Belmont Possible for Peter Pan Winner Growth Equity

Klaravich Stables' Growth Equity made a successful stakes debut with a 2-length score under Flavien Prat in the $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) May 9 at Aqueduct Racetrack. Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the Nyquist bay was second in his first two career starts, both at sprint distances. Stretched out to Aqueduct's one-turn mile March 20, Growth Equity graduated third-out by 4 1/4 lengths, validating that performance in the 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan via a stalking victory over Withers-winner Talk to Me Jimmy with grade 3-winner Trendsetter in third. "He looks good so far," Brown said of Growth Equity's status the morning of May 10. "That was a nice step forward. I was glad to see him handle two turns. I thought that he ran well. I think the runner-up is a nice horse. So, that was a nice, positive move forward. No immediate plans yet, but I was very pleased with the race." The Peter Pan is the traditional New York prep for the $2 million Belmont Stakes (G1), slated to be contested over 1 1/4 miles June 6 at Saratoga Race Course. The New York Racing Association has waived entry and starting fees to the Belmont Stakes for the first three finishers of the Peter Pan. "I'm going to see how the horse comes out of this race when we put him back under tack and out on the track," Brown said. "We'll keep an eye on (the Belmont Stakes). We'll keep it as a possibility, for sure, but it is not the only possibility." Another logical path could be the listed $125,000 Pegasus Stakes, June 13 at Monmouth Park, to the $1 million Haskell Stakes (G1) July 18, also at Monmouth. "Very well could be a good plan, I agree," Brown said. Bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm, Growth Equity was a $425,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase and is out of the grade 3-placed Wildcat Heir mare My Dear Venezuela—a half-sister to grade 2-placed multiple stakes-winner Selva. On Saturday, grade 3-winner Iron Honor and grade 1-placed Ottinho, working together, breezed a half-mile in :48 over the Belmont Park dirt training track. St. Elias Stable, William Lawrence, and Glassman Racing's Iron Honor captured the one-turn mile Gotham Stakes (G3) in February at Aqueduct ahead of a last-out troubled seventh in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) April 4. The Nyquist colt is targeting a rebound in the May 16 $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1), a 1 3/16-mile test for sophomores, held this year at Laurel Park. "That work went well. Iron Honor came out of it very well. I'd say that we are in good shape to head over and try the Preakness," Brown said. "We will give him another shot, going two turns." Three Chimneys Farm's Kentucky homebred Ottinho was the runner-up to Further Ado in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) last out April 4 at Keeneland. The Quality Road colt went to Churchill Downs later that month to train and had a minor foot issue that Brown said has since been resolved. Ottinho is possible for the Belmont Stakes. "I want to keep him as a Belmont possibility," Brown said. "I was pleased with that last effort. He had a minor issue with his foot that we discovered at Churchill, and we rectified that with a bar shoe. He seems to be very sound and moving forward again."