Petrov might ship for Carter Handicap or Commonwealth

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Petrov might be heading to New York for the Grade 1, $400,000 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct on April 7.

Trainer Ron Moquett said Tuesday the race is one of two graded stakes being considered for the horse, along with the Grade 3, $250,000 Commonwealth on the same afternoon at Keeneland. Both are at seven furlongs, a distance not available at Petrov’s home base of Oaklawn. Petrov won an optional $50,000 claiming sprint at six furlongs here Feb. 18 in his first start since November.

“When you’re running him six furlongs, you’re not really at his distance, and when you’re running him a mile and a sixteenth, you’re not really at his distance,” Moquett said. “He can do them, but I think he’s better at seven-eighths or a one-turn mile.

“I’d like to run him one more time here. If not, we’ll go somewhere.”

Moquett, who also co-owns Petrov, said he is discussing the Carter and Commonwealth with partners Rialto Racing Stables, Southern Springs Stables, and Head of Plains Partners.

Petrov is looking for his first stakes win after several close calls. He ran second by a head in an Aqueduct stakes in 2016 and last year at 3 ran second in both the Smarty Jones and Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn and was fourth here in the Grade 2 Rebel.

Petrov’s two wins last year came at extended sprint distances, one in a seven-furlong first-level allowance at Saratoga and another in a 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer at Keeneland.

Petrov has developed nicely over the winter, said Moquett.

“You can tell by looking at him he’s starting to fill out, grow up,” he said.

Petrov is a son of Flatter who has won 4 of 13 starts and earned $446,127.