The Triple Crown Race consumes most of the oxygen surrounding the 3-year-old racehorse each spring, but the Peter Pan Stakes, between the Woodford Reserve and the Kentucky Derby presented by Preakness Stakes, also guarantees its mention as a key stakes race in the division.
Peter Pan served as a successful Belmont Stakes from Tonariist in 2014 and Stepping Stone in Arcanguero in 2023. In 2020, the 1/8 mile race was the first career stakes victory for Country Grammer, the 2022 Dubai World Cup winner. This year’s edition depicted 10 participants, including several contestants coming out of the prep race on the Triple Crown Trail and several promising prospects whose stakes debuted at the Big A meeting in Belmont on Saturday.
1. Vassimo (odds for the morning route of 5-1): After two impressive races to begin his career, he tried out the Kentucky Derby Trail, but was placed at the fairgrounds at the Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes and Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. Peter Pan didn’t gain much speed, so he should be in a better position early on, and could be his best threat.
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. ; trainer: Todd Plecher
2. Fantasy about happiness (20-1): He won once in eight starts, once in Parx Racing in March and not in April for only two tries in one stakes race at Laurel Park. He faces better competition here, and speed numbers indicate that this is a tall mountain to climb.
Jockey: Paco Lopez; trainer: Louis Linder Jr.
3. Surfside Moon (8-1): On February 1st, Peter Pan’s Captain Cook ran second in the Withers Stakes, he ran well in this track and distance, but appeared to have regressed when he was beaten 3¼ lengths in the Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park on April 19th. I’ll probably contact this group three times about his ceiling.
Jockey: Junior Alvarado; trainer: James Lawrence II
4. Hill Road (5-2): Going deeper, he turned several heads as he rallied into third place with odds of 61.10-1 in the 2024 Funderer Breeders Cup boy presented by the TAA. Hillroad again came third in the Lamboholm Southernpa Bay Derby with a 3-year-old bow and is eligible to improve in his second race, but the speed to set up the closing kick has not been entered much.
Jockey: Flavienplat; trainer: Chad Brown
5. McAfee (8-1): He finished fifth in both the Gotham Stakes and Wood Memorial Stakes. The Wood Memorial Stakes, presented by Resorts World Casino, showed off his talent after winning in his second start at the age of two. The speed figures show that this half-sibling (same dam (mother), different stallions (father)) should compete against horses of the year of horses, but he was beaten to eighth or more lengths in his previous stake. Adding a flasher here will sharpen his focus.
Jockey: John Velazquez; trainer: Rick Duttlow Jr.
6. Caged (8-1): He took a great step with his most generous start on this main track, overcoming adversity on his way to a victory of 1¾ length. He needs to improve further here to win his stakes debut, but there’s room for him to do it in the third start of the year and the fourth race of his career. interesting …
Jockey: Kendrick Calmouche; trainer: Todd Plecher
7. First pitch (50-1): He posted a 4½-length upset front-running odds at 50.25-1 odds on his third try on this track and distance after being beaten over 30 times against New York Breed in the first two races of his career. Lightning Can Lightning attack twice? He is not facing a state-run non-winner in Peter Pan.
Jockey: Jose Rezcano; trainer: Jose Zimenez
8. Captain Cook (2-1): As a Wood Memorial favourite, he entered Peter Pan from a disappointing fourth finish, where he recently weakened. But if he could replicate the race, he could have run twice when he got the Wizards on this track and got a 2¼ length in distance, so everyone else could be running in second place.
Jockey: Manny Franco; trainer: Rick Duttlow Jr.
9. Breton Baytown (50-1): He didn’t look fast enough on paper, and could not be a factor, and was beaten 18¼ length in the Arkansas Derby and 11¾ length in Rebel interests. It cannot be supported.
Jockey: Marshall Mendes; trainer: Paul Mante
10. Lord (12-1): On March 22, she made her debut in a 1-mile and 40-yard maiden race at Tampa Bay Downs. The day overcame a poor start and showed tenacity in professional performance. I’m really excited to bet he’ll win with the potential of the morning line. It rarely rides a gun runner colt from Chad Brown’s barn.
Jockey: Dylan Davis? trainer: Chad Brown
pick: Lord
Live long shot: Lord
superfecta: 10-8-4-5
