Madefromlucky Tops Competitive Peter Pan
A talented group of five 3-year-olds will test their readiness for the Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park when they gather for the 61st running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan, the traditional local prep for the "Test of the Champion."
Won last year by eventual Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist, the 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan is one of four graded stakes on Saturday's card, which also includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Ruffian for fillies and mares, the Grade 3, $150,000 Beaugay for turf fillies and mares and the Grade 1, $400,000 Man o' War at 1 3/8 miles on the turf.
Heading the Peter Pan field is a pair of talented but unproven colts from Todd Pletcher's barn: Madefromlucky, who was second and fourth to Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah in the Grade 2 Rebel and the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, respectively, and Two Weeks Off, a 6 ½-length allowance winner last time out at Keeneland Race Course.
"Madefromlucky ran well to be second to American Pharoah in the Rebel, so his form looks even better now," said Pletcher of the son of 2010 Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky, who is owned by Mac Nichol and Cheyenne Stables. "We feel like he'll like Belmont Park's big, sweeping turns. We know he can handle 1 1/8 miles and we will see if he belongs in the Belmont."
Madefromlucky, the 3-1 third choice on the morning line, will be ridden by Javier Castellano from post position 2.
Two Weeks Off will be making his second start of 2015 in the Peter Pan, having garnered a 104 Beyer Speed Figure in his comeback race, winning a seven-furlong allowance at Keeneland Race Course by 6 ½ lengths. As a 2-year-old, Two Weeks off finished second in his debut and then broke his maiden at seven furlongs at Saratoga Race Course.
"The horse was training exceptionally well [for his comeback]," said Pletcher. "We were anticipating he'd run well, but that was even better than we were hoping for.
"I don't anticipate the stretch out will be a problem," he added. "He's always trained like he'd stretch out, and being a son of Harlan's Holiday, it would make sense. It's a big step up in class and a quarter-mile further, but we like what we see so far. We hope his [race] would be good enough to consider something like the Belmont."
Two Weeks Off, owned by Starlight Stable, was tabbed the 9-5 favorite on the morning line. He will be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, with the pair leaving from post position 4.
Derby winning trainer Bob Baffert will be represented in the Peter Pan by Wolf Man Rocket, who broke his maiden as an impressive winner of the Northern Spur on April 11 at Oaklawn Park last time out. The Mineshaft colt, who did not race at two, previously finished second in a pair of maiden races at Santa Anita Park.
Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride Wolf Man Rocket, 2-1 on the morning line, from the rail.
Supplemented to the race is the Mark Casse-trained Conquest Curlinate, who missed scoring his first stakes win by a nose when he finished second in the Grade 3 IIlinois Derby. The Summer Bird gelding, fifth in his debut on Woodbine's synthetic track, broke his maiden next time out at Oaklawn and next finished third in an allowance race.
Conquest Curlinate will leave from post position 3 with Sean Bridgmohan aboard. He is listed at 5-1 on the morning line.
Rounding out the field is Tiz Shea D, who was second in the Grade 3 Gotham and fifth in the Grade 1 Twinspires.com Wood Memorial. Hall of Famer Bill Mott's trainee will be ridden by Jose Lezcano and will break form post position 5 at 12-1 on the morning line.
Source: NYRA Communications