Pinnacle Peak, Full Salute meet in Sapling
Favoritism in the $100,000 Sapling Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sunday should come down to Prairie Meadows Juvenile Mile winner Pinnacle Peak and the locally based Full Salute. The card’s supporting stakes, the $75,000 Sorority, is more clear cut, with the Todd Pletcher-trained Saratoga debut maiden winner Island Saint certain to be a short price.
The Sapling and Sorority are the top 2-year-old races of the meet at Monmouth. The Sapling is a mile, and the Sorority will be run at six furlongs.
Trainer Mike Stidham has shipped Pinnacle Peak in from Arlington Park. Pinnacle Peak isn’t overly quick but has finished well in both of his races. Pinnacle Peak was hustled to the lead in the Prairie Meadows Juvenile Mile and then left the field in his wake down the stretch, pulling away to win by 10 lengths. Many of his rivals that day seemed tapped by the time they reached the stretch.
In his six-furlong debut, Pinnacle Peak raced in midpack early and then rallied belatedly to be second-best.
“He’s a big, good-looking 2-year-old, strong with a big stride,” Stidham said. “The distance is right for him. This will be a step up against tougher.”
Full Salute will be making his first start beyond 5 1/2 furlongs. He was second to eventual Sanford Stakes third-place finisher Percolator in his debut, won his second start on the lead by 2 1/2 lengths, and then was second last out in the Tyro Stakes at five furlongs on turf.
Full Salute’s trainer, Eddie Plesa Jr., won last year’s Sapling by stretching out Souper Colossal in distance off a win in an off-the-turf running of the Tyro.
Full Salute was sent after the leaders four wide on the turn in the Tyro and continued doggedly in the stretch to be second behind the rail-skimming Expected Ruler, who is being pointed to the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill Downs next Saturday by trainer Liam Benson.
It is difficult to say how Full Salute will handle the extra distance Sunday.
The mile should suit longshot Grecian Prince, who has been begging for more distance. Trained in Maryland by Robert Leaf Jr., Grecian Prince was third last out in the 5 1/2-furlong Strike Your Colors Stakes at Delaware Park after steadying near the turn and making a wide move.
Island Saint looks formidable
Island Saint won an off-the-turf maiden race at Saratoga on July 30. The runner-up came back to be second behind promising debut winner Width at Saratoga on Aug. 23. Two other runners from Island Saint’s maiden score came back to win.
Island Saint’s 77 Beyer Speed Figure is 13 points higher than the second-best in this field.
Tight Weave, based at Penn National with Todd Beattie, comes out of a second-place finish on turf in the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth. That race was won by Ruby Notion, who in her prior start finished fifth of 27 runners in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot for trainer Wesley Ward.
Miss Prudence, trained by Lupe Preciado, and Hi Holiday, who races for Joe Orseno, both come out of sharp debut maiden wins.