Sightseeing gets up in Peter Pan

Phipps Stable's homebred SIGHTSEEING (Pulpit) needed every bit of the nine

furlongs of the $200,000

Peter Pan S. (G2) at Belmont Park on Sunday to earn his

first graded score. Trained by Shug McGaughey and ridden by Edgar Prado, the

sophomore colt got the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48 4/5 and rewarded backers with payoffs

of $3.20, $2.60 and $2.10 as the 1-2 choice. Although the Peter Pan is a

traditional stepping stone to the June 9 Belmont S. (G1), the winner isn't

certain to compete in the 12-furlong classic, with McGaughey taking a

wait-and-see approach.

Soaring By (Deputy Minister) and Hal's My Hope (Halo's Image) led the field

in tandem for the opening half-mile, alternating the top spot while reaching

four panels in :47 4/5. As the field approached the final turn, a stalking Prom

Shoes (Include) took command, getting six furlongs in 1:12 1/5, and the colt

opened up daylight in the stretch only to be nabbed by Sightseeing by a nose on

the line.

"Watching this race on TV, (Sightseeing) was just galloping along behind

those horses," McGaughey said. "Turning for home, I said, 'Hey, he never even

asked him.' Then, when he asked him, he still really didn't know what to do. He

needed to get two or three jumps before he got leveled off and going. When he

steps it up, he isn't going to have those two or three jumps. He'll learn. This

will be good for him."

Prado offered a similar assessment.

"He was galloping and was nice and beautiful in the bridle," Prado said. "I

felt that when I turned him loose, he was going to explode. It took him more

strides than I thought. He finally got into gear. I wasn't sure until they put

my number up."

Prom Shoes paid $9.20 and $5.20 while completing the $29.60 exacta at

nearly 15-1. Fearless Vision (Vision and Verse) made a threatening move into the

lane but could not get to the top pair, finishing a neck shy of second. Show was

worth $2.80, and the 7-2 second choice capped the $71 trifecta in his stakes

debut. It was another 6 1/4 lengths back to Hal's My Hope, who was followed by Sir Whimsey

(Jump Start) and Soaring By. Vitruvius (E Dubai) was withdrawn because of a

recurrence of a skin disease, according to trainer James Jerkens, who added that

the colt is currently being treated with antibiotics.

Sightseeing improved his lifetime line to 9-2-4-1, $348,730. The colt

finished a strong second in the Wood Memorial S. (G1) last out and also placed

in the Nashua S. (G3).

The winner was bred in Kentucky and produced from the multiple Grade 1-placed

Resort (Pleasant Colony), herself a half-sister to Grade 2 star Living

Vicariously (Time for a Change) and Grade 3 hero With Distinction (Storm Cat).

Resort has since produced a trio of unraced Seeking the Gold youngsters: a

two-year-old filly named Tourism, a yearling filly named Cashier and an

unnamed 2007 colt.

McGaughey indicated that the Belmont is "possible."

"We'll wait and see how he comes out of this," the horseman said. "Back at

the Wood Memorial, just knowing the horse and where he was at mentally, I was

thinking about the Jim Dandy (S. [G2] at Saratoga on July 29). We'll see what

happens. We're here, and I am sure the Phipps would love to run in the Belmont

if they thought they had a legitimate chance."