Pegasus Stakes 2013 at Monmouth Park

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - Monmouth Park on the Jersey Shore will be the scene of the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes this Sunday, June 16. Three year olds will be featured as they race 1 1/8 miles on Monmouth Park's dirt track for a purse of $150,000.

The Pegasus Stakes, an important prep race for the $1 million Haskell Invitational has attracted a strong field of seven three year olds for race 11 on Monmouth Park's Sunday card. Post time is 6:00 PM. Let's take a look at the past performances of all seven combatants for this Grade 3 stakes - two of which were considered Triple Crown contenders early in 2013.

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2013 Pegasus Stakes Race Favorites

Verrazano - Todd Pletcher's trained colt has just one bad start and that happened to come on the biggest stage - a fourteenth place finish last time out as one of the favorites in the Kentucky Derby. He made his stakes debut with an impressive score with 101 Beyer Speed Figure in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby March 9 after two starts and two more wins - an impressive Allowance Optional Claiming by 16 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream February 2 with a Beyer Speed figure of 105 and a MSW score by 7 3/4 lengths in his debut January 1 also at Gulfstream. He also won the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct April 6 in the leadup to the Derby. He has won four of five career starts and will be looking to rebound from his lone poor performance in the Derby. He starts from the rail as the likely morning line favorite.

Itsmyluckyday - was last seen finishing a very good second in the Preakness Stakes behind Oxbow May 18 as the fifth choice at 10-1. He also had a second behind Orb in the Florida Derby which followed a win over Shanghai Bobby by two lengths in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes January 26. But he wasn't good in the Kentucky Derby - a fifteenth place finish took some luster off this colt. Trainer Eddie Plesa has an impressive speedster on his hands despite - two wins and two seconds in five starts this year and five wins in 12 career starts.

Pegasus Stakes 2013 | Remaining Field Entries

Reporting Star - won his career debut but finished off the board in the two minor stakes races that followed - a fourth in the Arthur Appleton Juvenile Turf at Calder in November and a fifth in the Dania Beach Stakes here December 15. In 2013 he has raced four times and finished second in all - an Allowance Optional Claiming February 9, the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes March 3, the Calder Derby April 6 and the Mambo Meister Stakes last time out May 12. Reporting Star is a coupled entry for trainer Kathleen O'Connell along with...

Kanturk Kid - broke maiden in his career debut but it took another four starts before he tasted victory again - a very nice win in the minor Arthur I. Appleton Juvenile Turf Stakes at Calder in November. 2013 hasn't been great for the Kathleen O'Connell trained colt - a seventh in the Journeyman Stud Sophomore Turf Stakes April 6 and a fourth last time out in the Mambo Meister Stakes at Calder May 12.

Pegasus Stakes betting at Monmouth Park with OffTrackBetting.com

Gefest - had a respectable third last time out in his graded stakes debut - the Grade 3 Arlington Classic Stakes May 25 after an Allowance score at Keeneland April 24. He has two wins, a second and two third place finishes in nine career starts but has placed in his last three overall. Although not the biggest name Gefest enters in some decent form.

Edge of Reality - Anthony Dutrow trained colt has four career starts - all this year. He is coming off an Allowance score at Parx May 11 after a second in a similar race April 8. He broke maiden in his career debut in January and followed that with his worst career result - a seventh in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Gulfstream in February.

Bethel - has raced a staggering 12 times in 2013 already with two wins, two seconds and two third place finishes. He is coming off an Allowance score June 10 after a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming May 31. Bethel has placed in four of his last five starts but has never placed above ninth in graded stakes action.