Pilgrim Stakes looks like anyone's race

One can probably make a good case both for and against each of the eight 2-year-olds entered for the Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park, a race that serves as a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Nov. 6.

None of the prospective starters in the 1 1/16-mile Pilgrim have won more than a single race. The lone stakes winner in the group is Fire At Will, who captured the With Anticipation at Saratoga, a race shortened to seven furlongs and decided over a sloppy main track. There also is a distinct lack of a legitimate pace threat in the lineup, which could compromise the chances of several key contenders like Public Sector, Step Dancer and It’s a Gamble, all of whom won at first asking after rallying from far back in the field.

Public Sector, from the barn of Chad Brown, has a field-high Beyer Speed Figure of 76 for his debut win and figures to be the favorite. But it is the rail-drawn Shawdyshawdyshawdy who may prove the one to beat.

Shawdyshawdyshawdy also won at first asking going 1 1/16 miles this past summer at Saratoga. He has since acquired some very valuable stakes experience when finishing fourth after encountering trouble and racing a bit greenly in the one-mile Kentucky Downs Juvenile. The race was marred by a spill over the challenging Kentucky Downs turf course.

“A horse went down next to him during the race and probably cost him finishing second,” trainer Jorge Abreu said. “He trains like a horse who is promising. I think he’s stakes caliber.”

Public Sector will attempt to give Brown his fourth Pilgrim victory. He won his third a year ago with Structor, who used the race as a springboard to capturing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita. Public Sector, a son of Kingman, overcame trouble at the break and loss of ground turning for home in his only start, finishing full of run down the center of the course to register an impressive two-length decision.

Step Dancer moves into open company after defeating New York-breds at first asking. He, too, was visually impressive, rallying wide from nearly a dozen lengths off the pace. Trained by Barclay Tagg, Step Dancer has worked extremely well coming out of the race, holding his own going five furlongs over the turf here Sept. 20 with stablemate Highland Sky, who’ll compete later on the card in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.

American Monarch exits a fourth-place stakes finish when defeated 4 3/4 lengths in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine and will be wheeling back on less than two weeks’ rest in the Pilgrim. American Monarch is yet another who won his maiden at first asking at Saratoga, rallying from just off a slow pace to a half-length decision, for which he received a 72 Beyer, a number he paired up in the Summer.