Belmont: Street Life tries to prove he's stakes-caliber in Peter Pan

Barbara D. Livingston

Mark Valeski is the 5-2 morning-line favorite among 12 3-year-olds entered for Saturday's Peter Pan.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown doesn’t know where ultimately Street Life will fit among this year’s 3-year-old crop. However, he believes the colt’s sixth-place finish in last month’s Grade 1 Wood Memorial was not a true assessment of Street Life’s talent.

Saturday, Brown hopes to find out more when Street Life is scheduled to face 11 fellow 3-year-olds seeking an identity in the Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park. The Peter Pan, run at 1 1/8 miles over the main track, is likely to spawn a starter or two for the Belmont Stakes here on June 9.

Street Life, a son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, had won two consecutive races over Aqueduct’s inner track before he the met the likes of Gemologist and Alpha in the Wood Memorial. Under Junior Alvarado, Street Life lagged at the back of the pack – between 12 and 14 lengths off the early pace – before finishing sixth, beaten 7 1/4 lengths by Gemologist.

“I don’t really think it was the horse’s fault in that race,” Brown said. “I think he found himself far behind early and I don’t think we learned anything positive or negative about the horse in that race. He had no chance going into the first turn; he was way too far behind. Actually on the [far] turn I was surprised he made up as much ground as he did.”

Since the Wood, Brown has equipped Street Life with blinkers and the colt has worked three times in that equipment.

“I don’t know what that’s going to do for him,” Brown said. “Hopefully, it’ll get him involved a little earlier in the race, maybe put him in a little better position.”

Brown is making a rider change from Alvarado to Jose Lezcano in the Peter Pan.

Street Life drew the outside post in the 12-horse field. However, he may move in a couple of spots because of the potential scratches of Teeth of the Dog and Zetterholm. The connections of those two horses are hoping to run in the Preakness on May 19, and entered in this race as a back-up in case they feel like their horses won’t make what may be an oversubscribed race.

Mark Valeski, runner-up in the Louisiana Derby and Risen Star, drew post 5 and was made the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the Peter Pan.

Also entered are Right to Vote, The Lumber Guy, Le Bernardin, Good Morning Diva, Hakama, Big Screen, Master Rick, and Summer Front.

Peter Pan S. (G2), Post Time: 5:04 ET Saturday

Purse: $200,000; 1 1/8 miles