Peter Pan

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Nine sophomores will contest the one-turn, 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan S. (G2) over the Belmont main
oval on Saturday. We found that this field
lacks early pace and many of the top contenders in here are using this contest
as a mere prep for the Belmont S. (G1) in four weeks, so we’ll look for an
upset.

GOLDEN SPIKES (Seeking the Gold) has a wealth of early speed and should find
this trip right up his alley, and we like him to be the one to beat turning for
home. The Marty Wolfson trainee exits a key race of sorts when a strong second
in the Illinois Derby (G2), and he’s trained well in the interim. We love the
rider upgrade to Edgar Prado and the way the Kentucky-bred improved with
blinkers removed last out, and we envision him tracking in second to the lane
before taking command.

Japanese shipper CASINO DRIVE (Mineshaft) was bet down to 1-5 odds in his
debut and rolled home a double-digit winner, so the chestnut should not be taken
lightly in here. Conditioned by Kazuo Fujisawa, the three-quarters brother to
reigning Belmont S. (G1) heroine Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy) is undoubtedly using
this race as a stepping stone to this year’s Belmont, but his connections
wouldn’t have come this far if their colt didn’t have talent and we feel that he
is live in this spot. We’re more than intrigued with the decision to use Kent Desormeaux as a pilot.

COSMIC (El Prado [Ire]) has been sharp in 2008, posting two wins
and a second for trainer Shug McGaughey. The gray colt still showed greenness in a recent
allowance prep at Aqueduct and might be more of a two-turn animal, but he’ll
be making his debut at his home base and rarely runs a bad one. We expect a
midpack trip to the stretch under Javier Castellano.

Peruvian dual classic winner TOMCITO (Street Cry [Ire]) is another who is using
this as a springboard to bigger things next month. Trained by Dante Zanelli
Jr., the bay colt impressed some with a last-to-third move in the Florida Derby
(G1) and ran fairly well in the Lexington S. (G2) when beaten by fewer than four
lengths. The Kentucky-bred certainly belongs here, and if he can accelerate at
this distance, he surely will have a top three chance. Cornelio Velasquez has the
call. 

READY’S ECHO (More Than Ready) will be making his third start of the year and
his first in a stakes event for Todd Pletcher, and the late-running ridgling has
a big chance for the gimmicks. A visually impressive second in his career debut
at Saratoga last summer, the dark bay easily took his seasonal debut and
followed that with a solid second in an allowance at Keeneland. John Velazquez
will be aboard the Bluegrass-bred, who would benefit from a robust pace.

MINT LANE (Maria’s Mon) looks like the speed of the race and will attempt to
take this field all the way on the lead for Jimmy Jerkens. The improving bay was
a close second in the Federico Tesio S. and is bred to handle this trip, but he won’t
likely have a breather at any point in the contest and could tire in the
lane. The impeccably bred SPARK CANDLE (A.P. Indy), stable companion to Casino
Drive, is clearly the less heralded of the Fujisawa entry but is a talented
sophomore in his own right. Possible for the Belmont with a top effort in here,
the chestnut flopped in his lone dirt try and we can’t put him on top, but a
finish anywhere else in the field would not surprise us. Jorge Chavez will guide
the Kentucky-bred.

FAST TALKING (Hennessy) tired to fifth in the recent Tesio and steps
up in class for this one, so we’ll look elsewhere. Tesio third DEPUTYVILLE
(Deputy Warlock) will make his second start for conditioner Gary Contessa but
has yet to prove that he belongs with this type.