Alternation arrives in time for Peter Pan win

Alternation (outside) edged Adios Charlie in the Peter Pan for his first stakes win (Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos) The Pin Oak homebred ALTERNATION (Distorted Humor) showed enough promise over the winter at Oaklawn Park to be considered a classic prospect, but difficulties in a pair of Kentucky Derby (G1) preps kept him out of the picture for last week’s first leg of the Triple Crown. On Saturday at Belmont Park, in the $200,000 Peter Pan S. (G2), Alternation possibly put himself back on the classic map by nipping Adios Charlie (Indian Charlie) by a head in the 1 1/8-mile feature which typically serves as a tune-up for the June 12 Belmont S. (G1). Biding his time in mid-pack under Ramon Dominguez, Alternation began to advance approaching the quarter pole as Adios Charlie was about to seize command from long-time leader Bold Deed (Anasheed). The latter had posted splits of :23 3/5, :47 and 1:11 4/5, but was out of gas at the top of the stretch as Adios Charlie, who had alternated between second and third down the long backstretch run, forged to the lead.

Adios Charlie, the 3-1 favorite off a win in the Jerome S. (G2) at Aqueduct,
opened up a two-length advantage inside the final furlong with only Alternation
to fend off. However, the long-striding Donnie Von Hemel charge would not be
denied under strong urging by Dominguez. Alternation finished up in 1:49 2/5
over the fast main track and paid $9.40, $4.40 and $3.20 as the 7-2 second
choice.

“I was very impressed,” Dominguez said. “He’s a beautiful, big animal and
they told me before the race, ‘you’ll be surprised — when you ask him, you’ll
get horse right away. It’s not like he takes a couple strides.’ It was good to
see that as big as he is, he’s also got tactical speed and more than one gear.”

Adios Charlie was well clear for second, 4 1/2 lengths ahead of 8-1 chance
Prime Cut (Bernstein). Fourth was Joe Vann (Silver Deputy), who was followed by
Bold Deed, Monzon (Thunder Gulch), Beer Meister (Pleasant Tap), Newsdad (Arch),
Uncle Brent (Pioneering) and Tap Attack (Tapit). Isn’t He Perfect (Pleasantly
Perfect) was scratched in advance of a possible tilt at next week’s Preakness S.
(G1).

Von Hemel said Alternation would return to his base at Arlington Park, “but
we’ll certainly keep all of our options open.”

Stanley Hough, the trainer of Adios Charlie, said his colt would race once
more before the July 30 Jim Dandy S. (G2) or the Haskell Invitational (G1) the
following day.

Third in his six-furlong debut at Remington Park last November, Alternation
successfully stretched out around two turns to break his maiden by seven lengths
the following month. He next captured two allowances at Oaklawn Park, the latter
versus older horses, but was a late scratch from the Rebel S. (G2) in March when
he got tangled up in the starting gate. He entered the April 16 Arkansas Derby
(G1) off a layoff of nearly two months, trailed the field of 13 most of the way
and advanced to fifth by the finish, 6 1/4 lengths behind Archarcharch. With
this initial stakes score, Alternation improved his career mark to 6-4-0-1,
$215,004.

Produced by the multiple stakes-winning, and Grade 2-placed, Alternate
(Seattle Slew), Alternation is a half-brother to the juvenile colt Quick Change
(Awesome Again), the yearling filly Transportation (Giant’s Causeway) and the
2011 filly Interrupted (Broken Vow). Alternate is half-sister to Canadian Horse
of the Year Peaks and Valleys (Mt. Livermore).

This female family has produced the likes of champion turf mare Forever
Together (Belong to Me), Grade 2 winners Broken Vow (Unbridled) and Eleusis
(Diesis [GB]), and Grade 3 victors Equality (Mt. Livermore), Cryptograph
(Cryptoclearance), Winged Victory (Nijinsky II) and Radical Riley (Wheaton).