Demarchelier by a neck in Pennine Ridge Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Last November, Demarchelier debuted with a head victory over Seismic Wave in a maiden race at Aqueduct. On Saturday, the stakes were greater, but the result was virtually the same, as Demarchelier defeated Seismic Wave by a neck in the Grade 3, $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park.

The victory kept Demarchelier undefeated from three starts. It also capped a perfect day at Belmont for trainer Chad Brown, who went 3 for 3 on the card. Brown also won two races at Monmouth Park, including the $75,000 Tale of the Cat Stakes with Standard Deviation. Both the Pennine Ridge and Tale of the Cat were for 3-year-olds on turf.

Demarchelier won despite having to go five wide for home and then taking a bump from Henley’s Joy in midstretch. Henley’s Joy was pushed into Demarchelier after Magnificent McCool came out around the eighth pole.

“A hard bump,” winning rider Javier Castellano said. “Thank God my horse, he handled it so well. A lot of horses it discourages a little bit; they give up because that’s the time a horse starts moving forward. He finished really well. With a slow pace, and the way he finished and beat good horses, he was very impressive.”

Value Proposition, Brown’s other starter in the field, set the pace under Jose Lezcano, running a quarter in 25.53 seconds and a half in 49.27, pressed by Clint Maroon. Demarchelier was sixth, about four lengths off the pace.

Castellano took him wide around the turn, and wider still turning for home. Clint Maroon, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., put away Value Proposition, but Demarchelier, despite the bump, collared him at the sixteenth pole and held off the late run from last of Seismic Wave.

Demarchelier, a son of Dubawi purchased at the Tattersalls yearling auction of 2017 by Peter Brant, covered the 1 1/8 miles over turf labeled firm in 1:48.20 and returned $12.40 as the fourth betting choice.

“I think those fractions were stronger than the times indicate,” Brown said. “Demarchelier, what can I say? He’s undefeated, he’s done nothing wrong, he’s a really talented horse we’ve been pointing to the Belmont Derby for some time. No surprise to me he won. It just goes to show you what a strong and evenly matched a field it was, the way the way the betting unfolded.”

Seismic Wave, who since his loss to Demarchelier last November had won two straight before finishing fourth in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs, finished second by one length over Social Paranoia, the 2-1 favorite. He was followed by Henley’s Joy, Clint Maroon, Magnificent McCool, and Value Proposition, whom Brown said he was surprised to see on the lead.

Demarchelier and Seismic Wave are both likely to run back in the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby at 1 1/4 miles here on July 6.