Making his first start since November, Bright Future asserted his class late with a rail-skimming victory in the $155,000 Salvator Mile Stakes (G3) June 15 at Monmouth Park.
The Salvator gave trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Javier Castellano two stakes wins on the card, as Tuscan Sky captured the Pegasus Stakes two races earlier.
Favored at even money when the gates opened, Bright Future settled into a stalking rail trip under Castellano as Oscar Eclipse and Coastal Mission vied through opening fractions of :24.05 and :48.16. Never far back in the compact field, Bright Future, in tight along the fence, suddenly started falling back as the field turned for home. Unfazed by the son of Curlin 's reluctance to go with the leaders, Castellano allowed the chestnut to regain his rhythm and called upon him midway down the lane.
Bright Future responded with a powerful inside move, sweeping past a battling Coastal Mission and Movisitor late for a 1 3/4-length score.
Coastal Mission finished a neck ahead of Movisitor in third.
Campaigned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables, Bright Future ($4.20) completed the mile in a final time of 1:36.96 on a fast main track.
"I was looking for a good position and it worked out perfect," said Castellano. "He shot well out the gate for good position on the first turn but it was a really tight trip. Inside on the rail, I didn't have a lot of choices of where to go. But everybody spread out and we saw the light. He responded very well."
Bright Future enjoyed a career-best campaign as a 4-year-old that saw him land grade 1 glory in the 2023 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. He then finished sixth, beaten less than four lengths, in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita Park in his final effort of the year.
Video: Salvator Mile S. (G3)
Tuscan Sky Soars Clear in Pegasus Stakes
Tuscan Sky proved much the best down the stretch in the Pegasus Stakes for 3-year-olds and stamped his ticket to the July 20 $1 million Haskell Stakes (G1).
The $150,000 Pegasus, a local prep for the Haskell, was the first stakes win for the Spendthrift Farm-owned colt.
Considered a possible contender for the Kentucky Derby (G1) after winning his first two starts for Pletcher, Tuscan Sky finished a disappointing seventh in the April 6 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) after being steadied at the top of the lane. Pletcher regrouped with the son of Vino Rosso and outfitted him with blinkers for the Pegasus, which seemed to do the trick.
Breaking from the inside, Castellano and Tuscan Sky soon found themselves in a five-horse battle for the lead. Conceding a slight advantage to Willy D's, 2-1 shot Tuscan Sky skimmed the rail through a swift early tempo of :23.35, :46.94, and 1:11.38 before kicking clear from his rivals with a quarter-mile to run.
Kentucky Derby starter and Tampa Bay Derby (G3) winner Domestic Product, shipping in from New York, gave chase but settled for second 6 3/4 lengths behind the winner. Hades, trained by Joe Orseno, completed the trifecta.
Tuscan Sky ($6.80) ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.31 on a fast main track.
