Madefromlucky rallies to win Peter Pan

ELMONT, N.Y. – Madefromlucky had done enough to make it to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby. But a less-than-stellar workout over that surface a week before the race convinced his connections the race wasn’t right for him.

Plan B was Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park. Madefromlucky executed the plan to perfection, rallying outside the co-leaders Two Weeks Off and Wolf Man Rocket in upper stretch and holding the late-running Conquest Curlinate at bay late to win the Peter Pan by a length. Conquest Curlinate, beaten a nose when second in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby on April 18, finished second by 1 1/2 lengths over Two Weeks Off. It was another length back to Tiz Shea D, who finished three-quarters of a length in front of Wolf Man Rocket.

Now, Madefromlucky may have earned his way to the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on June 6.

“We always felt he was the type that would keep going and going and going,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We wanted to find out where we fit. The Peter Pan has been historically a very good prep for the Belmont. I think he earned his way in if he comes out of it well and trains accordingly.”

Madefromlucky, a son of Lookin at Lucky, won for the third time from eight starts. This was his second win from four starts since majority interest in the colt was purchased by Cheyenne Stables from Mac Nichol and turned over to Pletcher. Nichol remains a partner in the colt.

In his two previous stakes tries, Madefromlucky ran into American Pharoah, finishing second to him in the Rebel and fourth to him in the Arkansas Derby, both at Oaklawn Park. American Pharoah, of course, won last week’s Kentucky Derby.

Neither Pletcher nor jockey John Velazquez felt Madefromlucky handled the turns very well at Oaklawn or at Churchill Downs.

Pletcher thought the wide-sweeping turns of Belmont would suit Madefromlucky.

Under Javier Castellano, Madefromlucky sat fourth of five early in the Peter Pan while stablemate Two Weeks Off, the 4-5 favorite, was involved in a pace battle with Wolf Man Rocket through a half-mile in 46.55 seconds.

Around the far turn, Castellano was scrubbing on Madefromlucky to keep him in contact with the field. Madefromlucky responded to Castellano’s handling, came four wide into the stretch, and took control outside the eighth pole.

Conquest Curlinate, under Joel Rosario, made a bid but never was a serious threat to the winner.

Madefromlucky covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.36 and returned $11.40 as the third choice in the field of five.

“We felt like in his two races in Arkansas that he didn’t run the turns very well, kind of lost some key position, and then you look up the last sixteenth, he’s finishing up well again and galloping out well,” Pletcher said. “I cautioned Javier if he was moving well don’t take for granted that he’s going to run the turns as well as he’s going to run the straightaways. Actually, Javier said he ran the turn very well.”

Castellano did say Madefromlucky is the type of horse “you have to keep riding.”

While Madefromlucky is likely headed to the Belmont, Peter Pan runner-up Conquest Curlinate is not Triple Crown nominated, and it would seem unlikely his connections would pay the six-figure supplemental fee to run in the race. He is an Ontario-bred, which means he is likely headed to the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine in early July.

Two Weeks Off, coming off a strong allowance win going seven furlongs at Keeneland, was a bit too keen early, according to jockey John Velazquez.

“I knew I was in trouble the first part of the race when he was pulling the whole way, not typical of him,” Velazquez said. “He didn’t settle the first part at all.”