Pinpoint wires Sir Barton
Arthur B. Hancock III’s homebred PINPOINT (Peaks and Valleys) broke quickly
out of the gate and fought off all challengers en route to a
three-quarters of a length tally in the $100,000
Sir Barton S. at Pimlico on
Saturday. Trained by Nick Zito and ridden by Rafael Bejarano, the sophomore colt
got easy splits of :24 3/5, :49, 1:13 and 1:38 prior to finishing the fast 1 1/16
miles in 1:44 2/5 in taking his stakes debut. The colt gave back $10.80, $5 and
$4, while topping the $44 exacta, $235.80 trifecta and $355.40 superfecta ($1)
at odds of 4-1.
Smokescreen (Smoke Glacken) made a bold move turning for home but could never
get by the winner, finishing five lengths clear of the show. The runner-up was
good for $3.80 and $3 at 5-2. Killenaule (Fusaichi Pegasus) gained the show spot
at 6-1 worth $4.60, and Reel Legend (Catrail) completed the superfecta as the
2-1 choice. Monster Chaser (Meadow Monster) was next and trailed by Russian Bay
(Meadowlake), Sunshine Stalker (Storm Creek) and B Trick (Phone Trick), while
Timely Bid (Mr. Greeley) was withdrawn.
Pinpoint earned his third consecutive win following an unplaced debut, and
moved his mark to 4-3-0-0 with a bankroll of $113,291. The three-year-old was
produced from the winning Identify (Halo).
Earlier on the card, James Scatourchio’s ENGLISH CHANNEL (Smart Strike) lived
up to his 1-2 odds on the toteboard when cruising home a four-length winner of
the $100,000
Woodlawn S. The Todd Pletcher trainee was content to sit towards
the rear early and bide his time, rating off splits of :24 1/5, :49 3/5 and 1:14
3/5 for the initial six furlongs. As the field approached the turn for home in
the 1 1/16-mile good turf race, jockey John Velazquez was stuck behind horses but
eventually found room and spurted away from the field with relative ease,
stopping the timer in 1:45 2/5. The three-year-old colt gave back $3, $2.40 and
$2.20.
United (Dixie Union) reached the lead in the stretch but had no answer for
the winner, doing well to garner the place at 11-1. The colt returned $5.40 and
$4 while completing the $23 exacta. Holy Ground (Saint Ballado) moved six wide
but was no threat to the top pair, settling for the show at 8-1. Third money was
good for $3.40, while the trifecta gave back $91.40. Early pacesetter T. D.
Vance (Rahy) sat on the bottom of the $129.30 ($1) superfecta at 7-1. Denbigh
(Thunder Gulch) was next and trailed by Timely Bid (Mr. Greeley), Sueno Del Mar
(Behrens) and Mighty Mecke (Mecke), with Wallstreet Scandal (Mt. Livermore) and
Seize (Runaway Groom) being withdrawn.
English Channel moved his mark to 4-3-0-0 with earnings of $122,691 in taking
his stakes debut. The winner was bred in the Bluegrass State by Keene Ridge Farm
and was produced from the unraced Belva (Theatrical [Ire]). Pinpoint has an
unnamed yearling full-brother.