- Growth Equity wins G3 Peter Pan, Brown will consider G1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets
- Sovereignty returns to Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track
- Reef Runner targets G1 $500K Jaipur
- Integration’s summer goal is G1 Arlington Million
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Klaravich Stables’ Growth Equity made a successful stakes debut with a two-length score under Flavien Prat in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan, a nine-furlong route for sophomores, at Belmont at the Big A.
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 on March 20, Growth Equity graduated third-out by 4 1/4 lengths, validating that performance in the Peter Pan via a stalking victory over Listed 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 Sunday morning. “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 10-furlong Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets slated for Saturday, June 6 at Saratoga Race Course. The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) 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,” said Brown. “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 NYRA Bets Pegasus on June 13 at Monmouth Park to the Grade 1, $1 million NYRA Bets Haskell on July 18 there.
“Very well could be a good plan, I agree,” said Brown.
Growth Equity earned a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure for his Peter Pan victory, showing Beyer improvement in each of his four starts thus far. Bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm, he 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 seconds flat over the Belmont Park dirt training track.
St. Elias Stable, William H. Lawrence and Glassman Racing’s Iron Honor captured the one-turn mile Grade 3 Gotham in February at Aqueduct ahead of a last-out troubled seventh in the local nine-furlong Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 4. The Nyquist bay is targeting a rebound in Saturday’s Grade 1, $2 million Preakness, 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 nine-furlong Grade 1 Blue Grass last out on April 4 at Keeneland. The Quality Road bay 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.”
Peter Brant’s Kentucky homebred Arizona Territory closed to win a 1 1/16-mile turf optional claimer by 3 1/4 lengths Saturday here. The sophomore Tapit gray colt won by that same margin in his prior 1 1/16-mile turf maiden in March at Tampa Bay Downs.
“Beautiful run yesterday,” Brown said. “He’ll be heading into a stakes race at some point. We’ll see how he bounces out of that and go from there.”
Brown said it might be too quick back for Arizona Territory to try the Grade 3, $300,000 Pennine Ridge, a 1 1/16-mile turf route on June 4 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.
Highlighted by the 158th edition of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 6, the 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will include 10 Grade 1 races among 18 graded stakes across five days of world class competition. For more information and to buy tickets, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont-stakes/.
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Sovereignty returns to Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track
Godolphin’s reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty returned to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott’s stable at Saratoga Race Course’s Oklahoma training track on Friday and visited the track Sunday morning for a gallop under exercise rider Jimmy Quispe.
The 4-year-old son of Into Mischief was accompanied to the track by Mott and his pony Rocky shortly after the 8:15 renovation break. They stood for a few minutes on the first turn before the Champion 3-Year-Old made his way to the backside to begin his one-lap gallop.
Mott said he likes what he sees from the colt as he reacquaints himself with the Oklahoma track.
“He was good, and he’s traveled up here well. He seems to continue to come the right way. With the cool air, they’ve all had too much energy here,” Mott said, with a laugh.
Sovereignty was stabled at Saratoga through much of his sophomore campaign, which included Grade 1 wins in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets and Grade 1 DraftKings Travers before shipping to Del Mar for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, a race he missed due to a fever. He returned to the races on April 18 with a prominent second to White Abarrio in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap, and trained for a short stint at Churchill Downs before heading back to the Empire State.
Sovereignty is reportedly targeting a return to Churchill Downs in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 27, where he would likely face a rematch with the multiple Grade 1-winning White Abarrio.
Sovereignty is part of a strong contingent for Mott that has arrived in Saratoga over the last few days, including multiple graded stakes-winners Damon’s Mound and Knightsbridge, and Grade 1-placed Chief Wallabee.
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Reef Runner targets G1 $500K Jaipur
Alex and JoAnn Lieblong’s millionaire Florida-homebred Reef Runner will point to the Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur on Saturday, June 6, Belmont Stakes Day, at Saratoga Race Course. The 5 1/2-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up offers a ‘Win and You’re In’ berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in October at Keeneland.
Trained by David Fawkes, the 5-year-old son of The Big Beast returned to the work tab on Saturday at Gulfstream Park for the first time since a successful trip to the Middle East where he captured the Group 2 1351 Turf Sprint in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse and landed a 1 1/2-length fourth in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint on March 28 at Meydan.
On Saturday, Reef Runner breezed a half-mile on the Tapeta in 46.90 seconds working to the outside of Send Cash, a maiden winner, who is entered on Friday at Gulfstream.
“He looks fantastic. I nominated him for the Jaipur. We’re coming,” Fawkes said. “He traveled unbelievable from Dubai. He got off the plane like I vanned him from Ocala to Miami. I gave him 3 1/2-weeks with Nick Esler in Ocala, who took great care of him for me. Nick called me and said, ‘Dave, you need to bring him back to work. He’s a wild man.’
Reef Runner posted a record of 10-3-2-3 last year for purse earnings of $378,065 but really turned a corner after a freshening and being gelded ahead of an August return in the Warrior’s Pride Overnight.
“He came back to the track and looked like a different animal. I didn’t recognize him,” Fawkes said.
In the Warrior’s Pride Overnight traveling five furlongs over firm Gulfstream turf, Reef Runner stalked from fifth position as El Apagon zipped through a half-mile in 43.53 seconds. Reylu Gutierrez tipped Reef Runner three-wide for the stretch run to take command inside the final sixteenth and score by one length in a final time of 55.10.
The winning effort earned an 88 Beyer Speed Figure, but the way he did it impressed Fawkes.
