Top-Level Talent Runs Deep in Suburban

Though the $700,000 Suburban Stakes (G2) is listed as a grade 2 stakes, it features a grade 1 lineup.

With its 132nd edition on tap July 7 at Belmont Park, the 1 1/4-mile Suburban has showcased some of the sport's biggest stars, with the likes of Skip Away, Easy Goer, Forego, Dr. Fager, Buckpasser and Kelso among the roster of its illustrious past winners.

Just last year, Keen Ice , the conqueror of American Pharoah  in the 2015 Travers Stakes (G1), joined the list of Suburban winners by defeating Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) runner-up Shaman Ghost , and the upcoming renewal features an even more intriguing matchup.

With Tapwrit, Hoppertunity, and Diversify among the probable starters, the Suburban has attracted a trio of horses who own a victory in a prestigious grade 1 stakes at Belmont and have combined for eight wins in 11 starts over the track known as "Big Sandy." 

The 4-year-old Tapwrit carries the most clout as the winner of the 2017 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), but will be tested by the venerable 7-year-old Hoppertunity, winner of the Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (G2) on the Belmont Stakes undercard last month and of the 2016 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1).

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert LaPenta, Bridlewood Farm, Gainesway Stable and Whisper Hill Farm, Tapwrit enters the Suburban after a useful 2018 debut in which he returned from a nine-month layoff and finished third, 1 1/4-lengths behind Timeline in a June 3 allowance race at Belmont.

"Tapwrit is doing exceptionally well. He didn't run a bad race in his last start. He hadn't raced since August and needed the race. He missed all that time with a frog that turned into an infection in his hoof, but I think he'll be at the top of his game for the Suburban," said LaPenta, who also owns a share of Timeline, a 4-year-old targeted for the July 6 State Dinner Stakes at Belmont. "I'd love to win the Suburban and put it on my resume."

In the absence of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and Preakness  Stakes (G1) winners, Tapwrit posed a two-length win over Irish War Cry in last year's Belmont Stakes to give trainer Todd Pletcher his third victory in the 1 1/2-mile final leg of the Triple Crown. He then trained up to the Travers, but finished fourth behind eventual 3-year-old champion West Coast before the foot ailment ended his season.

In his final major drill for the Suburban, the son of Tapit breezed five furlongs in 1:00.71 at Belmont July 1, much to Pletcher's satisfaction.

"Tapwrit seemed to look really good. I'm pleased with the way he did it," Pletcher said. "We're looking forward to the Suburban and a distance he should like."

Bred by My Meadowview in Kentucky, Tapwrit was purchased for a hefty $1.2 million at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale and has earned $1,237,402 through four wins in 10 career starts.

Hoppertunity is one of two Suburban starters shipped to New York from California by two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert. A son of Any Given Saturday, Hoppertunity will be joined in the starting gate by stablemate Dr. Dorr, the April 28 Californian Stakes (G2) winner owned by Baffert's wife, Jill.

"I was considering the Suburban all along for Hoppertunity, but I wanted to make sure he was doing well before making the decision to ship him. He worked hard (to win the Brooklyn)," Baffert said. "I entered Dr. Dorr in the (grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap on July 6), but it's really hot in Iowa and it's a night race so I'm sending both of them to New York. The mile and a quarter might be a little far for Dr. Dorr, but he and Hoppertunity have different running styles, so they won't bother each other."

Dr. Dorr, second to Accelerate in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (G1) in his last start, is the one with speed, while Hoppertunity has the kind of late kick ideally suited for Belmont. Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, the Kentucky-bred Hoppertunity will be making the 33rd start in a stellar career that has featured nine wins with earnings of slightly more than $4.6 million. Included in those totals is a perfect 2-for-2 mark at Belmont, with the graded stakes wins in the Brooklyn and Jockey Club Gold Cup.

"Hoppertunity loves Belmont. He really moves up there," Baffert said. "He likes the big, wide turns. They don't get away from him on the turns, like they do in California."

Baffert said Flavien Prat will be aboard Hoppertunity and Joe Talamo will ride Dr. Dorr.

Diversify, owned by Ralph and Lauren Evans and trained by Rick Violette, enjoyed his breakthrough moment in last year's Jockey Club Gold Cup when he made his debut in graded stakes company and posted a front-running, one-length victory over Keen Ice. The gelding ended 2017 with a fourth in the Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) and then started his 5-year-old campaign with a disappointing 26-length loss in the Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2) before returning home and winning the Commentator Stakes for state-breds at Belmont. 

In seven starts at Belmont, Diversify, a son of Bellamy Road , has five wins and two seconds.

Discreet Lover, Name Changer, Sorry Erik, Take Your Guns, The Lieutenant, War Story, and Zanotti complete the Suburban field. 

Entries: Suburban S. (G2)

Belmont Park, Saturday, July 07, 2018, Race 9

• Grade II
• 1 1/4m
• Dirt
• $700,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 6:18 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Name Changer (KY)	Luis Saez	117	Alan E. Goldberg	30/1
2	2War Story (KY)	Javier Castellano	121	Jorge Navarro	5/1
3	3Zanotti (KY)	Junior Alvarado	117	Juan Carlos Guerrero	20/1
4	4Tapwrit (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	123	Todd A. Pletcher	7/2
5	5Dr. Dorr (KY)	Joseph Talamo	121	Bob Baffert	3/1
6	6Discreet Lover (FL)	Manuel Franco	119	Uriah St. Lewis	20/1
7	7Take Your Guns (KY)	Joel Rosario	117	Chad C. Brown	8/1
8	8Hoppertunity (KY)	Flavien Prat	121	Bob Baffert	9/2
9	9Sorry Erik (KY)	Kent J. Desormeaux	117	J. Keith Desormeaux	30/1
10	10Diversify (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	123	Richard A. Violette, Jr.	6/1
11	11The Lieutenant (KY)	John R. Velazquez	119	Michael W. McCarthy	20/1