Belmont Stakes Trio Meet Again in Suburban Stakes

It's quite surprising and unusual to find the top three finishers in the previous year's Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) in another race at Belmont Park, especially when it's a grade 2 stakes.

Then again …

"Without question, 2020 has been unusual in every shape and form," trainer Mark Casse said.

So in a year when the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the sport and the stakes schedule in an unprecedented manner, another twist and turn of fate has brought together the top three finishers from the 2019 closing leg of the Triple Crown for a firecracker July 4 edition of the $200,000 Suburban Stakes (G2).

Tracy Farmer's Sir Winston, who captured the Test of the Champion a year ago, heads a field of eight that includes Juddmonte Farms' Tacitus and Michael and Jeff Fazio's Joevia, who were second and third, respectively, in that 12-furlong classic.

"After a race like the Belmont Stakes, horses take different routes," said Gregg Sacco, who trains Joevia, "and this year it brought us all together again."

That trio could have some company at the finish line as the 1 1/4-mile stakes features at least two other dangerous threats in New York-bred standout Mr. Buff and Moretti, who won the Flat Out Stakes earlier in the meet.

"When you run in the Suburban, you know they are not giving anything away," said Casse, who trains Sir Winston. "It's a good field, but we fit in nicely. We just have to come with our A game."

Sir Winston's A game was surely on display in last year's Belmont Stakes when he rallied from eighth to prevail by a length over Tacitus, with Joevia three-quarters of a length back in third. Yet little has gone right since then. An ankle injury sidelined him until a dismal effort on turf in late December. Some minor hoof problems popped up in January, but he nevertheless managed to win a Jan. 31 allowance optional claiming race at Aqueduct Racetrack. Things seemed to be on the upswing, but when the homebred son of Awesome Again was shipped to Dubai in March for the Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1), the event was canceled because of the pandemic. 

After clearing quarantine at Belmont Park, the 4-year-old ran in the 1 3/8-mile Flat Out but was unable to reel in the speedy Moretti, finishing a non-menacing 5 1/4 lengths back in second.

"Before the (Flat Out), I said there was no speed, which would hurt us, and then the track turned up sloppy, which made it worse, but I thought he ran well. I hope he'll like the mile and a quarter, and hopefully there will be some speed in there," Casse said. "He's proven he likes Belmont, at least Belmont on a dry track, so we're going to throw out the slop race, even though I thought it was a good effort. There wasn't much ground being made up in any race that day."

Casse said what happens Saturday in the Suburban will determine whether he points Sir Winston toward upcoming tests such as the Whitney Stakes (G1) and Woodward Stakes (G1), both at Saratoga Race Course.

"This effort will be the determining factor in what we do with him. Do we move forward, or do we regroup and look for something easier to give him confidence?" Casse said.

Like Sir Winston, the 4-year-old Tacitus has not won in stakes company dating to the Belmont Stakes. Though he has placed in grade 1 company four times in his past seven starts, he is winless since taking the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2) in April 2019.

The son of Tapit  has been quite competitive in those defeats, falling short by 4 1/4 lengths or less each time. He started 2020 with a fifth, 4 1/4 lengths behind winner Maximum Security, against a collection of the world's best Thoroughbreds in the Saudi Cup and in his most recent start was a wide fourth, four lengths behind winner By My Standards, in the May 2 Oaklawn Handicap (G2).

Trainer Bill Mott will equip the $2.7 million earner and 9-5 morning-line favorite with blinkers for the first time since a season-ending third-place finish in the 2019 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1).

Joevia, a son of Shanghai Bobby, was sidelined by a foot ailment after setting the early pace in the Belmont Stakes and returned with a promising victory in a Jan. 17 allowance optional claiming race at Aqueduct. But after finishing 11th in the Razorback Handicap (G3) and seventh in the Stymie Stakes, a displaced palate was detected after the Stymie. Following surgery at Hunters Run Farm in New Jersey by Dr. Mark Ketner, Joevia put on some weight and needed a subsequent fourth-place finish in the June 6 Westchester Stakes (G3) to get back in shape.

"He's doing very well now," Sacco said. "He got fat on us after the surgery, and he needed that last race. He came out of it well and put in two good works since then, and I'm hoping he can take a step forward Saturday."

As quick as Joevia may be, Chester and Mary Broman's Mr. Buff seems destined to set the early pace. The homebred 6-year-old Friend Or Foe  gelding trained by John Kimmel had a three-race win streak snapped last time out when he was second in the Commentator Stakes for New York-breds, but he might appreciate the softer pace while trying 1 1/4 miles for the first time.

Moretti, a 4-year-old Medaglia d'Oro  colt owned by Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, blossomed in his past two starts for trainer Todd Pletcher. Purchased for $900,000 in 2017 from the Gainesway consignment at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale, Moretti won for the first time in a little more than 16 months when he prevailed in a May 2 allowance race at Oaklawn Park. He followed that up with his gate-to-wire romp in the Flat Out.

As part of a card with five graded stakes, the Suburban will be the 11th and final race. Post time is scheduled for 6:51 p.m. ET.

Entries: Suburban S. (G2)

Belmont Park, Saturday, July 04, 2020, Race 11

• Grade II
• 1 1/4m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 6:51 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Tacitus (KY)	John R. Velazquez	122	William I. Mott	9/5
2	2Parsimony (PA)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	Doug F. O'Neill	50/1
3	3Forewarned (OH)	Manuel Franco	118	Uriah St. Lewis	30/1
4	4Mr. Buff (NY)	Junior Alvarado	118	John C. Kimmel	2/1
5	5Joevia (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Gregory D. Sacco	20/1
6	6Sir Winston (KY)	Joel Rosario	124	Mark E. Casse	7/2
7	7Just Whistle (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Michael R. Matz	8/1
8	8Moretti (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Todd A. Pletcher	5/1