The ‘Big Three’ of Saratoga

Three horses who could play prominent roles at Saratoga this summer recorded impressive victories at Belmont Park last Saturday in the Met Mile, Manhattan Stakes and Suburban Handicap.

In the Met Mile, Vekoma went gate to wire under pressure to prevail by a length and a quarter, adding a second G1 to last month’s Carter Handicap. The 4-yearold son of Candy Ride has now won major stakes at seven, eight and nine furlongs. The question is, where would he run at Saratoga? Continue racing around one turn (in the A. G. Vanderbilt and/or Forego) or return to nine furlongs in the Whitney, the same distance as the Blue Grass Stakes he won last year?

In the Manhattan Stakes, Instilled Regard somehow found room among a herd of horses – he was sixth at the eighth pole – getting up in the last jumps to neck barn mate Rockemperor in yet another Chad Browntrained turf exacta. In a normal year, Instilled Regard might be pointed next to the Arlington Million. With that race’s status still uncertain, however, he may yet show up at Saratoga for the Sword Dancer.

Finally, Tacitus returned to

the winner’s circle for the first time in 15 months with an 8¼-length thrashing of a modest field in the Suburban Handicap. Beaten horses included last year’s Belmont winner, Sir Winston, who checked in last of six. The victory was Tacitus’ first since his back-to-back G2 wins in last year’s Tampa Bay Derby and Wood Memorial. Next up, the Whitney or the Woodward?

Belmont’s spring-summer meet wraps up this weekend, highlighted by the return to stakes action of Monomoy Girl, the 2018 champion 3-year-old filly, in Saturday’s G2 Ruffian Stakes. The Tapizar mare made her first start in 18 months back on May 16, winning a one-mile optional claimer at Churchill Downs.