Mandella believes maiden winner Set Sail is ready for Peter Pan
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Richard Mandella will have just his third starter at Belmont Park in the last 21 years on Saturday when he sends out Set Sail in a seemingly wide-open renewal of the Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes for 3-year-olds.
The 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan, the local prep for the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on June 11, drew a field of eight, but only one horse, Cooke Creek, has won a stakes, that being a minor race at Delaware Park last October.
Set Sail, a son of Malibu Moon, finished third in his debut on Feb. 26 at Santa Anita. He was one of four next-out winners from that race when he rolled to a front-running 7 1/2-length victory in a two-turn mile race on March 27 at Santa Anita. In that race, he dueled inside of 6-5 favorite Bletchley Park, put that one away, and then shed aside a challenge from One More Bid at the quarter pole.
“We thought he’d win like that the first time but my training failed and he improved the next time,” said Mandella, who is in town with the horse. “He’s a very smart colt, talented. I think he’s up to this kind of deal.”
Mandella’s last starter in New York was Tizamagician, who ran fourth in last year’s Grade 2 Brooklyn. Prior to that, Mandella ran Beholder – newly elected into the Hall of Fame – in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps where she finished fourth. Attico, a maiden winner on Oct. 7, 2001, was Mandella’s last winner at Belmont.
Electability is 2 for 2 on dirt since being gelded following a defeat on turf last summer in Saratoga. In his first-level allowance win at Aqueduct on April 8, Electability was challenged by three different horses while on the lead, then held off a run from the closer Luni Sima to win by a head.
“He’s a bit of a grinder that horse. He’s steady and strong and shown he has plenty of stamina,” said Chad Brown, who trains Electability for owner Seth Klarman. “I’d like to see where he takes us.”
Electability will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. from post 2, one slot outside of Set Sail and Joel Rosario.
Trainer Rodolphe Brisset sends out the uncoupled entry of We the People and Western River, who is a full brother to 2016 Belmont Stakes winner Creator.
We the People won a maiden race and a first-level allowance at Oaklawn Park from a forward position, but was outsprinted for the lead and was taken off the pace by Flavien Prat in the Arkansas Derby where he finished seventh.
Western River, like his brother, is a stone-cold closer and may benefit from what could be a lively pace on Saturday. Luis Saez has the call from post 6.
Cooke Creek was second in the Nashua and third in the Jerome, both one-turn mile races run in New York. He hasn’t run since finishing eighth in the Grade 3 Withers. Trainer Jeremiah O’Dwyer is adding blinkers to his equipment.
Golden Glider was fourth in both the Tampa Bay Derby and Blue Grass Stakes for Mark Casse. State Planning has won two straight New York-bred races for Juan Vazquez. Complete Agenda, coming off a maiden win in his fifth start, was a supplemental entrant for trainer Todd Pletcher.