Verrazano, Itsmyluckyday Square Off in Pegasus

Grade 1 winner Verrazano and Classic-placed Itsmyluckyday are among a field of seven entered for this Sunday’s Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park.

Owned by Let’s Go Stable, Tabor, Magnier and Smith, Verrazano was a perfect four-for-four going into the Kentucky Derby with victories in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and Grade 1 Wood Memorial to his credit.  Sunday’s Pegasus will be the first start for the Todd Pletcher trainee since the Kentucky Derby.

Triology Stable and Laurie Plesa’s Itsmyluckyday enters the $150,000 Pegasus off a runner-up effort in the Preakness Stakes on May 18.  Trained by Eddie Plesa Jr., the son of Lawyer Ron captured the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes earlier this year at Gulfstream and was runner-up to eventual Kentucky Derby winner Orb in the Grade 1 Florida Derby.

The Pegasus, which serves as a prep for the Grade 1, $1 million William Hill Haskell Invitational on July 28, will go as race 11 of 12 on Sunday’s Father’s Day card.

The field, in post position order, for the mile and sixteenth Pegasus (with jockey assignments) is:

1.      Verrazano (John Velazquez)

2.      Edge of Reality (Stewart Elliott)

3.      Gefest (Horacio Karamanos)

4.      Reporting Star (Angel Serpa)*

5.      Bethel (Brian Pedroza)

6.      Itsmyluckyday (Mike Smith)

7.      Kanturk Kid (Angel Serpa)*

* Report Star and Kanturk Kid run as an entry for owner Gilbert G. Campbell