Motion 'Pleased' With Ring Weekend Going Into Pegasus

As the $1,000,000 William Hill Haskell Invitational draws near, preparations for the summer’s centerpiece begin with the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes to be contested for the 33rd time this Sunday. Along with the Long Branch Stakes, the Pegasus is the first of two local prep races before Monmouth’s biggest event. Among the runners in this year’s Pegasus is Ring Weekend, winner of the Grade 2 Tampa Derby, who comes to Monmouth after placing fifth in the Preakness Stakes on May 17.

“I’ve been pleased with how he’s done since his last race” said H. Graham Motion, who trains Ring Weekend for St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds. “He had a good work last Friday. We’ve had this spot in mind. The timing is good and it’s not too far to travel.”

A 3-year-old gelding by top stallion Tapit, out of Free the Magic, Ring Weekend breezed six furlongs last Friday, June 6, in 1:14 1/5 at Fair Hill. He will ship into Monmouth on Sunday morning.

Ring Weekend and a field of six other 3-year-olds will travel a mile and a sixteenth along the main track in the Pegasus, in search of the winner’s share of the $150,000 purse. At 3-1 on the morning line, Ring Weekend is the third choice to favorite and Kentucky Derby competitor Uncle Sigh at 2-1, and Albano at 5-2. Although the competition is tough, Motion is not coming into the race with a strategy set in stone.

“It looks like there is plenty of pace in the race,” Motion said. “I think my horse is pretty adaptable so I’m not overly concerned about it. He ended up getting shuffled back probably a little further than we would have liked in the Preakness, but if he had a better trip I think he could have finished a little closer. I don’t think being off the pace affected him too much. He’s a horse that you can kind of put where you like.”

Although Motion has high hopes for his horse, he confessed that he does not have a set plan regarding Ring Weekend’s next challenge.

“I’ll take one step at a time and see how things go tomorrow,” said Motion. “We’re not thinking about the Haskell yet, but maybe we will be after tomorrow.”

Jockey Daniel Centeno gets the call aboard Ring Weekend in the Pegasus, which will go as race 11 on the 12-race card.