Cox, Pletcher send out 3-year-old reserves in Peter Pan
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ELMONT, N.Y. – Though they combined to run six horses in last Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, trainers Brad Cox and Todd Pletcher still have an ample supply of 3-year-olds to be factors in other 3-year-old stakes to be run throughout the spring and summer.
Case in point is Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park, where Cox will send out Bishops Bay and maybe Slip Mahoney while Pletcher will have Classic Catch and Go Soldier Go in the 1 1/8-mile race that typically produces a starter or two for the Belmont Stakes, this year to be run June 10.
Bishops Bay, a son of Uncle Mo, has won both of his starts, including a six-furlong race at Fair Grounds on March 18 where he beat stablemate First Mission, who has come back to win twice, including the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes.
Bishops Bay came back to win a first-level allowance, defeating another stablemate, Demolition Duke, by a neck. Cox believes he could have a nice horse if Bishops Bay mentality catches up to his physicality.
“He probably needs to continue to develop mentally,” Cox said. “When he hits the lead, he kind of gets a little lost. He’s a horse that showed a good bit of talent and I do think he’ll stretch.
“He won going long last time, kind of looked around, dug back in, and galloped out well,” Cox added. “He’s had plenty of time to recover from that.”
In his second start, Bishops Bay did clip heels with another horse entering the first turn, but it didn’t deter him from getting right up on the pace.
Florent Geroux rides Bishops Bay from post 9.
Slip Mahoney, second in the Grade 3 Gotham and sixth in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, is cross-entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Classic Catch is a two-time winner at 1 1/8 miles, albeit around two turns. He comes out of a fifth-place finish in the Wood Memorial, where he was the only horse to make up significant ground, rallying from more than 10 lengths back to finish 5 1/2 lengths behind Lord Miles.
Pletcher is adding blinkers to Classic Catch for the Peter Pan.
“I thought he ran sneaky good in the Wood Memorial. He got too far back, closed well late,” Pletcher said. “We’ll add blinkers for this start, hopefully get him a little more focused. I think he’s a horse that could run well enough to get him to the Belmont.”
Go Soldier Go makes his first start for Pletcher after racing six times from December to March in Dubai for trainer Fawzi Nass. Go Soldier Go, a Kentucky-bred son of Tapiture, won the Al Bastakiya Stakes at Meydan on March 4 before running fifth, 15 lengths behind Derma Sotogake, in the Grade 2 U.A.E. Derby.
“He looks like a horse that wants a classic distance of ground,” Pletcher said. “The Peter Pan will be a test to see if he’s a potential Belmont horse.”
Henry Q won the Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland Park by 14 3/4 lengths, then finished third to Wild On Ice in the Grade 3 Sunland Derby. He looks like a forward factor under Frankie Dettori for Doug O’Neill.
Summer Cause, trained by Christophe Clement, was third to Perform in the Federico Tesio at Laurel Park. Game Change, trained by Shug McGaughey, hasn’t run since March 2, when he finished sixth behind Classic Catch in a Gulfstream allowance.
Arcangelo, trained by Jena Antonucci, and Asmodeus, trained by William Morey, both come out of maiden wins.
The first three finishers of the Peter Pan get their starter and entry fees – totaling $30,000 – waived for the Belmont Stakes.
The Peter Pan goes as race 6 on an 11-race card that includes the Grade 1, $600,000 Man o’ War at 1 3/8 miles on turf and the Grade 3, $175,000 Runhappy at six furlongs on dirt.
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