Ecclesiastic's first winner romps

Multiple Grade 3 hero ECCLESIASTIC (Pulpit) sent out his first winner as a

freshman sire Saturday when debutante Maples Way dominated the

1ST race at Penn National. Dispatched as the 3-2 favorite in the state-bred

maiden special weight, the Todd Beattie trainee argued the pace before splashing

4 3/4 lengths clear on the sloppy track. Maples Way covered 5 1/2 furlongs in

1:06 4/5 with Katie Lee in the irons.

Ecclesiastic, a half-brother to hot second-crop sire War Front (Danzig),

captured two runnings of the Jaipur (G3). In the 2005 edition, he blitzed seven

furlongs on turf in 1:20 3/5, and in the 2007 renewal over six grassy furlongs,

he sizzled in 1:07 3/5. Ecclesiastic also placed in four stakes, including the

Northern Dancer (G3) and Fort Marcy (G3), and retired with a 37-5-4-7 record and

earnings of $346,472.

Bred by Joseph Allen, Ecclesiastic was sold for $500,000 as a Keeneland

September yearling. When he was entered in the Jeanne Vance dispersal two years

later at Keeneland, Allen snapped him up for $775,000.

Ecclesiastic was produced by multiple stakes queen and Grade 1-placed Starry

Dreamer (Rubiano). Besides the aforementioned Grade 2-winning sire War Front,

Starry Dreamer is also responsible for multiple Grade 2 heroine Teammate (A.P.

Indy) and Grade 2-placed stakes scorer Riviera Cocktail (Giant's Causeway).

The 10-year-old stallion, whose fee was $3,500 in 2011, stands at Diamond B

near Mohrsville, Pennsylvania.