Tuscan Sky runs away with Pegasus; Bright Future rallies in Salvator Mile

The trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Javier Castellano won both main-track stakes races Saturday at Monmouth Park, where Tuscan Sky overcame a tricky trip to romp in the Pegasus Stakes before heavily favored Bright Future rallied late along the fence to land the Salvator Mile.

Racing for the first time since a disappointing seventh-place finish April 6 in the Wood Memorial, Tuscan Sky won by 6 3/4 lengths over Domestic Product, a distant also-ran in the Kentucky Derby.

Tuscan Sky, who shipped to Monmouth from Churchill Downs earlier in the week, broke from the rail and wedged himself between the fence and four horses stacked up outside him into and around the first turn of the $150,000 Pegasus. Tuscan Sky pushed to the lead before setting the half-mile split, a quick 46.94, and came into the homestretch with all the momentum, drawing steadily clear for a runaway victory.

Domestic Product, four wide around the first turn and about three wide on the far turn, had no answer for the winner while second by 4 1/4 lengths over Hades. Willy D’s finished fourth with Sea Streak, the 9-5 favorite, a soundly defeated fifth. One of six horses in the Pegasus after Uncle Heavy and Just Step On It were scratched, Sea Streak somehow managed to race five paths off the rail with no cover not just around the first turn, but around the second one, as well.

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Tuscan Sky, who campaigns for Spendthrift Farms, had won his first two starts before taking a step back in the Wood. Scratched from the Sir Barton Stakes, Tuscan Sky came back from a 10-week break looking like the colt he’d been his first two races, running 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.31 while paying $6.80 as the third choice.

Bright Future around the far turn of the Grade 3, $150,000 Salvator Mile looked like a beaten horse, but somehow got home a 1 3/4-length winner under Castellano.

Hero of the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup last year at Saratoga and most recently a solid sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Bright Future had good early position stalking the pace along the rail to the half-mile pole over the Salvator. But Bright Future hit a flat spot past the half-mile pole, losing contact with the two leaders, Coastal Mission and Oscar Eclipse, and coming to the quarter pole in sixth. Finally, at the three-sixteenths pole in upper stretch, Bright Future got his feet under him, closing furiously along the rail to fly past Coastal Mission in the final half-furlong and win impressively.

Coastal Mission, 6-1 third choice, held second by a neck over 21-1 shot Movisitor. Artorius, bet down to the 5-2 second choice, faded to seventh. Bright Future was timed in 1:36.96 over a fast track and paid $4.20.

Pletcher trains Bright Future for Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables. Bright Future is a 5-year-old son of Curlin and Sophia’s Song, by Bellamy Road.

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