There were 16 horses nominated for Saturday's $400,000 Suburban Handicap at Belmont. Because the defending champion was among them, most avoided the race.
That leaves Corinthian the likely favorite in the Grade 1 contest at 1 1/4 miles. The remaining challengers aren't exactly well known performers: Fairbanks and Harlington, both trained by Todd Pletcher, and Political Force, trained by Allen Jerkens.
However, Fairbanks is coming off a victory in the Tokyo City Cup Handicap at Santa Anita Park on March 31.
Several other recent stakes winners were ducking Invasor. Papi Chullo had an excuse ? he will miss the 121st Suburban with a quarter-crack and point to Saratoga's $750,000 Whitney at 1 1/8 miles on July 28. Invasor won that horse race last year before capturing the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Corinthian, trained by Jimmy Jerkins, will attempt to become the first racing horse since In Excess in '91 to capture both the Metropolitan Mile and Suburban in the same year. Some pretty good thoroughbreds have performed the feat: Buckpass, '67; Kelso, '61; and Tom Fool, '53.
McLaughlin also had nominated Jazil, last year's Belmont Stakes winner, saying he was kept in reserve for the Suburban. Now it appears he will run.
Jazil also had been considered for the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup the same afternoon. Lava Man, top dog on the West Coast, is the defending champ.
Lava Man, winner of this year's Santa Anita Handicap, and Buzzards Bay, victorious in Hollywood's Californian Stakes, were supposed to meet in the 68th Gold Cup, but the latter will miss the race because of a sore back.
At least five challengers will take on the two-time Gold Cup winner, including Molengao, runner-up to Lava Man in the Santa Anita Handicap who later captured the Mervyn LeRoy
Other likely runners are A. P. Xcellent, who scored on Hollywood's cushion track three times before running third last time out in the Californian; A. P. Arrow, victorious in Gulfstream's Skip Away Handicap; My Creed, who took the Berkeley Handicap at Golden Gate; and Big Booster, an optional claiming winner.
Possible starters include Wilko, seventh in the Californian who hasn't won since the BC Juvenile in '04; El Roblar, victorious in the Ack Ack Handicap; Awesome Gem, the trailer in the Santa Anita Handicap; and Mr. Splash, seventh in a Hollywood Park allowance race.
The $150,000 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont on July 4 will feature several 3-year-olds prepping for lucrative races later in the summer on the East Coast.
They include Nobiz Like Showbiz, Wood Memorial winner that ran 10th in the Kentucky Derby; Sightseeing, runner-up in the Wood; Any Given Saturday, eighth at Churchill Downs after losing by a nose to Street Sense in the Tampa Bay Derby; and Hewitts, victorious in his first start against winners.
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