Sir Winston joins prospective Belmont Stakes field

Trainer Mark Casse said Sunday he's "very proud" of Sir Winston's closing second-place finish in the Peter Pan (G3), enough so to make the Belmont Stakes the Awesome Again colt's next start.

From more than 10 lengths out of it in the 1 1/8-mile race on Saturday at Belmont Park, Sir Winston rallied to within two lengths of winner Global Campaign in the nine-furlong race. 

"He's a unique horse," Casse said. "He doesn't have a whole lot of speed and he's kind of at the mercy of everyone else in the race, but he'll run all day."

Campaigned by Tracy Farmer, Sir Winston bounced back from a seventh in Keeneland's Blue Grass Stakes (G2). Earlier this season, he ran fifth in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and fourth in the Withers Stakes (G3).

The Peter Pan performance confirmed he can contend at a high level dirt, as the colt's previous stakes win came Dec. 8 in Woodbine's Display Stakes.

Sir Winston adds to what should be a large field on June 8 in New York, with more contenders likely to emerge following next weekend's Preakness Stakes.

Exiting the Kentucky Derby, Tacitus and Japan's Master Fencer are probable, while Game Winner, Plus Que Parfait and Tax are possible. Two from the Preakness who figure to go on are Bourbon War and Signalman, while Global Campaign could also return to Belmont off his Peter Pan victory.

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