Belmont at the Big A | Race 11 | Post Time 6:46 p.m. (ET) The two horses likely to attract the most support in the Peter Pan both made brief appearances on the Kentucky Derby trail. Captain Cook (#8) attracted some buzz following his victory in the Withers this winter, and Hill Road (#4) looked like a horse set up for a forward move following his seasonal debut in the Tampa Bay Derby. However, Captain Cook came back to disappoint in his final prep, and Hill Road missed his completely after getting sick. Now both are trying to get back on track to prove they deserve a chance to step up against the best 3-year-olds in the division.  Captain Cook's advantage in the Peter Pan is early speed, which Hill Road notably lacks. Manny Franco should be able to make the lead aboard the Rick Dutrow trainee given a general lack of pace entered in the nine-furlong affair. Yet Captain Cook still has to prove he can get this distance against this level of competition.  Hill Road still has upside after getting compromised by slow paces while closing for third in both prior U.S. starts. He just has had trouble building momentum given the gaps in training after those races, and now he catches another race in which the pace may not develop to his liking. Some will consider the Todd Pletcher pair, but I'm not thrilled with either of his horses. Vassimo (#1) might be dangerous if he gets a particularly aggressive ride, but it's unclear if he's quick enough to contest the pace. Uncaged (#6) took advantage of a fast pace last time and has to prove he can race as effectively over a dry track.  My top pick is Surfside Moon (#3). This horse couldn't catch Captain Cook when second in the Withers in February, but that was still an encouraging performance for an improving colt. He had endured a tough trip in his lone prior dirt route attempt in the Laurel Futurity, and came into this season looking like a horse with plenty of upside. Unfortunately, he got sick after the Withers and missed some training, which took him off the Kentucky Derby trail. He returned in the Federico Tesio with an abbreviated work tab, and ran pretty well to finish third despite regressing slightly. He had a right to need that race and should be set for a better performance here in his second start off the layoff. He did display improved tactical speed last time, so I'm hopeful he can work out the right stalking trip.