While the Triple Crown races consume most of the oxygen surrounding 3-year-old racehorses every spring, the Peter Pan Stakes nestled between the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve and the Preakness Stakes also warrants mention as an important stakes race in the division.

The Peter Pan served as the steppingstone to Belmont Stakes success for Tonalist in 2014 and Arcangelo in 2023. In 2020, the 1 1/8-mile race was the first career stakes win for Country Grammer, the 2022 Dubai World Cup winner who earned more than $14.9 million in his career. This year’s edition drew 10 entrants, including several coming out of prep races on the Triple Crown trail as well as a handful of promising prospects making their stakes debut Saturday at the Belmont at the Big A meet.

1. Vassimo (5-1 morning-line odds): After two impressive races to begin his career, he tried the Kentucky Derby trail and was unplaced and well-beaten in the Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes and Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. The Peter Pan did not draw much speed, so he should be better positioned in the early stages and could be a threat at his best.

JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

2. Happily Delusional (20-1): He’s won once in eight starts and is unplaced in his only two tries in stakes races, one at Parx Racing in March and the other at Laurel Park in April. He faces better competition here and the speed figures indicate this is a tall mountain to climb.

JOCKEY: Paco Lopez; TRAINER: Louis Linder Jr.

3. Surfside Moon (8-1): Ran well at this track and distance when second to fellow Peter Pan entrant Captain Cook in the Withers Stakes Feb. 1 but seemed to regress when beaten by 3 ¼ lengths in the Federico Tesio Stakes April 19 at Laurel Park. Filling out the trifecta probably his ceiling against this group.

JOCKEY: Junior Alvarado; TRAINER: James Lawrence II

4. Hill Road (5-2): A deep closer, he turned some heads when rallying for third at 61.10-1 odds in the 2024 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by TAA. Hill Road again finished third in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby in his 3-year-old bow and is eligible to improve in his second race, but there is not much speed entered to set up his closing kick.

JOCKEY: Flavien Prat; TRAINER: Chad Brown

5. McAfee (8-1): Finished fifth in both the Gotham Stakes and Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino after showing some talent with a win and a second in two starts as a 2-year-old. Speed figures indicate this half-sibling (same dam [mother], different sire (father)] to Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna should be competitive but he was beaten by eighth lengths or more in his previous stakes tries. Adding blinkers here could sharpen his focus.

JOCKEY: John Velazquez; TRAINER: Rick Dutrow Jr.

6. Uncaged (8-1): Took a nice step forward in his most-recent start going a mile on this main track, overcoming some adversity on his way to a 1 ¾-length win. He will need further improvement here to win his stakes debut, but there is room for him to do just that in his third start of the year and the fourth race of his career. Interesting …

JOCKEY: Kendrick Carmouche; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

7. First Pitch (50-1): He was beaten by more than 30 lengths against New York-breds in the first two races of his career before posting a front-running 4 ½-length upset at 50.25-1 odds in his third try at this track and distance. Can longshot lightning strike twice? He’s not facing state-bred nonwinners in the Peter Pan.

JOCKEY: Jose Lezcano; TRAINER: Jose Jimenez

Captain Cook (Eclipse Sportswire)

8. Captain Cook (2-1): Enters the Peter Pan off a disappointing fourth-place finish as the favorite in the Wood Memorial, where he weakened late. But if he can duplicate the race he ran two starts back when winning the Withers at this track and distance by 2 ¼ lengths, everyone else might be running for second.

JOCKEY: Manny Franco; TRAINER: Rick Dutrow Jr.

9. Brereton’s Baytown (50-1): He doesn’t look fast enough on paper to be a factor and was beaten by 18 ¼ lengths in the Arkansas Derby and by 11 ¾ length in the Rebel Stakes. Cannot endorse.

JOCKEY: Marshall Mendez; TRAINER: Paul McEntee

10. Lordship (12-1): Won his debut March 22 at Tampa Bay Downs in a one-mile and 40-yard maiden race. Overcame a poor start that day and showed some tenacity in a professional performance. I’d be really excited to bet him to win at his morning-line odds, which I’m unlikely to get on a Gun Runner colt from the barn of Chad Brown.

JOCKEY: Dylan Davis; TRAINER: Chad Brown

THE PICK: Lordship

LIVE LONGSHOT: Lordship

SUPERFECTA: 10-8-4-5