Crittenden headed for bigger stakes after winning Let It Ride

Crittenden appears ready for a return to graded stakes next month after winning the second stakes of his career in Saturday’s $82,150 Let It Ride Stakes at Del Mar.

Ridden by Martin Garcia, Crittenden was second early and caught pacesetter Acceptance in the final strides to win the one-mile turf race by a neck. Crittenden ($9.80) was timed in 1:34.56.

The Let It Ride Stakes was restricted to 3-year-olds who had not won a stakes worth $50,000 or more to the winner, other than a statebred stakes, since April 1.

Acceptance, the champion 2-year-old California-bred colt of 2014, held second in his first start since January. Perfectly Majestic was third, followed by Fueled by Bourbon, Daddy D T, and Ground Rules, the 5-2 favorite who faded from contention on the turn.

Crittenden’s win is likely to lead to a start in the $300,000 Hollywood Derby, a Grade 1 at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 28, trainer Eoin Harty said.

Crittenden won the $75,000 Permanently Disabled Jockeys’ Fund Stakes at Indiana Grand in late May before losing three consecutive graded stakes, finishing second in the Grade 3 American Derby at Arlington Park, fifth in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park, and fourth in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 6.

“He was unlucky in the Del Mar Derby,” Harty said. “He got fanned wide into the first turn. The time today was impressive.”

Owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing, Crittenden has won 4 of 11 starts and earned $172,615.