Peter Pan Stakes (Belmont Park) Predictions, Picks & Betting Odds 2022

Check out our predictions and odds for the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park!

Best Bets for the Peter Pan Stakes

Here are my plays ($50 in total)

$10 Exacta Box – Set Sail and We the People = $20

$10 Exacta Part Wheel – Set Sail over We the People, Western River and Electability = $30

If you’re playing only to win, go with my top pick Set Sail (7/2)

On a two-race winning streak, the Chad Brown-trained Electability could wind up favored in a wide open edition of the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes, as eight sophomores look to punch their ticket to the Belmont Stakes in four weeks.

A son of Quality Road, he finished out of the money in his lone start as a juvenile, which came on the grass, but has been perfect this year, winning both of his starts on the main track on Aqueduct.

Even more lightly raced, Set Sail should also attract plenty of support in the 9 furlong Peter Pan. Trained by Richard Mandella, the Malibu Moon colt finished third in his debut in February, but was an impressive winner last out.

That victory came on March 27 at Santa Anita, where he dominated a one-mile maiden race by more than seven lengths.

We the People was no match last time to the likes of Cyberknife, Barber Road and Secret Oath last time in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, but before that the son of Constitution won his first two career starts at Oaklawn Park by daylight.

Also coming from Oaklawn will be Western River. The late runner is a full brother to Belmont Stakes winner Creator, and comes off a going away maiden win six weeks ago. Like We the People, he is trained by Rudolphe Brisset.

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Race Analysis

Electability

It’s not clear who will be favored in this race, but this son of Quality Road from a powerhouse barn is as good a guess as any. He is undefeated this season and unbeaten in two career races on the dirt. In both races he showed good tactical speed and gamely got to the wire first.

Having said that, neither race had a whole lot of wow factor, so I do think he will need to take another step forward to win here. Trained by Chad Brown, that’s certainly possible. He is clearly a threat in his stakes debut, but I do like a couple of others slightly better.

We the People

One of two in the field coming out of a Grade 1 race, this son of Constitution did not fare well in the Arkansas Derby. Washy before the race and hung out wide early, he had little left when the real running began. Undeterred, his connections will give him another graded stakes here.

Considering how good he looked in winning his first two career starts, I believe he deserves the shot and can contend in here. I am also willing to believe that he was spent early in the Arkansas Derby and can bounce back nicely on Saturday.

Likely to be in contention early under Flavien Prat, I like him second best in the Peter Pan.

Set Sail

The least experienced horse in the race might have the most potential moving forward. With plenty of class throughout his pedigree, he had a decent enough debut before turning heads with a dominant win going a flat mile second time out at Santa Anita.

The wire-to-wire victory should set the LNJ Foxwoods homebred up perfectly for this one-turn race at Belmont. Breaking from the rail, look for rider Joel Rosario to use his early speed to be forwardly placed from the start in his stakes debut.

In the hands of a master in Richard Mandella, I believe he has a big upside. He is the top pick

Western River

It looks like they want to get Creator’s full brother a shot in the Belmont Stakes and this will be the prep. If he is to run a big race here, he will need to stay in touch early, as to date he has shown no early speed.

Having said that, he is clearly getting better and might be beginning to live up to his fancy pedigree. I also like his recent works at Keeneland since winning at Oaklawn. He is definitely one to keep an eye on, but my feeling is that he will have a tough time getting up for the win in this one-turn test.

Golden Glider

This will be the fourth consecutive graded stakes try for the Mark Casse-trained son of Ghostzapper. After finishing a non-threatening fifth in the Sam F. Davis, he did improve to finish fourth in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and then fourth last time in the Grade 1 Blue Grass.

With Zandon winning the Blue Grass, this will be a drop down in class for him, but he wasn’t really a match for the third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby. He’s a threat considering who has faced of late, but I am not thrilled with his chances against some interesting up and comers in here.

Complete Agenda

This well-bred son of Curlin and the graded stakes winner Constellation has been a touch slow to come around, but he was able to finally break his maiden last time in his fifth try.  It came in a 9 furlong maiden race at Aqueduct and the final time was nothing to write home about.

He is eligible to continue improving for trainer Todd Pletcher, but cutting back to one-turn against this bunch seems like a difficult spot. Perhaps he will become a stakes winner down the road, but I am going to pass on him here.

State Planning

This New York-bred son of Liam’s Map has been on a steady incline since finishing way back in his career debut back in January. He’s won his last two nicely, but both came against fellow state-breds at Aqueduct.

With the improvement of late, I cannot completely dismiss him here in his stakes debut, but the jump up in class looks like a serious hill for him to climb on Saturday.

Cooke Creek

After running in the money in both the Nashua and the Jerome, this son of Uncle Mo stepped up in class in the Grade 3 Withers and finished far behind the impressive winner Early Voting.

If you can forgive the effort, perhaps he can bounce back with an improved effort, but the Nashua and Jerome horses have not impressed since. He gets blinkers on here, so he might show more speed this time, but he still looks like an outsider to me.

How to Watch the Peter Pan Stakes