Pegasus Stakes 2024: Odds and analysis for Haskell prep

The $150,000 Pegasus Stakes, which is the final local prep race for the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Stakes on July 21, drew a field of eight 3-year-olds for the 1 1/16-mile race Saturday at Monmouth Park. The top two finishers in the Pegasus earn a free entry and start fees to the Haskell Stakes.

The Pegasus is part of Haskell preview day, which includes three graded-stakes races. In addition to the Pegasus, the Eatontown Stakes (G3) for older fillies and mares is the prep for the Matchmaker (G3), the Salvator Mile (G3) is linked to the Monmouth Cup (G3) for the handicap division, and the Monmouth Stakes (G3) preps for the older male turf division in the United Nations (G1).

The Pegasus field has three Grade 3 winners, six horses who raced on the Kentucky Derby trail and the 13th place finisher from the run for the roses.

Here is a full-field analysis for the Pegasus Stakes with morning-line odds from the Horse Racing Nation staff. The Pegasus is scheduled as race 10 of 12 with post time set for 5:42 p.m. EDT.

1. Tuscan Sky, 5-2. Vino Rosso – Todd Pletcher / Javier Castellano – 3: 2-0-0 – $100,500. Tuscan Sky was a debut winner at Aqueduct in January by more than five lengths. He then won an allowance at Fair Grounds by two lengths racing around two turns. He was last seen running seventh in the Wood Memorial (G2) after having to steady at the top of the stretch. Blinkers go on the son of Vino Rosso. Use underneath.

2. Just Step On It, 20-1. Accelerate – Louis Linder Jr. / Dexter Haddock – 8: 2-2-0 – $91,150. Just Step On It began his career racing at Del Mar in maiden claimers. He got his first victory in his fourth start, which was against New York-breds at Aqueduct in January. Just Step On It won an allowance at Parx in the following month. Since then, the best that the son of Accelerate could do was a fourth-place finish. Just Step On It was a supplemental nomination for the Pegasus. Toss.

3. Otello, 10-1. Curlin – Christophe Clement / Kendrick Carmouche – 4: 2-0-0 – $147,120. Otello won the first two starts of his career in a maiden at Aqueduct as a 2-year-old and the Mucho Macho Man on Jan. 1. He made two stops on the Derby trail in the Holy Bull (G3) and the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), finishing sixth and ninth. Toss.

4. Willy D’s, 12-1. Lookin At Lucky – Greg Compton / Joe Bravo – 9: 2-2-0 – $105,259. Willy’s D began his career with a victory on the turf at Delaware Park in September. He tried a pair of stakes races, running second in the Advent at Oaklawn. After a series of five allowances in Arkansas, he moved back to Delaware at win an allowance by almost nine lengths with a front-end effort as the favorite. Toss.

5. Hades, 6-1. Awesome Slew – Joe Orseno / Paco Lopez – 5: 3-0-0 – $256,650. Hades won the first three starts of his career, beginning with a win in a maiden optional claimer. He won an allowance for Florida-breds by eight lengths and won the Holy Bull by the same large margin. The son of Awesome Slew did not fare as well in the Florida Derby (G1) and the Lexington (G3), losing by large margins both times. Since then, trainer Joe Orseno moved Hades to Monmouth to train. Win contender.

6. Uncle Heavy, 8-1. Social Inclusion – Robert Reid Jr. / TBA – 6: 3-0-0 – $323,580. Uncle Heavy won three of his first four starts, moving from a maiden win at Parx to a stakes race for Pennsylvania-breds and then on the Kentucky Derby trail in the Withers (G3) at Aqueduct. He stepped up to the Wood and the Preakness, where he finished fifth and then sixth. He had fast workouts before the Preakness and in preparation for this race. Win contender.

7. Domestic Product, 9-5. Practical Joke – Chad Brown / Flavien Prat – 6: 2-1-0 – $314,200. Domestic Product was in the shadow of Sierra Leone in Chad Brown’s barn on the Kentucky Derby trail. Domestic Product broke his maiden at Aqueduct in October and then ran in the very strong edition of the Remsen (G2) in which Dornoch was victorious over Sierra Leone. The son of Practical Joke earned a spot in the Kentucky Derby with a second in the Holy Bull and a win in the Tampa Derby (G3). Last seen, he had a troubled start in the run for the roses and finished 13th. Win contender.

8. Sea Streak, 6-1. Sea Wizard – Eddie Owens Jr. / Jairo Rendon – 7: 2-3-1 – $199,110. Sea Streak debuted at Monmouth last summer in the Smoke Glacken and finished second behind fellow New Jersey-bred Book’em Danno, the recent winner of the Woody Stephens (G1) in the Belmont at Saratoga racing festival. Sea Streak moved to Aqueduct and beat a field of 12 to break his maiden easily. He was sent to Gulfstream Park for the winter to take a shot on the Derby trail. The son of Sea Wizard was second in an allowance, seventh in the Holy Bull and second in a March allowance. Last month, he was an open-length winner of the Long Branch, which was a prep race for the Pegasus and earned him a spot in the Haskell. Top choice.

Summary: An interesting field of eight was drawn for the Pegasus Stakes with a pair of free entries into the Haskell on the line. There are graded-stakes winners and horses who we got to know on the Kentucky Derby trail in this prep race for Monmouth Park’s signature event.

Only two horses were winners in their most recent races, and the New-Jersey bred Sea Streak turned in the best performance of his career when he won the Long Branch at Monmouth last month with a pace-pressing trip. He took the lead after six furlongs and drew off to win by more than seven lengths. In addition, his trainer Eddie Owens Jr. is winning at a gaudy 56 percent at the current meeting. Sea Streak will be the top choice.