Donegal Moon shows newfound versatility

ELMONT, N.Y. – Donegal Moon showed a new dimension by rallying from last under Joe Bravo to win the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth on Sunday by 1 1/4 lengths.

“He generally has been a little closer than that,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He didn’t break great, and Joe was able to drop him over, and it looked like there was a fair amount of pace in the race. We didn’t think we were going to be last early, but we didn’t think we were going to be in the first three.”

Though Donegal Moon won the Pegasus over the same track where the Haskell will be run July 31, Pletcher said he’s not certain to run in the Haskell. Pletcher said he spoke with owner Jerry Crawford after the race and said the Haskell, the Jim Dandy at Saratoga on July 30, and West Virginia Derby on Aug. 6 were all on the table for Donegal Moon.

“Just because we won at Monmouth doesn’t mean we’re committed to the Haskell,” said Pletcher, who won his fourth Pegasus.

Pletcher said that Outwork, the Wood Memorial winner, is more likely to make his next start in the Grade 2, $500,000 Dwyer on July 9 at Belmont than the Long Branch Stakes, also July 9, at Monmouth.

On Saturday, Outwork breezed a half-mile in 48.66 seconds over the Belmont training track.

A previous version of this article misstated the date of the Jim Dandy. It will be run July 30, not Aug. 30.