Pentathlon steps up with Forty Niner win

Pentathlon beat maidens in his fifth start in 2024. He needed another six races to win for the second time, in an allowance race at Saratoga in June 2025.

Now a 5-year-old, Pentathlon is getting accustomed to winning. On Sunday at Belmont Park, Pentathlon won the most significant race of his career in the Grade 3 Forty Niner Stakes at a mile.

The $200,000 Forty Niner Stakes was Pentathlon’s richest win, and second consecutive victory. He has won 4 of 7 starts this year, his most successful season.

Ridden by Paco Lopez, Pentathlon ($6.28) stalked pacesetter, and 9-5 favorite, East Avenue to early stretch before taking the lead. Pentathlon extended his advantage nearing the finish to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:33.86.

East Avenue, eighth in the Kentucky Derby in May and a three-time stakes winner, finished second, a head in front of 3-1 Crazy Mason, who closed from last of seven.

Nelson Avenue, a stakes winner at Parx Racing in September 2025, was scratched.

Pentathlon has won 7 of 22 starts and earned $571,782. Trained by Shug McGaughey for Phillips Stable, St. Elias Stable and Woodford Racing, Pentathlon was the three-length winner of an allowance race at 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park on Oct. 4.

“His last two races have been pretty bang-up,” McGaughey told Belmont Park publicity after the Forty Niner Stakes.

By Speightstown, Pentathlon won the Army Mule Stakes at seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park in late March for his first stakes win.

McGaughey said on Sunday that Pentathlon was added to the Forty Niner Stakes field after two sharp half-mile workouts in late October.

Pentathlon will be pointed to the Grade 2 Cigar Mile at Belmont Park on Dec. 5.

“I was actually pointing him to that anyways and wasn't going to run him here, but he breezed so well a couple weeks ago that I thought, ‘Well, if he keeps going in this direction, we better give him a try,’” McGaughey said.

“I'm glad we did."

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