Supreme Aura trying for Pegasus-Long Branch double

Supreme Aura will return on three weeks’ rest Saturday at Monmouth Park in an attempt to win the first two main-track stakes of the meet for 3-year-olds.

A Candy Ride colt trained by Mike Stidham, Supreme Aura rallied under Joe Bravo to win the Pegasus Stakes by a neck June 17. On Saturday, he is the horse to beat in the Long Branch, which, like the Pegasus, is a $100,000 race at 1 1/16 miles.

The Long Branch has a field of five and will be run as race 3 on the 11-race card.

The Pegasus and Long Branch on occasion produce starters for the premier event of the meet, the $1 million Haskell Invitational on July 29.

Supreme Aura began his career with back-to-back sprint wins. Stidham stretched him out to 1 1/16 miles in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, but he never reached contention and finished ninth.

Stidham returned Supreme Aura to six furlongs for two races prior to the Pegasus. He removed the colt’s blinkers for the Pegasus and he turned in a solid performance, proving his capability at the distance.

Bravo will be at Arlington Park on Saturday, where he has seven mounts, including Synchrony in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap and Hallie Belle in the Grade 3 Modesty for Stidham.

Antonio Gallardo, who won his first Grade 1 aboard Funtastic in the United Nations last week at Monmouth, picks up the mount on Supreme Aura.

American Lincoln won a first-level optional-claiming race by 6 3/4 lengths at Monmouth on the Pegasus undercard. Earlier this year, he won a maiden race at Aqueduct by more than 18 lengths for trainer Linda Rice.

The Long Branch will be American Lincoln’s second stakes start. He finished fourth, beaten 5 1/4 lengths by Diamond King, in the Federico Tesio at Laurel Park in April.

American Lincoln’s recent win suggests he may now be ready to test deeper waters. Jose Ferrer will be aboard after Bravo rode him last time.

Navy Commander is cross-entered in the Long Branch and the $75,000 Concern at Laurel, but will be coming to Monmouth, according to his trainer, Butch Reid.

Navy Commander is coming off a Pennsylvania-bred allowance win at Parx going six furlongs. He has more speed than Supreme Aura and American Lincoln and could prove an elusive target if allowed to control the pace. He won an open allowance at Parx in March going a two-turn mile.

The field is completed by Show Me the Bucks, who was scratched from a optional-claiming race at Belmont Park on Thursday, and Drummer Don, who has been racing against optional-starter company at Parx.