Bracket Buster (Vekoma) was all about the slop as he bounded home with ears pricked in the NYRA Bets Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Kicking off his 2025 season in a big way two back Apr. 12, he was run down late in the lane to claim second in the GIII Lexington Stakes at Keeneland behind the “almost” GI Preakness shocker Gosger (Nyquist), who came a half-length shy of spoiling the fun for MGISW Journalism (Curlin) at Pimlico. He faded to seventh last out May 3 against optional claimers at Churchill Downs, a race won by another Preakness horse in 'Rising Star' Goal Oriented (Not This Time). The field also included 'TDN Rising Stars' Hypnus (Into Mischief), Tiz Secure (Maximum Security), and Rapture (Uncle Mo).
Quick to the front, and promptly joined by Wildncrazynight (Midnight Lute), the pair pushed each other through :24.03, :48.48, and six panels in 1:13.22 with horns locked entering the far bend. Asked to shake off his company, Bracket Buster left that one behind passing the quarter pole and it was how far he wanted to win by when they hit lane–the answer being seven lengths en route to punching his ticket for a date with the GI Haskell Stakes at the venue. His longtime shadow comfortably held second as Valentinian (Into Mischief) came on to claim third. The heavy 3-5 favorite Garamond (Uncle Mo) finished last of the bunch.
“I think he is starting to figure things out,” said winning trainer Vicki Oliver. “He was still a little green. His ears were up the whole time. He's learning. But he's also a really nice horse. I think the world of him. And I think he is going to keep improving.”
“I wasn't worried about him going in the slop again [after a seventh-place finish in the slop at Churchill Downs in his last start May 3]. That was a deep slop. The track was real sticky and cuppy and water got underneath it. It was a different type of slop. So I was willing to give him another chance on an off track.”
Regarding claiming the guaranteed entry in the Monmouth Park marquee, Oliver said, “We'll see how he comes out of it. Horses are one day at a time. It would be pretty unbelievable for me to have a horse in the Haskell. I started my career at Monmouth and spent a lot of years here. It would just be a great thing.”
Bracket Buster is the most accomplished for his dam as her only black type earner thus far, but is one of four winners to make the races for that broodmare. He has a juvenile half-sister named Mon Reve (Mitole) and a 2025 half-sister already named Spring the Upset (Pappacap). Their dam is herself a half-sister to MSW Power of Snunner (Power by Far). This is the immediate female family of 22-time winner, MGSW Page McKenney (Eavesdropper). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
“He's punched his ticket…” – @3coltshandicap
The $150,000 Pegasus Stakes at @MonmouthPark went to Kentucky shipper #5 BRACKET BUSTER ($9.60). @a_concepcion16 up on the son of @spendthriftfarm Vekoma for trainer Victoria Oliver. pic.twitter.com/MWhYKMjeDN
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 14, 2025
NYRA BETS PEGASUS S., $150,000, Monmouth, 6-14, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.64, sy.
1–BRACKET BUSTER, 118, c, 3, by Vekoma
1st Dam: Spring Dance (SW, $199,841), by Dance With Ravens
2nd Dam: Snunner, by Yarrow Brae
3rd Dam: Neolithic, by Deputed Testamony
($160,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $125,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-BBN Racing LLC; B-David Baxter (KY); T-Victoria H. Oliver; J-Axel Concepcion. $90,000. Lifetime Record: GSP, 7-2-1-1, $236,318.
2–Wildncrazynight, 117, g, 3, Midnight Lute–Proud to Be Wild, by Wildcat Heir. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Flurry Racing Stables LLC; B-New Farm (NJ); T-Dan Ward. $30,000.
3–Valentinian, 116, c, 3, Into Mischief–Rachel's Valentina, by Bernardini. ($1,500,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $15,000.
Margins: 7, 1 3/4, NO. Odds: 3.80, 31.20, 3.10.
Also Ran: National Law, Just a Fair Shake, Garamond. Scratched: Barbadian Runner, Kentucky Outlaw.
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