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FEATURE STALLION JUNE 16, 2005 Standing high in the Pulpit by Jordan Strickler As Melhor Ainda crossed the line in the Sands Point S. (G3) on June 5 at Belmont Park, not only did she keep a four-race win streak alive, but she also marked the third PULPIT (A.P. Indy) foal to win a graded stakes race in just a two week period. Just eight days prior, Oratory roared home to a 4 3/4-length victory in the Peter Pan S. (G2), the second-consecutive Pulpit foal to win that event (Purge won in 2004), and Ecclesiastic captured the Jaipur H. (G3) the next day with a strong late rally. Melhor Ainda, trained by Bobby Frankel and headed to July 3 American Oaks (G1), has dominated each field she has competed against, defeating her opponents by a combined 17 3/4 lengths. Her black-type successes also include the Miss Grillo S. and Appalachian S. Oratory earned his first stakes victory in the Peter Pan, his third win in five career starts, and the bay set a new stakes record for the 1 1/8-mile race, stopping the clock in 1:46 1/5, only four-fifths of a second off the track record set by Secretariat in 1973. The Peter Pan serves as a prep for the Belmont S. (G1), but trainer Thomas Albertrani opted to bypass the 1 1/2-mile race with Oratory, whose ultimate goal is the Travers S. (G1) at Saratoga on August 28. "The Belmont comes up quick, especially considering he ran such a big race in the Peter Pan," Albertrani said. "Hopefully, he keeps improving and there will be some nice races for him over the summer." Ecclesiastic acquired his first graded stakes win in the Jaipur, previously landing on the board in the Northern Dancer S. (G3) and Fort Marcy H. (G3). Pulpit has sired a number of other accomplished runners in addition to his latest stakes winners. Stroll won the Turf Classic S. (G1), Jamaica H. (G2), National Museum Racing Hall of Fame H. (G2) and Calder Derby (G3) while placing second in the Belmont Breeders' Cup H. (G2). Sky Mesa took the Hopeful S. (G1) in only his second start and went on to capture the Breeders' Futurity (G2) in his next outing while coming home second in the Haskell Invitational H. (G1) the next year. Essence of Dubai finished his career with two Grade 2 victories, the Super Derby and Norfolk S., as well as annexing the UAE Derby (UAE-G1) and UAE Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3). Other accomplishments on his resume included a second in the Pennsylvania Derby (G3) and a third-place outing in the Jim Dandy S. (G2). Tapit and Purge were top three-year-olds in 2004. The former captured the Wood Memorial S. (G1) and the latter won both the Jim Dandy S. (G2) and Peter Pan. In five crops, Pulpit has produced 116 winners from 178 starters, which have earned more than $13.9 million. To date, he has produced 14 stakes winners. Pulpit began his racing career in 1997 as a three-year-old. The bay broke his maiden in his first attempt, winning a special weight event by 7 1/2 lengths. He defeated allowance foes in his next start by 6 3/4 lengths before going on to a score in the Fountain of Youth (G2). In his next start, he finished second in the Florida Derby (G1) and followed that up with a trip to the winner's circle in the Blue Grass S. (G2). Pulpit's final start came in the Kentucky Derby, where he finished fourth. He retired with a 6-4-1-0 line and $728,200 in earnings. The 11-year-old currently stands at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky for a fee of $60,000, live foal.
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