Klaravich Stables’ Growth Equitymade a successful stakes debut with a two-length score under Flavien Prat in Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan (G3) at Belmont at the Big A.
Trained by Chad Brown, the Nyquist bay was second in his first two career starts, both at sprint distances. Stretched out to Aqueduct’s one-turn mile on March 20, Growth Equity graduated third-out by 4 1/4 lengths, validating that performance in the Peter Pan via a stalking victory over Withers (L) winner Talk to Me Jimmy with Grade 3 -winner Trendsetter in third.
“He looks good so far,” Brown said of Growth Equity’s status Sunday morning. “That was a nice step forward. I was glad to see him handle two turns. I thought that he ran well. I think the runner-up is a nice horse. So, that was a nice, positive move forward. No immediate plans yet, but I was very pleased with the race.”
The Peter Pan is the traditional New York prep for the $2-million Belmont Stakes (G1) presented by NYRA Bets slated for Saturday, June 6 at Saratoga Race Course, where the race will be run at 1 1/4 miles. The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has waived entry and starting fees to the Belmont Stakes for the first three finishers of the Peter Pan.
“I’m going to see how the horse comes out of this race when we put him back under tack and out on the track,” said Brown. “We’ll keep an eye on [the Belmont Stakes]. We’ll keep it as a possibility, for sure, but it is not the only possibility.”
Another logical path could be the $125,000 NYRA Bets Pegasus (L) on June 13 at Monmouth Park to the $1-million NYRA Bets Haskell (G1) on July 18 at the Jersey Shore track.
“Very well could be a good plan, I agree,” said Brown.
Growth Equity earned a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure for his Peter Pan victory, showing Beyer improvement in each of his four starts thus far. Bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm, he was a $425,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase and is out of the Grade 3-placed Wildcat Heir mare My Dear Venezuela – a half-sister to Grade 2-placed multiple stakes winner Selva.
On Saturday,Grade 3 winner Iron Honor and Grade 1-placed Ottinho, working together, breezed a half-mile in :48 seconds flat over the Belmont Park dirt training track.
St. Elias Stable, William H. Lawrence and Glassman Racing’s Iron Honor captured the one-turn mile Gotham (G3) in February at Aqueduct ahead of a last-out troubled seventh in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial (G2) on n April 4. The Nyquist bay is targeting a rebound in Saturday’s $2-million Preakness (G1), the middle jewel of the Triple Crown at 1 3/16 miles to run this year at Laurel Park.
“That work went well. Iron Honor came out of it very well. I’d say that we are in good shape to head over and try the Preakness,” Brown said. “We will give him another shot going two turns.”
Three Chimneys Farm’s Kentucky homebred Ottinho was the runner-up to Further Ado in the Blue Grass l(G1) last out on April 4 at Keeneland. The Quality Road bay went to Churchill Downs later that month to train and had a minor foot issue that Brown said has since been resolved. Ottinho is possible for the Belmont Stakes.
“I want to keep him as a Belmont possibility,” Brown said. “I was pleased with that last effort. He had a minor issue with his foot that we discovered at Churchill, and we rectified that with a bar shoe. He seems to be very sound and moving forward again.”
This story was originally published by Paulick Report on May 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
