Peter Pan to Belmont for Incognito?

The Kentucky Derby madness is over. Now it’s on to Triple Crown mania, and with Orb winning in Louisville impressively, the dial has been turned up all the way to eleven. But Preakness 2013 is still a week away, so this weekend, a light one on the big race front, all eyes will point to Belmont Park for today’s Grade 2 Peter Pan. A race that traditionally feeds into the final leg of the Triple Crown, this year’s edition has attracted a well-matched field of eleven, and among them is one horse I believe has the potential to make some noise in the Belmont. Clearly, Incognito made some noise in his last start.

“I think it may have been, quite remarkably, Incognito!”

As the excited words of Tom Durkin rang through the grandstand, a new star may have been born. The second foal of the top notch racemare, Octave, and by A.P. Indy, Incognito is one of the best bred horses on the planet. After running 5th in his career debut last December, the Darley Stable runner has been getting better with each and every start. After a bang-up second to the stakes winner, Mr. Palmer, Incognito broke his maiden nicely at Aqueduct on March 16, before impressing Durkin and everyone else with this April 13 pip.

Possibly, but first things first, and as mentioned before, this is a well-matched field of 11, so Incognito has his work cut out for him today. Breaking from post position 10, with Mike Luzzi in the saddle, the regally bred colt is listed as the 5-1 third choice on the morning line, but anyone who expects to get those odds today may be in store for disappointment. Abraham, 3rd in the Sunland Derby and 4th in the Illinois Derby in his last two, and Declan’s Warrior, winner of the 7 furlong Bay Shore Stakes last time, are listed as the two favorites, but I look for bettors to make Incognito the favorite by the time the Peter Pan gates open.

Favored or not, Incognito also has to tangle with a number of interesting colts in today’s nine furlong test. One such horse is West Point Thoroughbreds’ Freedom Child. You remember him, he’s the colt who was declared a non-starter in the Wood Memorial after being held by the starter after the gates opened. Breaking from the rail today, Freedom Child should be able to flash some speed, presuming all goes well at the start, and may prove one to watch this afternoon. Besides him, there are a plethora of intriguing colts in here, and it would be no stretch to say everyone in the field is in with more than a punter’s chance, but I like Incognito best.