What is the Pennine Ridge Stakes?
The Pennine Ridge Stakes is a Grade III Thoroughbred race held annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, as part of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Contested at 1⅛ miles on the turf for 3-year-olds, it is the premier early-summer turf test for sophomore horses in the Northeast and a key prep race for the Grade I Belmont Derby Invitational in July, with the top three finishers earning an automatic invitation to that event. The race was inaugurated in 2014 at Belmont Park and is named in honor of Pennine Ridge, the graded stakes winner who captured the Jamaica Handicap, Hill Prince Stakes, and Choice Handicap in 1994. Received Grade III status in 2016, the Pennine Ridge has produced a distinguished roll of honor including multiple Grade I winners Catholic Boy, Oscar Performance, and Divisidero, making it one of the most reliable sophomore turf preps in American racing. Trainer Todd Pletcher holds the record for most wins with four, including A.P. Kid in 2025, Emmanuel in 2022, Sainthood in 2021, and Gala Award in 2014.
When is the Pennine Ridge Stakes in 2026?
The 2026 Pennine Ridge Stakes is scheduled for Thursday, June 4 at Saratoga Race Course as part of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Contested at 1⅛ miles on the turf with a purse of $300,000, the race draws the top 3-year-old turf horses in the country targeting a fees-paid berth to the Grade I Belmont Derby Invitational in July.
Pennine Ridge Stakes History & Notable Winners
The Pennine Ridge has a remarkable record of producing Grade I winners, with Catholic Boy, Oscar Performance, and Divisidero all going on to earn championship consideration after winning here. Godolphin's Legend of Time (GB) gave trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey Joel Rosario a 2024 score in 1:47.73 at Aqueduct for what was then Grade II status. Kalik gave trainer Chad Brown his third Pennine Ridge win in 2023 under Irad Ortiz Jr. in 1:47.85. Emmanuel gave Todd Pletcher and Ortiz a 2022 victory in 1:51.11 over a soft course. Sainthood gave Pletcher his third Pennine Ridge title in 2021 under Joel Rosario in 1:50.57, though that edition was run off turf on the main track due to weather. A.P. Kid gave Pletcher a record fourth win in 2025 under John Velazquez, dominating by 6¼ lengths in 1:36.83 on the main track after the race was again moved off turf.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | A. P. Kid | John Velazquez | 1:36.83* |
| 2024 | Legend of Time (GB) | Joel Rosario | 1:47.73 |
| 2023 | Kalik | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 1:47.85 |
| 2022 | Emmanuel | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 1:51.11 |
| 2021 | Sainthood | Joel Rosario | 1:50.57** |
* Run on dirt at 1 mile. ** Run off turf due to weather.
The Pennine Ridge Stakes is the premier sophomore turf prep of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and the most direct path to the Grade I Belmont Derby Invitational each July.
