Peter Pan Stakes 2023: Odds, free PPs, preview, more

One week ago, Mage won the first leg of the Triple Crown. Next week, he will be among the favorites in the second leg. While racing fans await that, Saturday’s schedule features a prep race for the Triple Crown’s third leg.

Bishops Bay is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes. Post time from Belmont Park is 3:40 p.m. EDT, with FS2 showing the 1 1/8-mile stakes for 3-year-old runners.

The Peter Pan is the traditional local prep for the Belmont Stakes. The Grade 1, $1.5 million event that goes 1 1/2 miles will run June 10 for the 155th time.

Saturday’s race comes on the week between the Kentucky Derby last Saturday at Churchill Downs and the Preakness Stakes next Saturday at Pimlico. It therefore has the potential to produce new shooters for the Belmont who can face familiar names from the Derby and Preakness.

Tonalist (2014), AP Indy (1992) and Danzig Connection (1986) all swept the Peter Pan and Belmont without racing either at Churchill or Pimlico. Four years ago, Sir Winston settled for second in the Peter Pan before scoring in the 2019 Belmont.

Bishops Bay is off to a 2-for-2 start in his career for Brad Cox, trainer of 2021 Belmont hero Essential Quality. Spendthrift Farm leads a large group of owners that campaign the Uncle Mo colt, who will have jockey Florent Geroux up Saturday.

After winning his Fair Grounds debut in February, Bishops Bay won a March 19 allowance race there in his second career start. Rather than make a last-ditch effort to earn Kentucky Derby qualifying points, Cox chose to await the Peter Pan Stakes.

Cox also trains Slip Mahoney (4-1), whose Kentucky Derby hopes ended with a sixth-place finish April 8 at Aqueduct in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2). Prior to that, he was runner-up over that course in the Gotham Stakes (G3).

Todd Pletcher saddles Peter Pan starters Classic Catch (9-2) and Go Soldier Go (8-1). The former was fifth in the Wood Memorial last out and the latter crossed fifth March 25 at Meydan Racecourse in the UAE Derby (G2).

Pletcher has been in the spotlight this week after the New York State Gaming Commission on Thursday suspended him 10 days and disqualified juvenile champion Forte from a Hopeful Stakes (G1) win last summer because of a positive drug test. Forte’s connections plan to appeal the ruling, BloodHorse reported.

Jockey Javier Castellano, who won the Kentucky Derby aboard Mage, has a Peter Pan mount in Arcangelo (10-1). The Jena Antonucci trainee broke his maiden on third asking March 18 at Gulfstream Park.

Here is a look at the field for the 2023 Peter Pan Stakes (trainers and jockeys in parentheses) with morning-line odds:

1. Arcangelo (Jena Antonucci, Javier Castellano), 10-1

2. Slip Mahoney (Brad Cox, Joel Rosario), 4-1

3. Game Change (Shug McGaughey, Jose Ortiz), 20-1

4. Summer Cause (Christophe Clement, Manny Franco), 10-1

5. Classic Catch (Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz Jr.), 9-2

6. Go Soldier Go (Todd Pletcher, Flavien Prat), 8-1

7. Asmodeus (William Morey, Trevor McCarthy), 15-1

8. Henry Q (Doug O’Neill, Frankie Dettori), 8-1

9. Bishops Bay (Brad Cox, Florent Geroux), 8-5

TimeformUS pace projections show long shot Asmodeus going out to the lead under jockey Trevor McCarthy. Favorite Bishops Bay is projected to sit third in the early going.

Visit Horse Racing Nation’s free past performances page for more information on the Peter Pan Stakes and other action Saturday at Belmont Park.

Other Saturday stakes

Here is a look at other graded stakes scheduled Saturday across North America. All post times are EDT.

3:07 p.m. – $600,000 Man o’ War Stakes (G1), 4-and-up, 1 3/8 miles (turf), Belmont Park, FS2

Warren Point (9-5) makes his stateside debut Saturday for trainer Charlie Appleby after finishing second Feb. 18 in a Group 1 event at Doha. Jockey Frankie Dettori, who won the Two Thousand Guineas (G1) last Saturday at Newmarket, is in New York on Saturday to ride the 4-year-old Dubawi gelding. Mike Maker trains Red Knight (7-2), a Grade 2 victor who was second April 22 at Keeneland in the Elkhorn Stakes (G2). Soldier Rising (5-1) makes his first start since a ninth-place finish Nov. 26 at Aqueduct in the Red Smith Stakes (G2).

Appleby seeks another U.S. win with Warren Point in Man o’ War

5:18 p.m. – $175,000 Runhappy Stakes (G3), 4-and-up, six furlongs, Belmont Park

Beren (5-2) aims to make the grade for trainer Butch Reid off a third-place effort April 24 at Parx in the Page McKenney Handicap. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will pilot the stakes-winning 5-year-old son of Weigelia. David Duggan trains Drafted (3-1), a Group 3 winner abroad who was sixth March 4 in Aqueduct’s Tom Fool Handicap (G3) for trainer David Duggan. Grade 3 victor Candy Man Rocket (7-2) looks for a bounce-back performance after finishing 10th on April 15 at Oaklawn in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3).

5:48 p.m. – $150,000 (about $111,000 U.S.) Whimsical Stakes (G3), 4-and-up fillies and mares, six furlongs (all-weather track), Woodbine, FanDuel TV

Our Flash Drive (1-1) finished last season by winning the local Bessarabian Stakes (G2) on Nov. 12 for trainer Mark Casse. Jockey Patrick Husbands will climb aboard the 5-year-old Ghostzapper mare. Tim Girten trains Baby No Worries (4-1), who goes back north of the U.S.-Canada border after a second-place finish March 17 at Turfway Park in the WEBN Frog Stakes. Miss Speedy (5-1), another Casse entry, was 10th when sprinting over the Gulfstream Park dirt Jan. 28 in the Inside Information Stakes (G2).

Super Screener preview: Beat the Whimsical favorite

8:11 p.m. – $100,000 San Luis Rey Stakes (G3), 4-and-up, 1 1/2 miles (downhill turf), Santa Anita, FanDuel TV

Offlee Naughty (8-5) earned his breakthrough graded win April 8 at Santa Anita, taking the Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2) as the longest shot on the board at 11-1. The Michael McCarthy trainee, a 5-year-old son of Flashback, aims for back-to-back graded triumphs Saturday under jockey Umberto Rispoli. Leonard Powell trains Dicey Mo Chara (5-2), a Grade 2 winner who stretches back out after a fourth-place effort April 29 at Golden Gate in the San Francisco Mile Stakes (G3). Grade 3 winner Opry (4-1) was third in the Whittingham for trainer George Papaprodromou.