynasty. :: Get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports straight from the morning workouts. Available each race day at Saratoga. Talk to Me Jimmy, second in the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct on May 9, is entered only to race on the main track. Bottas was ninth in the BC Juvenile Turf, his only loss in a three-race career that began with a win in a maiden race here last August. Bottas scored a hard-fought win as the 6-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes at Aqueduct in early fall. In the BC Juvenile Turf, Bottas raced wide and was in traffic in the stretch. Bottas resumed workouts in Florida in early April and has been based at Saratoga since mid-May. “I expect a good performance,” Clement said. “I’m not quite sure it will be his A-plus performance or if will he improve from this race.” Clement expects Bottas to race from closer to the pace on Thursday, as opposed to the closing style displayed in the BC Juvenile Turf. In the Pilgrim, “he was more stalking or midpack than at the back,” Clement said. With the maiden-race winner Chips and Fish and the maiden Asked and Answered in the field, the Pennine Ridge should have a good pace. Blackmail, winner of the Woodhaven Stakes at a mile on turf at Aqueduct on April 24, will be handy for jockey Javier Castellano. West End Kid, trained by Will Walden, is likely to race just behind the leaders. He won with that style in a maiden race at Keeneland on April 11, and in an allowance race at Churchill Downs on May 8. In both races, West End Kid drew off by more than three lengths. “I think he’s super talented,” Walden said. “He’s still figuring it out. He took a long time to mature.” Noble Dynasty, fifth in the Pilgrim, is a closer. He rallied from last of 12 to finish second in an allowance race at 1 3/16 miles at Keeneland on April 19 and is likely to show the same style on Thursday. “The only thing I’m concerned about is the distance,” trainer Bill Mott said. “I want to get a race for him. If there is a little bit of pace, they’ll come back to him.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.