Pants on Fire buckles up for Pegasus Stakes with one eye on Haskell Invitational
Major decision to be taken by trainer Kelly Breen and owners George and Lori Hall to start Pants On Fire in the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes with purse money of $200,000.
After the massive win in the 2011 Belmont Stakes by Ruler on Ice, the optimism of the trainer and both the owners spread through to Pants on Fire to display a similar type of performance and land the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes.
It will be a good work out for Pants on Fire since the Grade One Haskell Invitational is right on the corner. Expectations are high for Pants on Fire to do well since he recently landed the Louisiana Derby Grade Two and he easily stands out in the group
because of his derby winning heroics. Six horses including Pants on Fire will start in the Pegasus Stakes.
All these horses participating in the Pegasus Stakes seem to have plenty of pace about them and that shouldn’t be a problem for Pants on Fire since he has a pretty forwards style towards any race. He starts fast like an all American horse and maintains that
speed till the end. So, a pack full of pace shouldn’t be a problem for the three-year old brown colt.
Total distance of the Pegasus Stakes is 1 1/16 mile, which will take place in Monmouth. It is going to be a major preparation for Pants on Fire for the Haskell Invitational on 31 July.
Pants on Fire made a good recovery after the 2011 Kentucky Derby when he looked good to challenge the Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom for the win but faded away in the race.
Post race check up concluded that Pants on Fire’s lungs were bleeding and that is exactly why he couldn’t match strides with the other rivals at the Kentucky Derby and drop pace to minimize the pain.
He is working out fine now said trainer, Kelly Breen. He stated that we were considering to keep him inactive for a while to get a cure on his lungs by waiting but he was too keen to get out and he suddenly felt good. So, we couldn’t keep him away from the
action not even for a week and his workout was awesome the other day when he completed half a mile in just 47 seconds.
Pants on Fire certainly looks good, he’s got pace but the only problem he has, which became obvious prior to the Kentucky Derby was his stamina. That is why he was considered as a B string horse but he has come a long way and has certainly shown promise.
Pegasus Stakes will be a tester but the main focus will be to get him back to racing and prep him for the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational.
Tags: