Vekoma colt on his way to G1 Haskell after Pegasus S. romp

Bracket Buster rolled to a seven-length victory in Saturday’s $150,000 Pegasus S. at Monmouth Park, guaranteeing the 3-year-old Vekoma colt a starting spot in next month’s Haskell Inv. (G1).

Bracket Buster, who was making his first stakes appearance since finishing second to subsequent Preakness S. (G1) runner-up in the Lexington S. (G3) at Keeneland, came out of the gate quickly and locked into an early duel for the lead with Wildncrazynight. That duo was inseparable until entering the far turn, when Bracket Buster began to pull away without urging. He widened his lead to three lengths at the top of the stretch, then six midway down the lane, when he was eased up to canter under the wire.

“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.”

Oliver indicated that if Bracket Buster came out of Saturday’s race okay, he would likely run in the Haskell.

With the win, Bracket Buster is now 2-1-1 in seven starts and has earned $236,318 for BBN Racing LLC. The bay colt was bred in Kentucky by David Baxter and sold to his owners for $125,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September sale.

Bracket Buster is Vekoma’s eighth stakes winner of 2025, which tops all Second-Crop sires.