Monmouth’s first real test for the $1 million Izod Haskell
Invitational (G1 on Aug. 1) has arrived, and Saturday’s $200,000 Pegasus Stakes
(G3) will go a long way toward separating the contenders from the pretenders.
The mile and a sixteenth test drew a field of six, and while the list may be
short, the competition is deep in the Pegasus.
Jackson Bend and Schoolyard Dreams come out of Triple Crown races; Soaring
Empire exits a key race in the Dwyer Stakes that produced the one-two finishers
in the Belmont Stakes; Afleet Again is a graded stakes winner; Afleet Express
is a lightly raced 3-year-old with a future; Nacho Friend has a win over the
track and license to improve.
“It’s a very competitive race,” said Cam Gambolati, trainer of Soaring Empire.
“There are some very nice horses in there. The question is, who’s going to step
up to the next level.”
Soaring Empire has several positives going for him. First of all, the son of
Empire Maker broke his maiden over the Monmouth track in his first start last
year. Second, he was competitive in the Dwyer on May 8, just his fifth lifetime
start. He’s also been working bullets at Monmouth with regular rider Eddie
Castro aboard.
“This is a good test for him,” Gambolati said. “All the signs are positive. The
best thing is that I can just walk him over there. No shipping involved. He can
be a funny horse at times.”
One other positive that Soaring Empire has going for him is his trainer.
Gambolati knows what to do with a good 3-year-old, as he demonstrated in 1985
when Spend a Buck won the Kentucky Derby and Haskell and went on to be
3-year-old champion.
Trainer Derek Ryan, who was forced to give up his Haskell dream last year when
Musket Man went to the sidelines after running third in the Preakness, is on
the big race trail again this season with Schoolyard Dreams.
The colt by Stephen Got Even was beaten a nose in the Tampa Bay Derby, and then
ran fourth in the Wood Memorial. Last out, he was a fading ninth behind Lookin
At Lucky in the Preakness.
“I was optimistic going into that race,” Ryan said. “But he didn’t run well. No
excuses.
“What I do know is that he has to win the Pegasus to go to the Haskell,” the
trainer said.
“If he doesn’t win, we’ll know where we stand, and we’ll
plan another route away from the big races.”
Schoolyard Dreams has been training well at Monmouth for this test, and for the
first time in his career will be ridden by the same jockey two races in a row.
Last out in the Preakness, Eibar Coa became the colt’s seventh different rider
in seven starts. Coa gets a return call for the Pegasus.