Closing weekend at Belmont Park
The Belmont spring/summer meet wraps up this weekend with the Stars and Stripes Racing Festival, highlighted by the same Saturday program of graded stakes that has been in place for five years. Three of these races are for 3-year-olds: the $1,000,000 Belmont Derby (G1), $750,000 Belmont Oaks (G1) and $250,000 Dwyer Stakes (G3). The two races for older horses are the $700,000 Suburban Handicap (G2) and $300,000 John A. Nerud Stakes (G2), formerly the Belmont Sprint Championship. Saturday is the secondrichest day of racing at Belmont all year, topped only by Belmont Stakes day.
Belmont Derby and Belmont Oaks (both 11/4 miles) – Before they were first run in 2014, the hope was that these two turf races would attract horses from outside North America. In this they have been fairly successful, with European runners accounting for nearly a quarter of all starters (25 of 110) during the last five years, including two winners. Because of scheduling conflicts with top European events, however – notably Royal Ascot, which was held just two weeks ago – the Euros generally have not been of the highest class.
Aidan O’Brien has been a reliable participant in both races, accounting for both overseas winners: Deauville in the 2016 Derby and Athena in last year’s Oaks. O’Brien’s entrants this year include Blenheim Palace, runner-up in the Irish Derby Trial (G3), in the Belmont Derby, and 2-year-old group winners Just Wonderful and Coral Beach in the Oaks.
US-based winners of the two races have included the topclass Oscar Performance and Catholic Boy in the Derby and Lady Eli and Catch a Glimpse in the Oaks. Among the most accomplished of the home forces in this year’s Derby are Plus Que Parfait, winner of the UAE Derby two starts back, and a trio of Chad Brown trainees, Demarchelier, Digital Age and
Rockemperor. Demarchelier is unbeaten in three starts and comes off a win in the Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3); Digital Age, also undefeated in three starts, exits a victory in the American Turf Stakes (G2); and Rockemperor finished second in a French Group 3 earlier this spring.
Brown is the trainer of record of three likely starters in the Oaks. Newspaperofrecord won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and has been runner-up in a pair of Grade 3s in 2019. Cambier Parc is a twotime Grade 3 winner this year. Café Americano is unbeaten in two starts. Other Oaks entrants include the George Arnoldtrained Concrete Rose, who has won four of five starts, including the Edgewood Stakes and Florida Oaks, both Grade 3s.
Suburban Handicap (11/4 miles) – An interesting fact about the Suburban is that New York-breds have won four of the last five editions of the 135-yearold race: Zivo (2014), Effinex (2015-16) and Diversify (2018).
There are no NY-breds in this year’s field, but the morning-line favorite, Catholic Boy, has done his best work in the Empire State, winning last year’s Travers Stakes and Belmont Derby. Catholic Boy has raced only once this year – a victory in the Dixie Stakes (G2) on turf – but word is that the versatile 4-year-old will compete on dirt for the remainder of 2019.
Other expected Suburban starters include a couple of hard-knocking types, Lone
Sailor and Pavel. The two don’t win very often, but together they’ve banked over $3.1 million while hitting the board in big races. Marconi, a $2 million yearling in 2016, made his first serious payment on his purchase price with a score in last month’s Brooklyn Stakes (G2).
John A. Nerud Stakes (7 furlongs) – Promises Fulfilled was arguably the best 3-year-old sprinter in the country last year, racking up four graded wins, including the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. The 4-year-old is winless in three G1s outings in 2019, but he ran decently in all three and will be facing less formidable competition in the Nerud. Promises Fulfilled’s main competition should come from Grade 3 winners Warrior’s Club, New York Central and Nicodemus.
Dwyer Stakes (one mile) – The Dwyer appears to have come up light this year, with Code of Honor – Fountain of Youth victor and Kentucky Derby runner-up – the likely favorite.
Jeff Scott writes about horse racing Friday in The Saratogian. He may be reached at utahpine1@ aol.com.