DETERMINISTIC
After a disappointing eighth place in the Wood Memorial, Deterministic is back in the game for the Grade II Peter Pan at Aqueduct this Saturday. Trainer Christophe Clement, who successfully used the Peter Pan as a stepping stone for Tonalist’s Belmont Stakes victory in 2014, had hoped to get Deterministic into the Kentucky Derby. However, after a poor run in the Wood following a win in the Gotham, Clement had to change his strategy. Deterministic, who had a successful maiden run at Saratoga last summer, posted an impressive half-mile work in 47.10 seconds on Saturday over the Belmont Park dirt training track, a performance Clement described as “spectacular.”
Outcome: Unfortunately, Deterministic didn’t manage to make a significant impact and finished fifth out of six. The winner was Antiquarian, who will now proceed to the Belmont at Saratoga on June 8.
NATIONS PRIDE
Nations Pride is set to make his 2024 debut in the Grade II Man o’ War at Aqueduct this Saturday. He ended 2023 with a seventh-place finish in the Bahrain International Trophy, a rare off-the-board result for a horse with a 9-2-1 record from 15 starts and over $2.5 million in career purse earnings. His victories last year included the Canadian International at Woodbine and the Group 1 Bayerisches Zuchtrennen at Munich Racecourse in Germany. In 2022, as a 3-year-old, Nations Pride won the Saratoga Derby Invitational and the Jockey Club Derby Invitational at Belmont Park.
Outcome: Nations Pride managed to take the lead at the quarter pole, but soon after, he lost it to stablemate Silver Knott and finished third.
WHITEBEAM
Whitebeam, trained by Chad Brown, was the surprise winner of the five-horse Grade I Diana at Saratoga last year, despite having the longest betting odds of all the Brown horses. She is now the even-money favorite for the Grade III Beaugay at Aqueduct this Saturday, where she will be making her 2024 debut.
Outcome: In a thrilling finish, Whitebeam and Spirit and Glory battled it out down the stretch, only to be overtaken just before the wire by Neecie Marie, thanks to a perfectly timed ride by Joel Rosario. Whitebeam finished second by a neck.
CONFIDENCE GAME
Confidence Game, with odds of 12-1, is the underdog in a seven-horse allowance optional claiming race at Churchill Downs Park this Saturday. He is aiming to hit the board for the first time since winning the Rebel at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 25 of last year, a victory that earned him a spot in the Kentucky Derby. I wrote about this horse last year because one of his owners, Rob Slack, a native of Glens Falls and resident of Lake George, had a dream of watching Confidence Game run in the Travers at Saratoga. However, after finishing 10th in the Derby, trainer Keith Desormeaux decided to give him some time off. Confidence Game started 2024 with a fifth-place finish in the Louisiana Stakes in January. Among the horses he’ll face on Saturday is Hit Show, who was fifth in last year’s Derby.
Outcome: Confidence Game faded to sixth place, while Hit Show emerged as the winner as the even-money betting favorite.
Disagree – Deterministic is a strong contender and can bounce back from a poor performance. #deterministic #PeterPan #horseracing
Disagree – Deterministic has the potential to surprise everyone this weekend and come back stronger than ever. #PeterPan #horseracing