Five take Peter Pan path to Belmont
ELMONT, N.Y. – Last year, Tonalist became the first horse in 22 years to parlay a victory in the Peter Pan Stakes to success in the Belmont Stakes when he denied California Chrome’s bid for the Triple Crown.
On Saturday, five 3-year-olds will try to convince their connections that they deserve consideration for the 147th Belmont Stakes on June 6 when they compete in the Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan at Belmont Park.
Todd Pletcher, who has won the Peter Pan twice, sends out the uncoupled entry of Two Weeks Off and Madefromlucky in the Peter Pan, a 1 1/8-mile race contested around one turn.
Two Weeks Off, a son of Harlan’s Holiday, comes off a 6 1/2-length first-level allowance win at Keeneland on April 4, running about seven furlongs in 1:25.13 and earning a 104 Beyer Speed Figure.
“He was training this winter with some nice horses, and we were pretty happy with what we were seeing, so we were not surprised he did that,” Pletcher said. “I think it was a strong enough performance; no reason to look for another allowance race. He acts like he’ll run further, and the one-turn aspect of it makes it an easy transition.”
Madefromlucky, who ran second to American Pharoah in the Rebel Stakes and fourth to him in the Arkansas Derby, had enough qualifying points to get into the Kentucky Derby field. But a subpar workout at Churchill the week before the race prompted Pletcher and his owners to skip the race.
John Velazquez breezed Madefromlucky and told Pletcher that the colt didn’t handle the turns very well at Churchill and Oaklawn.
“We felt like this might be a better layout for him with the bigger, wide, sweeping turns,” Pletcher said.
Pletcher is also removing the blinkers from Madefromlucky’s equipment, feeling that the horse doesn’t need them anymore.
Bob Baffert made a last-minute decision to send in Wolf Man Rocket, who won the Northern Spur Stakes at Oaklawn as a maiden. Trainer Mark Casse supplemented Illinois Derby runner-up Conquest Curlinate to the race. Tiz Shea D, second in the Gotham and fifth in the Wood Memorial, rounds out the field.
KEY CONTENDERS
Two Weeks Off (Last 3 Beyers: 104-77-67)
◗ After winning a maiden race by 3 1/2 lengths in his second start, which came at Saratoga last August, he went to the sidelines with a knee issue, Pletcher said.
◗ He came back with a solid allowance win going seven furlongs, a race from which fourth-place finisher R U Watchingbud came back to win a stakes at Woodbine and sixth-place finisher Island Town won an allowance race at Churchill on Derby Day.
Wolf Man Rocket (Last 3 Beyers: 96-83-82)
◗ After dropping two maiden decisions at Santa Anita, he shipped to Oaklawn and won the $100,000 Northern Spur Stakes, a two-turn, one-mile race.
◗ Trainer Baffert said Wolf Man Rocket prefers two turns, but the colt was ineligible for the other option Baffert was considering, the Sir Barton at two turns and 1 1/16 miles at Pimlico.
Conquest Curlinate (Last 3 Beyers: 95-70-76)
◗ He rallied from well back to finish second, beaten a nose, by Whiskey Ticket in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne.