Pletcher gets stakes double in Pennine Ridge, Jersey Girl

ELMONT, N.Y. – Turning into the stretch of Belmont’s inner turf course, the five horses in the $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes were stacked alongside each other, with Gala Award in the middle about to brush with Flamboyant, the horse to his outside.

When that contact came, jockey John Velazquez felt his chances to win the race aboard Gala Award were about to vanish.

Velazquez said, “He’s so big, he’s not going to get up and try to fight again. But I went and hit him, and he put up a good fight.”

Even with Flamboyant leaning on him for a good part of the stretch drive, Gala Award put up a gallant fight and outfinished Flamboyant to win the Pennine Ridge by a head. Can’thelpbelieving finished third, followed by Smooth Daddy and Mr Speaker, the 4-5 favorite.

Gala Award, a $1.5 million yearling purchase at the 2012 Keeneland September auction, won for the third time in five tries for the Coolmore connections of Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier, and Derrick Smith. He and Flamboyant earned automatic invitations to the $1.25 million Belmont Derby Invitational on July 5.

Gala Award, a son of Bernardini trained by Todd Pletcher, was sitting in a perfect stalking position behind Mr Speaker and Smooth Daddy, who sparred through a half-mile in 50.06 seconds.

Gala Award made a three-wide move entering the far turn and was soon joined by Flamboyant and Can’thelpbelieving. In the stretch, Flamboyant came over on Gala Award, brushing with him and causing him to take a few awkward steps.

“I was a little concerned,” Pletcher said. “He got swarmed, got bounced around, and lost the position he had, which was really good up to that point.”

When Flamboyant brushed with Gala Award, Pletcher said, “You could see he put his ears back and said, ‘Let’s go.’ ”

Gala Award covered the 1 1/8 miles over firm ground in 1:49.73 and returned $7.40.

Pletcher said he definitely will point Gala Award to the Belmont Derby, run at 1 1/4 miles on turf.

“I think the distance will benefit him,” Pletcher said. “The mile and an eighth suited him well today. The way he finished and came back on, you would think a mile and quarter would be fine.”

Red Velvet shines in Jersey Girl

Two races earlier, Pletcher won the $100,000 Jersey Girl Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, as Red Velvet used her speed to record a front-running, 5 3-4-length victory over Size. Pletcher also ran third and fifth in the race with Elena Strikes and Our Amazing Rose, the 4-5 favorite.

Red Velvet was coming off a 9 3/4-length victory in a first-level allowance race restricted to Pennsylvania-breds at Penn National on May 2.

“When you win at Penn National against Pennsylvania-breds, you’re happy, and I know she ran fast and did it convincingly, but you still worry about that class jump to here,” said Pletcher, who trains Red Velvet for Three Diamonds Farm. “She’s fast anywhere.”

Red Velvet, a daughter of City Zip, covered six furlongs in 1:09.21 and returned $7.90 to win.

Pletcher said Red Velvet could be a candidate for the Victory Ride here June 29.