After three placings at the graded stakes level, Repole Stables, Phipps Stables, and St. Elias Stable's Dynamic One made the grade with a gutsy performance in the Suburban Handicap (G2) on Saturday at Belmont Park, winning a dramatic duel to the wire with graded stakes winner First Captain to capture the 10-furlong test for older horses.
Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Dynamic One trailed in last of five behind pacesetter and stablemate Untreated, who marked fractions of :24.90 for the first quarter-mile and :49.39 for the half mile.
Irad Ortiz Jr. got to work aboard Dynamic One as they entered the turn, rousing him to a narrow lead at the top of the lane and setting him down for the drive to the finish with a retreating Untreated on the rail and looming foe First Captain in between. Dynamic One continued to find more and prevailed by a nose in a final time of 2:01.26. The effort garnered a 98 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest awarded in the four stakes on Saturday's Stars and Stripes Racing Festival Card.
“I was hoping it would be a 100,” said Pletcher, with a laugh. “He just keeps getting better and better and it's what we were hoping was going to happen.”
With stablemates Life Is Good and Americanrevolution eyeing the $1 million Whitney (G1) on August 6 at Saratoga, Pletcher said
Dynamic One will likely target Saratoga's $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on September 3, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Keeneland. The top-four finishers of the Suburban will have their nomination, entry and starting fees waived for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which will see a purse increase to $1.25 million should a Grade/Group 1 winner start in the 1 1/4-mile test.
“He's doing excellent,” said Pletcher. “We're leaning towards sticking to our original plan and going to the Jockey Club.”
Dynamic One showed improvement in each of his starts this year, finishing third in Tampa Bay Downs' Challenger (G3) in March ahead of a runner-up effort in the Ben Ali (G3) at Keeneland and subsequently a one-length win in the Blame on June 4 at Churchill Downs. The son of Union Rags put together a sophomore campaign that saw him finish second in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial en route to his first stakes victory in the restricted Curlin at Saratoga.
Pletcher added that he is still unsure whether Suburban third-place finisher Untreated will stretch out or cut back in his next outing.
“He came back good. We don't have a game plan for him yet, but we'll figure it out,” said Pletcher. “I think he's versatile enough that he could go either direction.”
The post Pletcher Sets Sights On Jockey Club Gold Cup With Suburban Victor Dynamic One appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
