The Pegasus Stakes
1 1/16 on Dirt
Purse $125.00 (plus up to $18.75 for NJ-breds)  For Three Year Olds.
Monmouth Park Racecourse, Oceanport, New Jersey

Suffering Fools from Alydar Stables looks for the proverbial hat trick in Saturday’s Pegasus Stakes. The three-year-old grey gelding won the Mine That Bird Derby in April before his win in The Long Branch BC in May. Both numbers earned from those victories put him squarely as a horse to be recognized here. Win-lose or draw, he must be dealt with. Dune Road from DJC Racing Stables ran a big one in The Wood Memorial finishing third and then had an easy sprint win at Philadelphia Park in the interim. His number and effort in The Wood, if repeated, could topple the top pick. Coach McGuirk from Mo Mentum Farm hasn’t faced the animals that the top two picks have, but he is coming around and with small numbers step forward he could play a little ball in here. Acid test time for sure for the $250 purchase. Popular Demand from Mb Stables just broke his maiden but also hails from one of the perennial leading barns in the country. This is clearly not the strongest three-year-old stakes spot of the year, so his presence in the gate can be viewed as a positive sign. Not my kind of play, but he can’t be cavalierly tossed out of the mix either.

Of The Rest:

Looting And Shooting from Night Rider Stables draws the far outside here but he might just be able to overcome it, if his rider can break a step slow and gun down to the rail, avoiding the usual outside push on this oval. If that all works out, expect one big late run to develop. I don’t see him leading these in any way, shape or form, regardless of the possible outside push.

Megabyte from Maletto on the other hand can throw down a fourty-five and change half, so given the draw he might be a run-and-gun type in here. Crazier things have happened, but his numbers are a tad shy and he has not won going two-turns.

Wally Gator from Rock Creek has been a big disappointment for the connections after spending $200 for him. However, he was gelded before his last start and responded with a win, albeit in an optional claimer in the Pacific Northwest. He might be worth adding to the underneath of your exotics. The connections certainly hope so.

Terrorizer from TwinTowers Racing has one number showing, that being the figure from his Tampa Bay Downs Derby run that fits here. The last race can be tossed because of an off track. I can’t see him toppling the top couple, but he could stay around longer in this spot if able to reproduce his career best number.

Big Dog from John Henry ran a big number in his first try with winners, albeit a tiny field and in the slop. He might be worth adding to the underneath of your exotics if the price stays juicy.

Master Of One from Winning Link Stables can be viewed as interesting here. Taken for $40 after running on the other side of the tracks to begin his career, the new connections promptly placed him into the $250 Rushaway Stakes and he responded with a decent run. His next start was an easier stakes spot that came up off, so it’s a toss out. He has been gelded since, so there is no telling what he might show on Saturday. Food for thought.

Cherokee Money from Happy Tuesday eyeballs his fourth straight victory Saturday and has been a great little story. Unfortunately, I believe this is where the story ends for now. His last number earned will need to be improved upon and he will need to do it against much tougher foes. Not impossible, but highly unlikely.

-Trackman

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded