Suburban Handicap 2013 at Belmont Park
Las Vegas, NV - Belmont Park in Elmont, New York will be the scene of the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap this Saturday, July 6. A nice purse of $350,000 will be on the line for horses three years old and upward willing to go 1 1/8 miles on Belmont Park's main track.
A small but solid field of five has been confirmed for the Suburban Handicap - race 8 on Belmont Park's Saturday card. Post time is 4:45 PM. Let's take a glance into the credentials of all five entries for this Grade 2 stakes.
2013 Suburban Handicap Race Favorites
Flat Out - won the 2011 Jockey Club Gold Cup and repeated that score September 29 on this track. He was a decent third in the Breeders' Cup Classic but had two off the board finishes in his next two starts - a fourth in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap and a fifth in the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds March 30. He bounced back in a big way with a terrific score in the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes on this track April 27 beating Cross Traffic and earning a Beyer Speed Figure over 115. Last time out was a third in the competitive Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap here May 27. Flat Out has placed in six of his last eight starts and has won four of his last five starts on this track for legendary trainer Bill Mott. He is even-money on the morning line and the high weight for the Suburban.
Last Gunfighter - Chad Brown trained colt enters the Suburban on a six race win streak including two minor stakes scores - the Evening Attire at Aqueduct January 19 over Isn't He Perfect and the Raymond Earl Stakes by 4 3/4 lengths December 9 also at Aqueduct. Last time out he won the Grade 3 Pimlico Special by an impressive 4 1/2 lengths after a score in his graded stakes debut - the Grade 3 Excelsior Stakes at Aqueduct March 23. He has placed in all 10 career starts - those six wins, two seconds and two third place finishes and is one of the hottest horses in the land ahead of Saturday's action. He is 2-1 on the morning line and will be tough to derail at this point in time!
Suburban Handicap 2013 | Remaining Field Entries
Alpha - finished second to Gemologist in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial in April 2012 after two straight wins - the Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on February 4 and the Count Fleet Stakes in January. Alpha had a disappointing Kentucky Derby finishing twelfth but bounced back with an impressive win in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes on July 28 and a win in a dead heat in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga. He followed with a sixth in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby and an ugly twelfth in the Breeders' Cup Classic to end his 2012 campaign. Alpha has two starts in 2013 - both disappointing results from Dubai's Meydan Racecourse - a twelfth in a Group 2 race in February and a fifth in the Grade 2 Godolphin Mile in March. He is the third choice on the morning line and will be racing for the first time in North America since November.
Suburban Handicap betting at Belmont Park with OffTrackBetting.com
Percussion - Todd Pletcher pupil raced 11 straight Allowance Optional Claiming races and had two straight wins both at Aqueduct in March and April. He stepped up three back and finished a decent fourth in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic April 20 and followed that with his first ever stakes score - the minor Albert the Great Stakes in May on this track over Fast Falcon and Birdrun. Last time out he continued his improvement - a good second in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap here June 7.
Fast Falcon - He was a pedestrian seventh in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy last July 28 but rebounded with a third in the highly competitive Grade 1 Travers in August. Since then he has been less-than-impressive - a fifth in the Grade 1 Jockey Gold Cup September 29, an eighth in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap November 23 and an OK second in an Allowance Optional Claiming December 27. He started 2013 with a seventh in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap in February but since has two second place finishes - at the minor Albert the Great Stakes behind Percussion and at an Allowance Optional Claiming in March followed by a decent third last time out in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap June 7 on this track. He is the longest shot in the field for Saturday at 10-1.
2013 Suburban Handicap Entries & Odds
Race 8 on Belmont Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:45 PM.
