Pentathlon strikes gold in G3 Forty Niner
St. Elias Stable, Woodford Racing and breeder Phipps Stable’s Pentathlon overtook pacesetter and 9-5 favorite East Avenue in the stretch and surged to the line for a 1 1/2-length win in Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Forty Niner, a one-turn mile for 3-year-olds and up, at Belmont Park.
Pentathlon won for the fourth time in seven starts this year for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey and for the second straight race following a three-length score going 1 1/16 miles in an optional-claiming race last month at Belmont.
The 5-year-old son of Speightstown cut back slightly in distance but again found a comfort going one turn at Belmont, tracking in third position under jockey Paco Lopez as East Avenue led the eight-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 23.24 seconds and the half in 45.89 over the fast track.
Out of the turn, Pentathlon, who was three-wide, capitalized on open running room when straightened for home and overtook the pacesetter. Under Lopez’s right-handed encouragement, Pentathlon finished strong to the wire, completing the course in 1:33.86.
East Avenue, ridden by Flavien Prat for trainer Brendan Walsh, ran second, ahead of Crazy Mason. Bendoog clocked in fourth, with Gate to Wire, Ignite the Light and Warp Nine completing the order of finish. Nelson Avenue scratched.
Off as the 2-1 second choice, Pentathlon returned $6.28 on a $2 win bet. He increased his career bankroll to $571,782.
McGaughey said Pentathlon has improved following a freshening from an off-the-board effort in the Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash on June 27 at Laurel Park.
“I was pleased with that,” McGaughey said. “His last two races have been pretty bang-up. I can never understand his race at Laurel before, but he seems to like the fall of the year. He's trained well. Paco seems to fit him well and we are happy with this result.
“That's about where I thought we'd be,” he added regarding his horse’s trip. “I thought if the one [East Avenue] didn't go, we might end up in front, but he settled in behind and went on and finished.”
McGaughey said Pentathlon, whose four wins in his 2026 campaign have come between seven furlongs and 1 1/16 miles, could close out the year taking a shot in the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile on December 5 at Belmont.
“That's what I'll point him to,” McGaughey said. “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.' I'm glad we did."
Lopez, also aboard for Pentathlon’s win last month, said he was pleased with the effort this time as well.
“He was very comfortable. I let him break and sat third. He finished up very good,” Lopez said. “Last time, he was a little quiet. Today, he was a little more happy. He was confident. Shug told me today he was more happy than the last time.”
Godolphin’s Kentucky homebred East Avenue, finished in the money for the third time in six starts this year in a campaign topped by a win in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile in June at Monmouth Park.
“He’s not very quick the first quarter, but I went after him and once I got to the lead, I was very comfortable,” Prat said. “I thought he ran a good race. Once he gets to the front, he gets brave on the lead.”
Live racing resumes Thursday with an eight-race card at Belmont Park. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.
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