At the moment, the 3-year-old gelding Trendsetter is not nominated to the Triple Crown.
Yet that could change based on what happens May 9 in the $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack.
A traditional steppingstone to the Belmont Stakes (G1), the 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan for 3-year-olds could convince the Kentucky-bred's owners to ante up the $50,000 supplemental nomination fee to run in the final leg of the Triple Crown.
"We'd have to think about it, for sure," trainer Ben Colebrook said.
Owned by Davant Latham, the Modernist gelding comes off a 2 1/4-length victory in the Lexington Stakes (G3), a 1 1/16-mile test at Keeneland that served as the final points race for the Kentucky Derby (G1).
He was third before that on an all-weather surface in the Rushaway Stakes and fourth in the Spectacular Bid Stakes at Laurel Park.
"It seems like he's really an improving horse. He's never been much of a work horse, but his last work after the race was really good," Colebrook said. "Hopefully, he's an improving type and we can have some fun with him this summer."
Aqueduct's winter/spring 3-year-old stakes were a mixed bag for Talk to Me Jimmy, who won the 1 1/8-mile Withers Stakes in February by 11 lengths in front-running fashion and then faded in the stretch to finish eighth by 4 1/2 lengths in the April 4 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2).
A key factor in the Wood was that the New York-bred son of Modernist drew post 2, right next to the very speedy Napoleon Solo. They raced together on the lead through opening fractions of :22.92 and :47.30 that set the stage for the top three finishers to close from eighth, 11th, and 10th, respectively, in the field of 12.
After giving some consideration to running in the Preakness Stakes (G1), the connections opted for the shorter Peter Pan where there will be a more favorable pace scenario in a field of six Saturday.
"We're very happy with the way everything is coming up," said trainer Rudy Rodriguez, who owns the colt along with SEI Thoroughbreds and Michael Imperio. "We're taking a chance, but this is the best spot for us. It's a race that could set us up for the summer."
With a strong effort in the Peter Pan, the $31,000 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale buy could be bound for the Derby ... the New York Derby for state-breds July 13 at Finger Lakes as opposed to the Belmont.
Klaravich Stables' Growth Equity comes into the Peter Pan off a maiden win in his third career start for five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, but has displayed the kind of promise to be a factor in stakes company.
The son of Nyquist scored by 4 1/4 lengths at the Big A in a March 20 maiden special weight race at a mile, earning a solid speed figure that should make him a main factor Saturday.
A $425,000 Keeneland purchase, he was second in his two previous starts.
Peachtree Stable and Mark Corrado's Bull by the Horns beat Trendsetter when the son of Essential Quality won the Rushaway, but before that he was beaten by nearly 20 lengths on dirt in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
Belmont at the Big A, Saturday, May 9, 2026, Race 9Entries: Peter Pan S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Trendsetter (KY) Kazushi Kimura 123 Ben Colebrook - 2 Azam (KY) Jose Lezcano 123 Jose Francisco D'Angelo - 3 Growth Equity (KY) Flavien Prat 123 Chad C. Brown - 4 Bull by the Horns (KY) Micah J. Husbands 123 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. - 5 Talk to Me Jimmy (NY) Manuel Franco 123 Rudy R. Rodriguez - 6 Gulfy (KY) Kendrick Carmouche 123 Gustavo Rodriguez -
