Pretension prevails in Canonero II S. battle

Pretension came out on top in a three-way photo to collar the $75,000 Canonero II S. May 5 at Pimlico, the second stakes win for the 3-year-old Bluegrass Cat colt (VIDEO).

Ridden by Javier Santiago for trainer Chris Grove, Pretension broke alertly in the 1-1/16th  mile test but relinquished the lead to 1-5 favorite My Adonis as the field entered the first turn. Santiago kept after the favorite, pressing him closely to the top of the lane, where his mount edged to a narrow lead. In the final furlong, Pretension forged past My Adonis, while Brimstone Island rallied past the favorite to take second by a neck, with My Adonis winding up another neck back in third.

“If the travel time was going to bother (My Adonis) were going to take advantage of it,” Grove said. “The plan was not to give him a breather and either go with him, which could be suicide, or take back but take back didn’t seem to be the right avenue.”

Grove was referring to My Adonis’ quick trip to Churchill Downs and back in the past two days. He was entered in the Kentucky Derby (G1), but didn’t draw in from the also-eligible list.

Pretension’s resume includes a win in the Sweet Envoy S. and a second in another stakes at Aqueduct. With the victory, he is now three-of-eight with six top-2 finishes with earnings of $128,620 for Kidwells Petite Stable.

Plans for Pretension are still undecided. “We are going to be conservative and see how Mr. (Irving) Kidwell sleeps on it, but if he gets excited we could be Preakness (on May 19) bound,” said Grove. “I don’t have a problem taking that route. If we were ever going to come back in two weeks, this would be it. He won over the track and looked good doing it.”

Kidwell bought Pretension at the OBS select 2-year-old sale in April, 2011, with a winning bid of $75,000.