“When he won the little race here at Gulfstream, I knew we were going somewhere. I called Mr. Lieblong the minute he crossed the wire and said, ‘we’re going to California for the ‘Win and You’re In,’” Fawkes said. “I told him that this was a different animal than the one I sent to the farm and gelded. That was a really good race in fast fractions. That’s where we could see he had a bright future.”
Reef Runner promptly shipped to Del Mar for the five-furlong Green Flash Handicap on August 30 which offered a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. There, he exited post 11-of-12 under Paco Lopez but came over soon after the start into Queen Maxima with Motorious being pinched back and steadied in the process. Reef Runner made a brave run up the rail and crossed the wire first by a nose over the closing Motorious, but a stewards’ inquiry saw Reef Runner disqualified and placed second.
The talented bay made amends next out in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2 Eddie D on September 27 at Santa Anita Park, rallying from last-of-8 to score by a half-length over possible Jaipur rival Yellow Card.
Reef Runner registered a career-best 100 Beyer in the Eddie D and followed with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in November at Del Mar before returning victoriously to Gulfstream in December to complete a productive campaign in the five-furlong Listed Janus over firm footing.
Reef Runner, with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, put together a sensational run in the 1351 Turf Sprint to best the favored Lazzat by a neck, stopping the clock in 1:18.24 for 6 3/4-furlongs with a closer trip than usual over the good/firm course.
However, his last out run on the straight under William Buick in the six-furlong Al Quoz Sprint saw Reef Runner looking for a lane to run in over the good going. He dove to the rail late on and surged to finish fourth to the victorious Native Approach while a neck back of third-place familiar foe Lazzat.
“Irad couldn’t have ridden him any better. That’s why he’s the leading rider in the nation. In Dubai, we were in the middle of a desert, and it rained for five day’s straight. One thing I don’t like about horse racing is sometimes it’s just too much luck,” Fawkes said, with a laugh. “The kid [Buick] said he was looking for a turn, but I think he was looking for a good spot to run. What they call good [going] and what we call good are two worlds apart.”
Fawkes will be hoping for sunshine and firm ground in June at Saratoga, which is something Reef Runner failed to find in his lone previous outing at the Spa
when a troubled eighth in the Listed Mahony over good ground in August 2024.
“We were at John Kimmel’s yard, and it rained so hard his entire courtyard was flooded. I knew we were screwed,” Fawkes said. “This time, he should be very strong as long as the weather is good. He doesn’t like it soft.”
Good weather and a good result would see the ultra-consistent Reef Runner [24-8-5-5, $1,902,580] surpass $2 million in career earnings.
“He’s a cool dude. He’s not a real big horse, but he’s easy on himself. He’s doing everything right so far,” said Fawkes, who sent out Sheer Drama to win the 2015 Grade 1 Personal Ensign at the Spa.
Reef Runner, a full-brother to stakes-winner Big Paradise, is out of the winning Blame mare Paradise Bay – a half-sister to dual Grade 1-winning millionaire Paradise Woods. His third dam, Uforia, is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Mr. Greeley, who ran a neck second to Desert Stormer in the 1995 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Belmont Park.
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Integration’s summer goal is G1 Arlington Million
West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing’s multiple Grade 1-placed Integration captured a 1 3/16-mile outer turf optional claimer on Thursday at Belmont at Big A. Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said the 6-year-old Quality Road bay’s summer goal is the Grade 1, $1 million Arlington Million on August 1 at Colonial Downs.
“That’s what I’d like to be pointing to. He likes it down there. He’s run good down there. I’d like to get another race into him and go there,” said McGaughey. “I thought he ran well. I think we still have a little bit of work to do with him, but I was pleased with his race.”
Integration boasts a lifetime record of 17-6-4-3 with over $1.8 million in earnings. Prior to Thursday, his last win was the 11-furlong Grade 2 Red Smith in November 2024 at Aqueduct Racetrack, but his five subsequent efforts were Grade 1s. Integration hit the board in the past two runnings of the Arlington Million among six total top-level placings.
West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing’s Grade 3-winner Battle of Normandy earned a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure when a closing three-quarter-length second to Deterministic in the nine-furlong turf Grade 3 Fort Marcy on May 2 at Belmont at the Big A.
McGaughey said the 6-year-old City of Light bay is possible for the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino Manhattan, a 1 3/16-mile turf test for older horses, on June 6 Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga Race Course.
“A very good possibility for the Manhattan,” McGaughey said. “I thought he ran really good. Deterministic is a nice horse. He got an easy lead on fast turf, we just couldn’t catch him. Battle of Normandy had been training good, I wasn’t surprised he ran well.”
On Saturday at Belmont at the Big A, Lane’s End’s Cassiar was a closing one-length second behind the pacesetting Irish Maxima in the one-turn mile Grade 2 Ruffian. The 4-year-old daughter of City of Light was last-of-7 early as Irish Maxima established a large lead on the front end, with Cassiar cutting into the margin greatly in the late stages under Dylan Davis.
“I thought that was a big move. That horse had an easy lead; I was hoping a horse would take a chance and go with her a little bit. We just couldn’t catch her. Another two or three jumps, we’d get her, but I was still pleased with the effort,” McGaughey said. “I don’t know if she needs more distance, or that distance with some speed to close into. I’m sure we’ll try her a mile and an eighth somewhere along the line.”
McGaughey said that Magic Cap Stables’ Fort Washington, who worked a half-mile in 48.10 seconds with Statesman on Saturday over the Belmont Park dirt training track, will contest the Grade 3 Dinner Party on May 16 Preakness Day at Laurel Park.