Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Contact: Jenny Kellner
11 SOPHS LOOK TO TAKE FLIGHT IN PETER PAN
ELMONT, N.Y. – With the first leg of the Triple Crown in the history books, a solid field of eleven 3-year-olds will assemble at Belmont Park Saturday for the 57th running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan, a major steppingstone to the June 11 Belmont Stakes.
Returned to The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) calendar after a year's hiatus, the 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan has attracted a pair of recent graded stakes winners in Adios Charlie, who picked up his second straight victory in the Grade 2 Jerome at Aqueduct Racetrack on April 23, and Joe Vann, who stretched his winning streak to three in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby on April 9.
Adios Charlie, who was second in his debut at
"He's been training super," said Lazaro Cruz, Hough's assistant. "He ran huge in the Jerome and it didn't seem as if it took much out of him; he's done beautifully since then. We're hoping he runs as well on Saturday."
Rajiv Maragh rides Adios Charlie, the 3-1 morning-line favorite, from post position 8.
Joe Vann, a Silver Deputy colt owned by Zayat Stables and trained by Todd Pletcher, was winless in four starts as a 2-year-old, but since finishing seventh in his 2011 debut at Gulfstream Park has reeled off three successive scores with a combined winning margin of 13 ¾ lengths.
"I think we're going to get a true check of how much confidence he's generated," said Pletcher, who won the Peter Pan in 2006 with Sunriver and in 2004 with Purge. "We were a little confused about some of his form. He had a disappointing race at Gulfstream [January 8] and then ran three terrific races. This will give us an idea of where he fits in the big picture."
At 5-1 on the morning line, Joe Vann will leave from post position 10 under Javier Castellano, aboard for the first time.
Coming in from the
"The Preakness has a big field with a lot of speed and the top horses from the
Prime Cut, the 9-2 third choice on the morning line, drew post position 4 with Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado in the irons.
Also shipping in will be the lightly raced Uncle Brent, a 1 ¾-length winner over Albergatti in the Northern Spur at
"He's done everything in fine fashion," said Whiting, who saddled Lil E. Tee to win the 1992 Kentucky Derby. "This is a good time slot and a good opportunity for him. We think he's got a forward move in him."
John Velazquez, who won his first
Pin Oak Stable's Alternation suffered his first defeat after a trio of victories when fifth after an awkward break in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, his first stakes appearance. Ramon Dominguez gets the call aboard Alternation, 6-1 on the morning line, from post position 6.
Rounding out the field are Newsdad, returning to conventional dirt after finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Blue Grass; New York-breds Bold Deed and Tap Attack, the first two finishers in the Packett's Landing at Aqueduct on April 3; Count Fleet winner Monzon, fifth behind Brethren in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis in his most recent start on February 12; Beer Meister, fifth in the Grade 3 Sunland Derby on March 27, and Isn't He Perfect, fifth in the Jerome in his most recent start.
The field for the Grade 2 Peter Pan:
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | Isn't He Perfect (KY) | J Rodriguez | 116 | D Shivmangal | 30-1 |
| 2 | Uncle Brent (KY) | J R Velazquez | 120 | L S Whiting | 4-1 |
| 3 | Beer Meister (KY) | A O Solis | 116 | M Ortiz, Sr. | 20-1 |
| 4 | Prime Cut (KY) | E | 116 | N J Howard | 9-2 |
| 5 | Tap Attack (NY) | E Castro | 116 | S M Schwartz | 50-1 |
| 6 | Alternation (KY) | R A Dominguez | 118 | D K Von Hemel | 6-1 |
| 7 | Bold Deed (NY) | C Hill | 116 | M | 20-1 |
| 8 | Adios Charlie (FL) | R Maragh | 120 | S M Hough | 3-1 |
| 9 | Newsdad (KY) | A Garcia | 116 | W I Mott | 8-1 |
| 10 | Joe Vann (KY) | J Castellano | 120 | T A Pletcher | 5-1 |
| 11 | Monzon (MD) | J Lezcano | 118 | I Correas, IV | 15-1 |
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