Penn Mile runs through A Thread of Blue

Anyway you analyze it, A Thread of Blue is the horse to beat Saturday at Penn National when the Grade 2, $500,000 Penn Mile is run for the seventh time.

Over the winter at Gulfstream Park, A Thread of Blue strung together three consecutive two-turn turf victories – a first-level optional claimer, the Dania Beach Stakes, and the Grade 3 Palm Beach. Given a two-month freshening by trainer Kiaran McLaughlin beginning in early March, he enters the Penn Mile off a front-running second-place finish to undefeated Digital Age in the Grade 2 American Turf on Derby Day at Churchill Downs.

And if the turf comes up less than firm, he should be able to handle it.

“We gave him some time from early March to early May, but now have him back to a four-week schedule,” McLaughlin said. “He might be a touch better on firm but I don’t think it matters much to him. He ran well on a yielding course last November and there was a little bit of give to it on Derby Day.”

Penn National traditionally saves its course for the Penn Mile program and only one race has been held over it this year. The grass should be thick and deep but likely will still be drying out after the Harrisburg, Pa., area received more than an inch of rain Tuesday and Wednesday. The possibility of another inch was forecast for Thursday.

The Penn Mile card also includes the $200,000 Penn Oaks and six $100,000 stakes, four of which are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships, and two that are restricted to Pennsylvania-breds.

To get in all of the turf stakes before nightfall, the Saturday races at Penn National will start at 2:45 p.m. The Penn Mile, the last stakes of the day, is scheduled to go off at 7:50 p.m.

The Penn Mile drew a field of nine. A Thread of Blue has natural speed, as does Real News, who is trained by Al Stall Jr., and Luminense, who will be stretching out from a main-track sprint for Steve Asmussen.

A Thread of Blue, a $430,000 2-year-old purchase by owner Leonard Green at the 2018 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March auction, should be in the mix from the start, although he may not be in front.

“He has tactical speed but doesn’t need to be on the lead, even though he will be forwardly placed,” McLaughlin said.

Luis Saez has the mount from post 2.

Real News will be racing two weeks after getting run down in deep stretch of the one-mile James W. Murphy at Pimlico and finishing second. The Murphy was Real News’s first start beyond 5 1/2 furlongs.

“We’re coming back on two weeks’ rest, but I think he’s the kind of horse that can handle something like that,” Stall said. “He’s a big, strong horse.

“I thought he ran real well going two turns for the first time. The race was devoid of speed and he was all alone out front just jogging with his ears stretched forward.”

Stall suggested he could change strategy Saturday if someone else wants the lead.

“It might be better for us to have a little target,” he said.

Ty Kennedy will be in from Arlington Park for the mount.

Forty Under had an excellent 2-year-old campaign for Jeremiah Englehart, winning a Saratoga maiden race, the Grade 3 Pilgrim, and finishing sixth of 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

In his 3-year-old debut, the April 20 Woodhaven at Aqueduct, he was second to front-running winner Clint Maroon, who was allowed to set a leisurely early pace. Clint Maroon has won three races in a row and is entered in the $200,000 Pennine Ridge at Belmont Park on Saturday.

“He got bogged down behind a slow pace,” Englehart said. “They slowed it down enough and just outkicked us the last eighth.”

Expect Forty Under and jockey Manny Franco to take up a stalking position. Franco has been aboard for all five of the Uncle Mo colt’s races.

“He has to make the transition from 2 to 3, but he’s doing well,” Englehart said.

The field also includes French import The Black Album, who hopped in the air at the start from post 12 in the American Turf and was beaten 2 1/2 lengths by A Thread of Blue while finishing seventh; Casa Creed, who finished second by three-quarters of a length to A Thread of Blue in the Palm Beach; and Moon Colony, who has two recorded two consecutive bullet works at Belmont Park and will be making his first start since January.