9.36 DWYER STAKES (GRADE 3) (3YO) Dirt 1m
Mendelssohn is likely to have a much easier time of it on his third visit to American tonight when he takes on seven opponents including his stable companion Seahenge in the Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont. Certainly track conditions will be better than those he faced in the Kentucky Derby.
On the form of his UAE Derby win, he should be able to take this if he is to step up to bigger things with none of his rival have form at his level.
Firenze Fire won the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes last year and reappears after finishing well down the field behind Justify in the Kentucky Derby.
Todd Pletcher’s Noble Indy also finished well down the field behind Justify at Churchill and Belmont Park. The H Graham Motion-trained, Wertheimer owned Rugbyman might chase him home.
10:46 BELMONT OAKS INVITATIONAL STAKES (GRADE 1) (3YO FILLIES) (TURF) (3yo) 1m2f
Aidan O’Brien ships Athena over of this after she had finished third in the Pretty Polly Stakes. Together finished second and then won a Grade 1 in Keeneland within seven days in 2011 for O’Brien.
Chad Brown has won five of the last six runnings and runs Significant Form and Mighty Scarlett who ran in Belmont’s prep for the Oaks, finishing second and third, respectively, in the Grade 3 Wonder Again on June 7th.
The Marco Botti-trained Capla Temptress made her North American bow when winning the Grade 1 Natalma on September 17th last year at Woodbine before running seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Shipping back to England, the Marco Botti-trained filly ran fourth in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches at Longchamp, possibly the best form in the race.
Graham Motion trains Thewayiam who has thrived since arriving in the US last year, with four wins and back-to-back second-place finishes in seven starts.
11:18 SUBURBAN STAKES (GRADE 2) (4YO+) (DIRT) 1m2f
This sees a likely duel between two Baffert runners, the now seven-year-old Hoppertunityand Dr Dorr, and last year’s Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit from Todd Pletcher.
Dr Dorr was on a four race winning run until he finished second to Accelerate in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita. Hoppertunity won the Grade 2 Brooklyn Invitational here last month with War Story and Take Your Guns behind him and is sure to be in the shake-up. Tapwrit retuned with a third in an allowance race here last month.
11:50 BELMONT DERBY INVITATIONAL STAKES (GRADE 1) (3YO) (TURF) 1m2f
Hunting Horn bids to give Camelot a second Derby winner in a week but faces a strong field in the 10-furlong Grade 1.
The Royal Ascot winner will need to step up again here though is stamina is a strong point if he is ridden prominently. Analyze It, Catholic Boy, and Hawkish have won three of their four career starts on the grass, including at least one graded stakes race. Catholic Boy was impressive on dirt in the Remsen last year and handed Analyze It the first loss of his career in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge Stakes here last month.
My Boy Jack was last seen when fifth in the Kentucky Derby after closing from last early on. Kingstar has won a conditions race in France for Pia Brandt