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| Staff Writer |
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Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher showcased his mastery again on Saturday as Antiquarian delivered his fifth victory in the Gr.3 Peter Pan Stakes.
The Antiquarian, marked his fourth career start. He began in January with a second-place finish in a one-mile maiden race at Gulfstream Park. Following a successful outing at Fair Grounds on a sloppy track, he ventured onto the Kentucky Derby trail in the Gr.2 Louisiana Derby. However, Antiquarian encountered pre-race agitation, broke through the starting gate, and struggled to regain composure, ultimately finishing sixth.
"Nothing went right in Louisiana the last time," Pletcher said. "For some reason, he got anxious and broke through the gate beforehand. You know it's sometimes hard to overcome that. He came back and trained well, as he always has. We've always had confidence that the further he went, the better he would get."
The Peter Pan, serving as the local prep race for the Belmont Stakes, featured a smaller field than expected, with only six contenders.
"The main thing is we just wanted to let him get into his rhythm," Pletcher said. "He had to sacrifice some ground to do that, but he was always travelling well. He took a bit of a bump from other horses in the middle of a stretch. Johnny said it made him more competitive and kept him going."
Antiquarian, a US$220,000 yearling purchase owned by Centennial Farms, pocketed US$110,000 for his triumph, boosting his total earnings to US$173,000. Antiquarian's post-Peter Pan plan was to aim for the Belmont Stakes, slated to be a 1 1/4-mile race at Saratoga on June 8 due to Belmont Park's renovation, provided he continued to perform as expected. "That's what we were thinking coming into this, and he certainly earned his way in today if everything goes smoothly," remarked Pletcher.