By Joe Bianca
Five of the eight horses in Saturday's GIII Pennine Ridge S. at Belmont are either stakes winners or stakes placed, but it's possible that two of the other three will be the public's top two choices, as a pair of British-born, Chad Brown-trained 'TDN Rising Stars' try to take center stage.
Drawing the rail, a key slot in the nine-furlong test that starts just before the first turn, is Klaravich Stables' Value Proposition (GB) (Dansili {GB}). The 400,000gns Tattersalls October buy and half-brother to French MG1SW Speedy Boarding (GB) (Shamardal) was pounded down to 3-4 on debut Apr. 27 at Belmont and did not disappoint. Making a big, sweeping move to the lead on the far turn, the gray stonewalled a challenge in mid-stretch and re-broke to score by 4 1/4 lengths before galloping out far in front with ears pricked, easily good enough for 'Rising Star' honors. He shows three local breezes in the interim, capped by a five-furlong turf move around dogs in 1:01 1/5 (2/6) May 25.
Two gates to his right will be Peter Brant's Demarchelier (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). The most expensive of Brown's blockbuster maiden Tatts haul at 425,000gns–$592,486 U.S.–he finished like a good thing on debut Nov. 21 at Aqueduct to earn a head victory and his 'Rising Star' badge. The bay followed that up with a resolute allowance score Apr. 12 at Keeneland and worked heads up with Value Proposition in that aforementioned May 25 breeze (video).
A trio of more established rivals figures to make the Brown pair earn it at the very least, however. The Elkstone Group's Social Paranoia (Street Boss), third in the GIII Pilgrim S. as a juvenile, received a field-best 95 Beyer when breaking his maiden by eight lengths off a six-month layoff Mar. 30 at Gulfstream. The dark bay then checked in third, beaten less than a length in the GII American Turf S. May 4 at Churchill.
One spot behind him was Juddmonte Farm's Seismic Wave (Tapit). Second to Demarchelier in that Nov. 21 heat, the homebred broke his maiden Feb. 16 at Gulfstream and flew through a narrow rail opening late to capture the Cutler Bay S. there Mar. 30. Not normally a quick worker in the mornings, he turned it up with a half-mile bullet in :48 1/5 (1/26) on the Oklahoma at Saratoga May 17.
St. Elias Stable's improving Clint Maroon (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) goes for his fourth straight victory. Earning cap and gown Feb. 6 in Hallandale, he repeated in an optional claimer there Mar. 10 and stepped into stakes company with aplomb when conquering the Woodhaven S. by four lengths Apr. 20 at Aqueduct. The gray gelding took advantage of a lack of resistance on the front end that day, and appears on paper to have a similar pace advantage here.
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