Charge It Seeks Return to Winning Ways in Suburban

The racing career of the 4-year-old colt Charge It  has all of the necessary elements for an intriguing mini-series.

It has been filled with drama, excitement, surprise, and disappointment.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Whisper Hill Farm's homebred son of Tapit   has fashioned a nine-race career into a rollercoaster ride that has featured a 23-length victory in the Dwyer Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park and a second in the Florida Derby (G1) last year in his third career start. There was also a displaced palate when 17th in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and a fifth-place finish as the 9-5 favorite in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in April.

Add in his current three-race losing streak and it paints a picture of the importance surrounding his July 8 date in the $350,000 Suburban Stakes (G2) when he will face four rivals in the 1 1/4-mile test.

Out of the Indian Charlie mare I'll Take Charge , he is exiting a fourth-place finish in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) when he was 5 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Cody's Wish , who is considered the nation's top older horse.

The competition will surely be easier Saturday when he faces just four foes, two of whom have finished more than 15 lengths behind him in past meetings.

"He's been training great since the Met Mile," Pletcher said. "We're looking forward to stretching him out again."

After foot woes sidelined him for seven months following his romp in the Dwyer, he started 2023 with a Feb. 5 allowance optional claiming win at Gulfstream Park and then finished second as a 3-5 favorite in the Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (G2) before the Oaklawn Handicap and Met Mile.

Arindel's Clapton  stretched out to 1 3/16 miles last time out and finished third in the Pimlico Special Stakes (G3), beaten 4 1/4 lengths. The 4-year-old Brethren   colt won the Ghostzapper Stakes (G3) prior to that for trainer Juan Alvarado. He was beaten by 18 1/4 lengths when 10th in last year's Florida Derby.

Jordan Wycoff's Red Run  will be cutting back in distance as he raced 1 1/2 miles in his last two starts. Trained by Mike Maker, the son of Gun Runner   was third in the Brooklyn Stakes (G2) and second in the Isaac Murphy Marathon Overnight Stakes before that.

A. Bianco Holdings' Tonal Impact  will be making his stakes debut in his 26th career start. The Tonalist   gelding, claimed for $40,000 in November by trainer Linda Rice, is coming off a pair of allowance optional claiming wins at Belmont Park.

"He seems to really like the big sweeping turns at Belmont," Rice said. "He's a big, tall, long-legged horse and he really seems to like the surface."

Edward Potash, Brad Yankanich, and trainer Jim Ryerson's Unbridled Bomber  (Upstart  ) was fourth in the Westchester Stakes (G3) in his previous start for Ryerson after scoring by nine lengths in an April 16 allowance optional claimer at Aqueduct Racetrack.

He was beaten by a little more than 25 lengths when fourth behind Charge It in the 2022 Dwyer.