Baffert sends out Fort Bragg in Dwyer Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park

By NY Hot List Staff // June 30, 2023

As the calendar turns to July and the New York racing season moves ever closer to opening day at Saratoga, Saturday at Belmont Park features a card with a pair of stakes: the John A. Nerud and the Dwyer for 3-year-olds. Of the two, the Dwyer has the smaller but more interesting field led by Fort Bragg, who is trained by Bob Baffert again and will be seeking his first graded stakes win. Newcomers to stakes action Saudi Crown and Harrodsburg also command attention in the one-turn mile stakes on the penultimate Saturday of the Belmont meet.

The $200,000 Dwyer Stakes (G3), Belmont Park, Saturday, Race 6

(2) Saudi Crown is unbeaten in two starts in Kentucky for Brad Cox and will now have to stretch out to a mile, but he is likely to do what Cox 3-year-olds do which is to win stakes races. (5) Fort Bragg moves back to the barn of Bob Baffert after running second by a neck in the Pat Day Mile (G2) on Kentucky Derby weekend.  This was clearly the best race of his career, but the winner ran poorly in the Woody Stephens (G1) the next time out. (3) Harrodsburg broke his maiden in his debut in March for Rob Atras at Aqueduct then was beaten by a nose in an allowance earning a tie for the best speed figure in the field. (6) Joey Freshwater tried the turf last time and did not respond well after winning the Bay Shore and running third in a pair of other stakes.

The rest of the NY Hot List picks and the Special Saturday Pick 3 are available free of charge at this website.