Promise Keeper eyes Belmont Stakes after Peter Pan triumph
ELMONT, N.Y. - Promise Keeper put himself into contention for a start in the Belmont Stakes on June 5 by winning Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths over Nova Rags at Belmont Park.
Under Luis Saez, Promise Keeper stalked from second the pacesetting Wolfie’s Dynaghost before joining that horse with three furlongs to run, after six furlongs went in 1:13.20.
Promise Keeper had a clear lead approaching the quarter pole, then faced a challenge from Nova Rags from the three-sixteenths pole to the eighth pole before running away from that one in the final furlong.
Nova Rags finished second, 1 1/2 lengths clear of Overtook. The maiden I Am the Law finished fourth, followed by Wolfie’s Dynaghost. Risk Taking scratched and will run in next Saturday’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.
The win was the third from five starts for Promise Keeper, a son of Constitution owned by Woodford Thoroughbreds and WinStar Farm and trained by Todd Pletcher, who won his fourth Peter Pan.
Promise Keeper’s previous stakes start resulted in a last-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby in March. He rebounded from that performance with a 5 1/2-length victory in a first-level allowance at Keeneland.
“I thought this was another step forward,” Pletcher said. “There were some proven stakes horses in here. I thought he handled everything really well, got a good trip, got into a good rhythm, finished up well. Luis said he felt like he had a lot of horse in the end.”
Saez said Promise Keeper “got emboldened” when Nova Rags came to him in upper stretch.
“He took off again at that point, he loved the competition,” Saez said. “When he felt the other horse he gave me more. He did it pretty easy. I felt I had so much horse in the end.”
Promise Keeper covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.71 and returned $5 as the favorite.
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Promise Keeper joins a potential Belmont Stakes roster for Pletcher- a three-time Belmont Stakes winner - that will likely include Known Agenda and Bourbonic, ninth and 13th, respectively, in the Kentucky Derby, and possibly include Malathaat, the filly who won the Kentucky Oaks.
Of Promise Keeper, Pletcher said, “it seems like the farther he goes the better he gets. Historically, the Peter Pan has been a good prep for the Belmont. That was among the discussions leading into this.”
Tonalist, in 2014, is the last Peter Pan winner to come back and win the Belmont Stakes.