Belmont Stakes on Tap for Peter Pan Victor Madefromlucky

Madefromlucky won the Peter Pan Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park to punch his ticket to the Belmont Stakes (Photo by Adam Coglianese/NYRA)
By Tom Pedulla, America’s Best Racing
ELMONT, N.Y. – Much of racing success has to do with entering a horse in the right race at the right time.
Madefromlucky had the misfortune of encountering American Pharoah in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., and again in the Arkansas Derby. It made for two very long afternoons.
With American Pharoah nowhere in sight for the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park, Madefromlucky found the competition much more to his liking and bested Conquest Curlinate by one length to establish himself as an early contender for the Belmont Stakes.
“The Belmont Stakes is something we’d talked about awhile back,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We felt he would keep going and going and going.”
Pletcher did not have the luxury of getting to know the son of Lookin At Lucky from the start of his career. The chestnut colt arrived at his barn in time for his 3-year-old campaign and showed ability in the early going.
He took his 3-year-old debut for his new trainer by a length and a half in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 4. Then it was on to Arkansas for the Rebel and a matchup with American Pharoah, the 2-year-old champion who would go on to win the Kentucky Derby.
American Pharoah dominated the Rebel by 6 1/4 lengths against runner-up Madefromlucky. The Arkansas Derby went even worse for Madefromlucky. American Pharoah dusted Far Right by eight lengths this time. Mr. Z rallied for third with Madefromlucky settling for fourth in the last major Arkansas prep for the run for the roses.
Although Madefromlucky clearly lacked the speed to contend in the Kentucky Derby and the 1 3/16-mile Preakness, Pletcher was convinced the stamina was there for him to be a fit for the 1 ½-mile Belmont.
“We wanted to find out where he fit, and the Peter Pan has historically been a good prep for the Belmont,” the trainer said of the 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan. “He earned his way in if he comes out of this well and trains accordingly.”
Madefromlucky settled into a comfortable stride in fourth position in a short five-horse field that was long on talent. Wolf Man Rocket, trained by Bob Baffert but not to be mistaken for Baffert’s American Pharoah, set a solid pace, getting the opening quarter of a mile in :23.51, the half in :46.55 and three-quarters of a mile in 1:10.33.
Javier Castellano, aboard the winner, was merely biding his time. Madefromucky launched a solid bid around the final turn to take command and edged away to win by a length. He coved the distance in 1:48.36 and paid $11.40 for a $2 win wager.
“I had a beautiful trip behind the speed horses. There was a good pace in the race,” he said. “My horse settled beautifully off the pace, and turning for home I had a clear trip. He did it the right way, switching leads at the right time and finished well.”
As far as Castellano is concerned, the Belmont will be ideal for Madefromlucky, no matter who shows up on June 6.
“He finished strong and galloped out strong,” he said. “I think it was a perfect prep for the Belmont.”
MADEFROMLUCKY SURGES CLEAR IN PETER PAN

Photo by Chelsea Durand/NYRA
Man o’ War Stakes: Twilight Eclipse has been worthy of many superlatives during his career: ultra-consistent, gritty, gallant. But now, after the 6-year-old gelding’s 24th start, he can finally be described as a Grade 1 winner.
He achieved the status that barely eluded him before when he overtook War Dancer by a hard-fought neck in this $400,000, 1 ¾-mile Man o’ War to give Javier Castellano his fourth victory of the day.
“It’s been very satisfying for everybody that’s involved and for his connections to get that Grade 1,” said trainer Tom Albertrani. “I know we’ve been beaten in a couple of spots, but he shows up every time.”
It helped that Main Sequence, Twilight Eclipse’s nemesis, is still recuperating from his journey to Dubai. Twilight Eclipse lost by a neck two him in a pair of Grade 1 races last year, the United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park and the Turf Classic Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park. He also ran third to him in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
“Without a horse like [Main Sequence] in the race,” Albertrani said, “this horse looks like a champion himself.”
For Equibase charts from Saturday at Belmont Park, click here.