Forty Under charged to the lead and strode clear to an authoritative victory in the GIII Pilgrim S. at Belmont Park Saturday. The gray colt rated just off the pace while racing along the rail as longshot Ole Mole (Hard Spun) was on the lead through fractions of :23.97 and :48.84. Waiting for racing room behind a wall of horses at the top of the lane, Forty Under tipped out to the center of the course just as Somelikeithotbrown was grabbing the lead and darting clear. Forty Under powered past Somelikeithotbrown in the dying strides to win going away.
“I expected to be closer to the pace, but the horse broke a step slow, so I used plan B, stay inside, save some ground and wait for the moment,” said winning jockey Manny Franco.
Trainer Jeremiah Englehart added, “I thought Manny did a great job taking him a little bit off the hot pace and the horse closed and did well.”
Forty Under, a lackluster ninth while sprinting over the main track in his July 28 debut at Saratoga, moved to the lawn and stretched out to graduate by 1 1/2 lengths going 1 1/16 miles at the Spa on the GI Travers S. undercard Aug. 25.
“After his maiden race, he took the right steps forward,” Englehart said. “He was early developing. I was very disappointed after his first start, but I thought he may be a little bit more turfy after a couple of people mentioned it to me, so when we put him on the turf, it was a night-and-day difference.”
Pedigree Notes:
Forty Under, who became the 21st graded stakes winner for Uncle Mo, is owned by the August Dawn Farm of NFL Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells.
“I can't wait to get on the phone after this race and tell him,” Englehart said of Parcells. “This is what he's in here for, to try and win these types of races. He puts a lot into it. He's out there every day. I'm very excited for him.”
Cedar Hill purchased the winner's dam, stakes-winning Argent Affair, in foal to The Factor, for $80,000 at the 2015 Keeneland January sale. Kinsman Farm acquired the mare's Verrazano colt for $170,000 at this year's Keeneland September sale. The youngster was a $55,000 KEENOV weanling. Barren this year, the mare was bred back to Verrazano.
Saturday, Belmont Park
PILGRIM S.-GIII, $200,000, Belmont, 9-29, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:44.37, yl.
1–FORTY UNDER, 118, c, 2, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Argent Affair (SW, $154,895), by Black Tie Affair (Ire)
2nd Dam: Caty's Quest, by Norquestor
3rd Dam: Cataque, by Clever Trick
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($180,000
Ylg '17 FTSAUG). O-August Dawn Farm; B-Cedar Hill LLC (KY);
T-Jeremiah C. Englehart; J-Manuel Franco. $110,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-2-0-0, $157,386. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”lynwood-stable-graduate”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Somelikeithotbrown, 118, c, 2, Big Brown–Marilyn Monroan,
by Tapit. O-Skychai Racing LLC & David Koenig; B-Hot Pink
Stables & Sand Dollar Stables (NY); T-Michael J. Maker.
$40,000.[bullet ad=”woodford-trained”][bullet ad=”crestwood-raised”]3–Social Paranoia, 116, c, 2, Street Boss–Shutterbug, by Deputy
Minister. ($75,000 Ylg '17 FTKJUL). O-The Elkstone Group LLC;
B-Mineola Farm II, LLC & Silent Grove Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd Pletcher; $24,000.[bullet ad=”brookdale-raisedandsold”][bullet ad=”customcareequine-graduate”]Margins: 3/4, 2, 3HF. Odds: 4.40, 4.70, 5.40.
Also Ran: Opry, Spirit Animal, Dashing Dan, Vineyard Sound, Rhythm With Soul, Ole Mole, Pipes. Scratched: Casa Creed.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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