Peter Pan 2025: Odds, analysis for Saturday’s N.Y. feature
The Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan will be run on Saturday as part of the Belmont at the Big A spring meet at the distance of 1 1/8 miles on the main track. For 3-year-olds only, the Peter Pan drew a field of 10.
The Peter Pan serves as the local prep race for the Belmont Stakes, four weeks before the final leg of the Triple Crown series. Arcangelo completed the Peter Pan-Belmont double in 2023, joining Tonalist who did it in 2014. The first three finishers in this year’s race will receive a spot in the Belmont with all entry fees paid.
Here is the full-field analysis for the Peter Pan with odds from Horse Racing Nation staff, with trainers, jockeys, career records and purse earnings. It is scheduled as the last race of 11 with post time set for 6:46 p.m. EST.
1. Vassimo, 5-1. Nyquist – Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz Jr. – 4: 1-0-0, $49,500. Vassimo won the first two starts of his career in Florida during the winter with stalking trips, first going a mile at Gulfstream Park and then in an allowance at Tampa Bay Downs as an odds-on favorite. He moved onto the Kentucky Derby trail at Fair Grounds to finish fourth in the Risen Star (G2) and then sixth in the Louisiana Derby (G2). Todd Pletcher has won the Peter Pan five times, which is more than any other trainer. Use underneath.
2. Happily Delusional, 20-1. Flatter – Louis Linder Jr., Paco Lopez – 8: 1-4-0, $89,410. Happily Delusional broke his maiden in his fifth start in January at Parx Racing following three second-place finishes. He was fourth in a stakes and second in an allowance at his home track. The son of Flatter was fourth in the Federico Tesio at Laurel Park when he rallied from 10th. Toss.
3. Surfside Moon, 10-1. Malibu Moon – Chucky Lawrence, Junior Alvarado – 7: 1-1-2, $108,900. Surfside Moon got his maiden victory during the summer in his third start, which was on the turf at Delaware Park in August. Since then, the Pennsylvania-bred tried four stakes races running fifth in the Laurel Futurity, sixth in the Awad on the Aqueduct grass, second in the Withers and third in the Tesio. Use underneath.
4. Hill Road, 3-1. Quality Road – Chad Brown, Flavien Prat – 4: 1-0-2, $226,496. Hill Road began his career in Ireland where he was a debut winner in August at Leopardstown. He then tried a Group 1 at the Curragh before coming to America to race in the Breeders’ Cup, where he closed from last in the Juvenile to finish third. He stayed in the States and moved to the barn of Chad Brown at that point. In his only race this year he was third in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) behind Owen Almighty who was the fifth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby. Brown won the Peter Pan twice in 2017 and 2020. Win contender.
5. McAfee, 15-1. Cloud Computing – Rick Dutrow Jr., John Velazquez – 4: 1-1-0, $110,880. McAfee was a debut winner for Dutrow in a November maiden at Churchill Downs, when he rallied from ninth in an auction-price restricted race. Three weeks later he missed by a head in an allowance at the Kentucky track. McAfee was fifth in the Gotham (G3) and the Wood Memorial (G2). He was a $1,000 supplemental nomination to the Peter Pan and will run with blinkers on. Toss.
6. Uncaged, 6-1. Curlin – Todd Pletcher, Kendrick Carmouche – 3: 2-0-0, $103,950. Uncaged won his first start at Saratoga in August with a stalking move going six furlongs. He was off until March when he finished fourth in a Gulfstream allowance. Wearing blinkers for the first time, Uncaged last month won a mile allowance at Aqueduct on a muddy and sealed track after at rough start. Win contender.
7. First Pitch, 30-1. Improbable – Jose Jimenez, Jose Lezcano – 3: 1-0-0, $41,514. First Pitch was distanced in his first two starts at Aqueduct in the winter against New York-breds. In his third start, going today’s nine-furlong distance, he was sent to the front and led every step of the way at 50-1 in an eight-horse field. Toss.
8. Captain Cook, 5-2. Practical Joke – Rick Dutrow Jr., Manny Franco – 4: 2-0-0, $238,256. Captain Cook started his career in Kentucky but then was sent to Dutrow's New York barn, where he pressed the pace and drew off to become a maiden winner by more than nine-lengths in December. He won again in the Withers going 1 1/8-miles. Captain Cook was the favorite again in the Wood Memorial and weakened to finish fourth. Top choice.
9. Brereton’s Baytown, 30-1. Upstart – Paul McEntee, Marshall Mendez – 11: 2-0-0, $139,773. Brereton’s Baytown is the most experienced horse in the field with 11 starts going back to the June races at Saratoga where he debuted in the Tremont. He got his maiden victory in his seventh start at Charles Town and eventually won a $40,000 claimer at Laurel before trying the Derby trail at Oaklawn with a fifth in the Arkansas Derby (G1). Toss.
10. Lordship, 6-1. Gun Runner – Chad Brown, Dylan Davis – 1: 1-0-0, $19,200. Lordship won at first asking in a six-horse field for Chad Brown as the favorite in a two-turn maiden at Tampa. Promising maiden winner.
Summary: Captain Cook and Hill Road have a class advantage over the rest of the field. Captain Cook is the only stakes winner in this group and, with the best speed figures, is projected to have a pace advantage. Expect Manny Franco to send him to the lead and the others will have to catch him. I liked Captain Cook heading into the Wood Memorial, but he ran into Rodriguez and Grande. In the Peter Pan he is the top choice.