Practical Joke Heads Compact Group for Dwyer

Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence's Practical Joke leads a field of five in the $400,000 Dwyer Stakes (G3) July 8 at Belmont Park, his first start since a fifth in the May 6 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).

The Into Mischief   colt is unbeaten in three one-turn starts for trainer Chad Brown, and dials back to a mile against fellow sophomores in the Dwyer, one of five stakes races in Belmont's fourth annual Stars & Stripes Racing Festival.

Purchased for $240,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland September yearling sale, Practical Joke won his debut at Saratoga Race Course and wheeled off three consecutive victories, including a win in the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont, before closing out 2-year-old season with a third-place finish in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita Park. 

Kicking off his 3-year-old campaign with a runner-up finish in the Xpressbet Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park, Practical Joke followed up with another second-place running in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) before his start in the Derby.

"We gave him a little freshening and he's been training really well," Brown said. "I'm excited to get him back to the races and I expect him to run well."

With Joel Rosario aboard, Practical Joke will leave from post 3.

St. Elias Stable will get Battalion Runner back in action Saturday. The son of Unbridled's Song was on the Kentucky Derby trail via a runner-up finish in the April 8 Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2) before his connections decided to skip the Run for the Roses due to their shared ownership in eventual Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming. 

Battalion Runner, a $700,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, won back-to-back races at Gulfstream including an 8 3/4-length maiden score in his second start, followed by an allowance/optional claiming win Feb. 3.

"He's doing well," said trainer Todd Pletcher. "I think a one-turn mile is a good place to get him back started again and hopefully build from there. He's got good tactical speed and is versatile enough that, depending on how the race unfolds; he can be prominent without being on the lead."

With Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the irons, Battalion Runner will depart from post 2.

Rounding out the field is Mossarosa's Woody Stephens Stakes (G2) runner-up Giuseppe the Great for Hall of Famer Nick Zito; fifth-place Easy Goer Stakes runner Tale of Silence for owner Charles Fipke and Barclay Tagg; and Calumet Farm's True Timber, who ran third last out for Kiaran McLaughlin in the May 20 Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. 

Dwyer S. (G3)

Belmont Park, Saturday, July 08, 2017, Race 6

• 1m
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 3 yo
• 4:38 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Tale of Silence (KY)	Manuel Franco	117	Barclay Tagg	-
2	Battalion Runner (KY)	John R. Velazquez	117	Todd A. Pletcher	-
3	Practical Joke (KY)	Joel Rosario	123	Chad C. Brown	-
4	True Timber (KY)	Javier Castellano	115	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	-
5	Giuseppe the Great (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	115	Nicholas P. Zito	-