Sunriver targets the Belmont Stakes

The field for the Preakness on Monday appeared to be growing significantly. But you still won't find Sunriver among the list of horses being considered for the middle jewel of Thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown.
Third to Barbaro in the Florida Derby, but excluded from the Kentucky Derby due to insufficient graded stakes earnings, Sunriver would have been a logical contender for the Preakness. But trainer Todd Pletcher has targeted the Belmont Stakes for Sunriver and plans to use Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan as the best way to get there.
Sunriver has not run since finishing 3 1/2 lengths behind Barbaro in the Florida Derby on April 1. Pletcher said he didn't think it was wise to run in the Preakness against Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro off a seven-week layoff.
"That's a big part of it," Pletcher said Monday from Monmouth Park, where he was checking on his string based at the Oceanport, N.J., track. "I don't mind a little extra time. I don't know that you want to go into the Preakness off a seven-week rest. The Peter Pan is a reasonably good spot and should set him up well for the Belmont."
On Sunday, Sunriver worked five furlongs in 1:00.02 over Belmont's main track.
Sunriver, a full brother to Pletcher's champion filly Ashado, won a 1 1/8-mile maiden race at Aqueduct last November, his second career start. He headed to Florida among the plethora of 3-year-olds Pletcher tried to point down the Triple Crown trail. After finishing second in an entry-level allowance race on Jan. 15 at Gulfstream, Sunriver ran seventh in the Holy Bull over a sloppy track. Pletcher took a step back with Sunriver and ran him in an allowance race on March 4 rather than the Fountain of Youth. Sunriver won that race, then finished third in the Florida Derby.
When more than 20 horses were entered for the Derby, Sunriver was excluded because he ranked 21st on the graded-stakes earnings list with $100,000.
"We wish he could have gotten a chance to run because he was doing very well," Pletcher said. "We felt like when we went to Florida he was a horse who had a chance to be a Derby horse. The Holy Bull kind of messed us up and he didn't get any graded earnings. He ran very well in the Florida Derby, which was obviously flattered by Barbaro's performance in the Kentucky Derby. Maybe it'll turn out to be a blessing. We'll take a softer route and maybe it'll pay dividends in the fall."
With such horses as Diabolical, Greeley's Legacy, and Platinum Couple now being considered for the Preakness, the field for the Peter Pan was in flux Monday. In addition to Sunriver, who will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano, others pointing to the race are Strong Contender, Hesanoldsalt, Ice N Lemon, Lewis Michael, Putonyerdancinshuz, and Testimony. Harborage and Really Indian are possible.
Source: horseracing.sportsline.com