Expert Pick of the Week: Peter Pan Stakes

May 06, 2026 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Talk to Me Jimmy wins the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct. (Photo by Coglianese Photos)

A group of six three-year-old horses will run two turns around the Aqueduct dirt surface in Saturday’s $200,000 Peter Pan (G3). The 1 1/8-mile race has often been a steppingstone for horses to compete in the Belmont (G1), and the top finishers of this race will undoubtedly be considered for the third leg of the Triple Crown in early June.

The Rudy Rodriguez-trained Talk to Me Jimmy is very quick and will dare his opponents to run with him early in the contest. Bred in New York, the son of Modernist was third in his debut race at one mile on the oval and came back to romp in a subsequent performance on the track when blinkers were added for his two-year-old finale.

Talk to Me Jimmy went postward at 12-1 odds in the Withers S. on Feb. 6 and ran his foes off their respective feet, leading from gate-to-wire to post an impressive 11-length victory in his first race as a three-year-old. Last time out in the deep Wood Memorial (G2) on April 4, the bay colt dueled on the lead through fast fractions prior to giving way late in his second run of the season. He has recorded a pair of morning workouts on the Belmont training track in advance of Saturday and will be reunited with jockey Manny Franco, who rode him in the first two races of his career.

𝗔𝗟𝗕𝗨𝗦 at 11/1 wins the 101st and final running of the Wood Memorial G2 at Aqueduct.

Jockey @jaimetorresjcky was in the saddle for trainer @Riley_Mott
and stamps his ticket to the @KentuckyDerby earning 100 KY Derby points. pic.twitter.com/fi2ESlEjds

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) April 4, 2026

Trendsetter looked really good in his first route run on the dirt when exploding past his foes late in the Lexington (G3) at Keeneland last time out. The Ben Colebrook trainee has flashed ability on the dirt, synthetic, and to some extent the turf, and the hard-trying son of Modernist gets a fine draw on the rail to save ground every step of the way on Saturday. The three-year-old will be unhurried early but full of run late, with Kazushi Kimura coming in to ride him once again.

TRENDSETTER springs a big upset in the G3 Lexington at 32/1! 💰

Kazushi Kimura was up for trainer Ben Colebrook.

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/4qkWZrPjdR

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) April 11, 2026

Chad Brown’s Growth Equity was second in his first pair of career runs and put it all together with a clear maiden win at the one-mile distance on this surface last time out. The son of Kentucky Derby winner and fine sire Nyquist was full of energy late most recently and might appreciate the extra distance in this race with top pilot Flavien Prat picking up the mount.

Expert Pick

A trifecta with #5 Talk to Me Jimmy on top of #1 Trendsetter and #3 Growth Equity in the 2026 Peter Pan Stakes is the Best Bet of the Week.