Monmouth Park Readies for Pegasus Stakes Showdown as Hades Looks to Bounce Back
After a promising start to his career, followed by a disappointing spring, trainer Joe Orseno is convinced that 3-year-old gelding Hades will again live up to the lofty expectations in Saturday’s $150,000 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park. The Pegasus Stakes is the final local prep for the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes on July 20, one of four stakes races featured on the 12-race Haskell preview day card.
“We were thinking something special with him early in his career and we’re back to thinking something special,” Orseno said of Hades, a Florida-bred son of Awesome Slew. “I believe that this horse is as real a 3-year-old as I have had in quite a while.”
Hades won his first three starts, highlighted by a two-length score in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3), before faltering in the Florida Derby (G1), finishing fifth. Orseno then wheeled Hades back two weeks later in the Lexington Stakes (G3), where the horse finished seventh due to a minor issue that has since been corrected.
“After the Lexington Stakes we found that he had a minor issue that was easily correctible,” Orseno explained. “So we gave him a little time off and worked on him. We believe we have him where we want him again. I’m pretty excited about seeing him race again.”
Hades has not raced since the Lexington on April 13, but his work tab suggests the horse is ready to go. His four-furlong workout on June 2 at Monmouth Park was the best of 139 horses at that distance.
Monmouth Park’s leading rider, Paco Lopez, has the mount for the Pegasus Stakes, which offers the added inducement of free start fees and entry to the top two finishers for the $1 million Haskell Stakes.
Hades will face stiff challenges from Tampa Bay Derby (G3) winner Domestic Product and Withers (G3) winner Uncle Heavy, as well as New Jersey-bred Sea Streak, who is coming off a dominant 7 1/4-length romp in the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park.
“We’re excited where he is now,” Orseno added. “He’s training fantastic. Our plan was to bring him to Monmouth Park to train and the Haskell was our summer goal. I don’t have anything mapped out after that.”
The Pegasus Stakes, as well as the Eatontown Stakes (G3), Monmouth Stakes, and Salvator Mile (G3), will all carry a purse of $150,000 on Haskell preview day at Monmouth Park.
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