Some of the 3-year-olds
looking for a bid to the $1 million Haskell Invitational (G1) on July 31 will
swing into action at Monmouth on Saturday, June 18, in the $200,000 Pegasus
Stakes (G3) at a mile and a sixteenth.
The Monmouth-based contingent
is expected to be led by George and Lori Hall’s Pants on Fire, who finished
ninth as one of the favorites in the Kentucky Derby. The Jump Start colt,
trained by Kelly Breen, won the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby before the Run for the
Roses.
Pants on Fire bled in the
Derby, Breen said, but the colt has been training sharply at Monmouth and will
use the Pegasus as his Haskell prep.
Rivals in the Pegasus are
expected to include the Todd Pletcher-trained Turbo Compressor, who made a big
impression at Monmouth on opening day, May 14, when he won a first-level
allowance event by 13 ½ lengths.
Trainer Justin Salusto has
nominated both Clarke Lane and Crossed the Line, and will run one of the colts.
Clarke Lane,
who raced in England as a
2-year-old, was third in the Alydar Stakes at Hollywood Park
last month. Crossed the Line raced twice at Monmouth last year, and just missed
breaking his maiden by a nose last Nov. 13.