By J. Keeler Johnson (“Keelerman”) Twitter: @J_Keelerman
Saturday’s $150,000 Pegasus S. at Monmouth Park may not have the wallet and prestige of last week’s $1.5 million Belmont S. (G1), but the 1/16-mile event did smoke a quality yard filled with promising horses.
Pegasus acts as a local stepping stone towards Haskell S. (G1) at Monmouth, and it was clearly a good prep race as two of the last three Haskell winners (Mandaloun and Maximum Security) starting in Pegasus.
One of the obvious candidates in Pegasus 2022 is # 7 Dash Attack, a two-time bet winner coached by Kenny McPeek. Munnings’ son won his first one-mile race at Oaklawn Park last December, then followed with a decisive two-stage score ahead of future runner-up Arkansas Derby (G1) Barber Road in Smarty Jones S. a mile of Oaklawn.
Dash Attack subsequently failed in a three-stakes ranking on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, placing fifth in the Southwest S. (G3), seventh in the Rebel S. (G2) and sixth in the tournament. Lexington S. (G3). But he was right back into winning form at the mile-long and 70-yard Branch S. at Monmouth last month, going from pace to speed to dominate more than half of Gotham’s runner-up. S. (G3) in Dean’s List. .
There are several ways to interpret the up and down form of a Dash Attack. He probably struggled while competing with graded stakes, in which case the unclassified Pegasus would be an ideal fit for the chestnut pony.
On the other hand, maybe the Dash Attack is something of a wet track expert. He eats 3 against 3 on closed tracks and 0 eats 3 when going fast. With sunny weather in the forecast As for Monmouth, I’m tempted to oppose the Dash Attack in Pegasus.
Who are the other key candidates? #4 Reliability definitely guarantee respect. His first two starts on dirt track yielded junior scores and squeezing allowances in the Aqueduct, and then he ran well into the ranking competition for Peter Pan S. (G3) at Belmont Park. Racing through a closed track, Electability watched the eventual winner elope with People before undermining the runner to finish third with 10 1/4 lengths.
Voting odds are squared against the easier Pegasus competitions and could appreciate a roughly two-turn stretch for jockey Manny Franco and coach Chad Brown, who have joined 18-36 (50%) in the last two months.
But even though Electability guarantees respect, I am tempted to give up my support #2 Brew House. His race record to date is in stark contrast to Dash Attack, where Home Brew is 0 to 2 on the track and 3 to 3 when running fast.
Home Brew looked like a potential Kentucky Derby candidate when wiring for claimants the option to allow a mile equal to 3 3/4 of the length at Oaklawn Park last fall. But he went out on the sidelines after finishing 10th on a sloppy, tight-lipped track in Smarty Jones S., where he started as the favorite but struggled over home 8 stages after Dash Attack.
Fortunately, Home Brew made a successful comeback in the 1/8 round of Oaklawn S. 4 length.
Home Brew has been training intensely since Oaklawn S. Jockey Florent Geroux (a 33% winner in partnership with Cox over the past two months) picking mounts, so I’m optimistic that Home Brew will make a performance. Another victory in Pegasus.
For small prizes, we will aim for #3 Mr. Jefferson as a live long photograph. Sons of the Constitution went up against some mighty tough opponents (including classic winners Mo Donegal and Early Voting) while competing for five consecutive stakes. Two starts back, he rallied to finish second with his head at 1/8 mile 1 1/8 Federico Tesio S. at Laurel Park, only to be trailed by winner James W. Murphy S. followed by Joe beat a head. A return to form like that could put Jefferson on the hunt for a third in the top three with solid odds in Pegasus.
Option:
First: Home Brew
Monday: Voting ability
Tuesday: Mr. Jefferson
Wednesday: Dash Attack
Now it’s your turn! Who do you like in Pegasus?
*****
Want to test your beating skills against other Unlock Winners readers? Test Unlock the Winner contest page—There is a new challenge every week! (Please note: older entries can be found here.)
J. Keeler Johnson (also known as “Keelerman”) is a writer, cinematographer, voice actor, disabled, and horse racing enthusiast. A huge fan of racing history, he considers Dr Fager the greatest racehorse ever made in America, but considers Zenyatta his all-time favorite.
