The Puma leaps back into action when he heads to post for the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes.
It's been 112 days since we last saw the impressive Grade 3 winner on the track, finishing a neck second to Commandment in the Florida Derby.
It looked all systems go for a tilt at the Kentucky Derby but a leg infection that he suffered just 12 hours out from the race put an end to his Triple Crown hopes. He had been sixth on the qualification leaderboard for the 'Run for the Roses' and now he gets the opportunity to prove he is amongst the best of the Classic generation.
Assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. is confident that they have The Puma (3/1) right where they want him ahead of his weekend assignment.
"He's had five or six breezes since the Derby and in that last breeze he showed us everything we wanted to see. We think he's ready," Delgado Jr said.
"We think all the time he had to recover from those prep races will help him."
Not only does the £444,445 prize up for grabs for the eventual winner make this an extremely high stakes race, Saturday's Haskell Stakes is also a 'Win and You're In' event for the Breeders' Cup Classic later on in the year.
There was a total of $7m on offer for the Classic last year, with more than $3m for the winner alone.
The Monmouth Park feature has attracted quite the field this weekend and the market is currently topped by Bluegrass winner Further Ado (6/4). Brad Cox's star three-year-old was beaten by the Puma in the Florida Derby but bounced straight back to deliver an 11-length thumping in the Keeneland Grade 1.
Any odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation.
