Emmanuel changes up, will try turf in Pennine Ridge

ELMONT, N.Y. -- The 3-year-old Emmanuel, who failed to successfully stretch out in distance on the Triple Crown trail this spring, will try to do it on turf instead when he runs in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes going 1 1/8 miles at Belmont Park.

Emmanuel, a son of More Than Ready, has worked the last two weeks on the turf and was especially strong Sunday, pulling away from A Mo Reay in a four-furlong work Daily Racing Form timed in 47.09 seconds over a firm course. The previous week, over ground with some give in it, Emmanuel worked five furlongs in 1:02.

“Last week it had a little more cut to it and he didn’t work quite as strongly as he did today, but he seemed to really enjoy it out there today,” trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday.

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Emmanuel is by More Than Ready, a prolific turf sire, out of the unraced dam Hard Cloth. Hard Cloth is out of Trensa, who was graded stakes placed on the turf.

Pletcher said trying turf “has been in the back of our minds for a while.”

Emmanuel won his first two starts going a mile at Gulfstream and a mile and 40 yards at Tampa Bay Downs. He finished fourth to Simplification in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and ran third behind Zandon in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes gong 1 1/8 miles on dirt at Keeneland.

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The Pennine Ridge, the lone stakes at Belmont next weekend, is topped by Unanimous Consent, winner of all three of his starts including the Woodhaven Stakes. Others entered included Napoleonic War, Limited Liability, Elizar, and Daunt.