Suburban Handicap 2014 Contenders & Odds

Las Vegas, NV – Belmont Park in Elmont, New York will play host to the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap on Saturday, July 5. Horses four years old and upward will take to Belmont Park’s dirt track and go 1 1/4 miles searching for the winner’s share of the generous $500,000 purse.

The Suburban Handicap has attracted a strong field of 11 to go in race 8 on Belmont Park’s stacked Saturday card. Post time is 5:08 PM. Let’s take a brief glance into the past performances of all 11 entries for this Grade 2 stakes.

Romansh – Thomas Albertini trained colt is coming off a decent third behind Palace Malice and Goldencents in the Grade 1 Met Mile here June 7 with a 108 Beyer Speed Figure after a terrific win in the Grade 3 Excelsior Stakes at Aqueduct March 22, a very disappointing last of eleven in the uber-competitive Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream February 9 and a nice 9 /4 length win with a 110 Beyer Speed Figure in the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap at Aqueduct November 2. This after failing to place in his first two graded stakes tries. Romansh has four wins and two third place finishes in 10 career starts but has won two of his last four overall in impressive fashion. Jose Ortiz has been tabbed to ride the 3-1 morning line favorite from gate 6.

Last Gunfighter – Chad Brown trained colt had a six race win streak snapped last July with a respectable second in the 2013 Suburban Handicap behind Flat Out at Belmont Park. He returned to the winner’s circle in the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park August 18 but fell back to a fifth in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup – his worst career result. He followed that with another fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Since that time Last Gunfighter has two straight wins – the Grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup at this distance in November and the minor Mountainview Handicap over Valid at Penn National in his only start of 2014 while earning a Beyer Speed Figure over 100 in both races. He has placed in 14 of 16 career starts – nine wins, three seconds and two third place finishes – impressive indeed. Javier Castellano will guide the 7-2 second choice from gate 5.

Micromanage – Todd Pletcher trained colt has 16 career starts with four wins, four seconds and three third place finishes. He is coming off a good second behind Norembega as favorite in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Invitational on this track May 7 after an OK third as odd-on-favorite in the minor Drosselmeyer Stakes here in May. He did have a career best performance in March however – a 4 1/4 length win over Norembega in the Grade 3 Skip Away Stakes at Gulfstream after a seventh in the Grade 3 Mineshaft in February. Micromanage has placed in three of his last four graded stakes starts and enters on OK form. John Velazquez rides from the rail at 9-2 odds.

Norembega – Shug McGaughey trained colt has 13 career starts with four wins, three seconds and a third place finish and has been a tad inconsistent lately. He enters off a terrific win ahead of Micromanage at 10-1 odds in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Invitational Stakes on this track June 6 after a disappointing eighth in the Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes in April and a pair of good seconds – the Grade 3 Skip Away Stakes at Gulfstream March 29 and the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap at Aqueduct November 2. He won two of three starts before that – both Allowance races – the last coming on this track October 16. He looks for his first graded stakes win Saturday and should be competitive as per usual. Norembega has two wins and two seconds in his last five starts and will be confident after his nice win last time out. Joel Rosario gets the call from post 4 at 6-1 odds.

Moreno – was last seen running a distant twelfth in the Grade 1 Met Mile here June 7 after an OK fourth in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special May 16 and a decent third behind Game On Dude and Imperative in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic April 19. He ended 2013 with a disappointing tenth in the Breeders’ Cup. The Eric Guillot pupil won the Grade 2 Dwyer Stakes in impressive fashion by seven lengths July 6 and followed that with a respectable third behind Palace Malice and Will Take Charge in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes July 27. He had a pair of good seconds at the end of the summer before his Breeders’ Cup experience as well – in the Grade 1 Travers behind Will Take Charge and ahead of Orb and in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx September 21. Moreno has failed to place in his last two starts overall and will be looking to get back on track Saturday. He leaves from the outside post with Junior Alvarado in the reins at 8-1 odds.

Suburban Handicap betting online at Belmont Park with OffTrackBetting.com

Stormin Monarcho – David Jacobson trainee will race in graded stakes company for the first time since at twelfth in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby in April, 2013 but is coming off a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming scores at Delaware Park – the last coming June 16. He has 21 career starts with six wins, six seconds and three third place finishes and has place in his last four starts overall. Stormin Monarcho looks for his first graded stakes score Saturday when he leaves from post 8 at 12-1 odds with Corey Lanerie aboard.

Prayer for Relief – veteran Dale Romans pupil was very good at this time last year – a win in the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap in June and a pair of seconds – in the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap and the Texas Mile but he has struggled a tad since. Last time out was an eighth in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs June 14 after a good second in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special May 16. Before that was a fourth in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap April 12, a sixth in the Grade 3 Mineshaft Handicap and an OK third in the minor Louisiana Handicap. His last win came in December – in the minor Tenacious Handicap at Fair Grounds. He hopes to break a five race losing streak and will have Corey Nakatani aboard at 12-1 odds from gate 7 at 15-1 odds – in his New York debut.

Mylute – Tom Amoss pupil enters off consecutive fourth place finishes – the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap last time out followed a fourth in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes also at Churchill Downs. He started his year with an Allowance Optional Claiming score in March after an eighth in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes and some OK results in last year’s Triple Crown – a third in the Preakness followed a fifth in the Kentucky Derby. Mylute has yet to record a graded stakes score but has been in there with some quality competitors. Rajiv Maragh gets the call from post 10 at 15-1 odds.

Vyjack – won his first four career starts including a pair of graded stakes scores at Aqueduct – the Grade 2 Jerome Stakes and the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes to start 2013. He then finished third in the Wood Memorial and was eighteenth in the Kentucky Derby for trainer Rudy Rodriguez. He has continued to be inconsistent – a sixth in the Haskell Invitational, an eighth in last year’s Belmont Stakes and an eighteenth in last year’s Kentucky Derby. Last time out was an ninth in the Grade 1 Met Mile here June 7 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score in his first start in nine months. Irad Ortiz will be aboard from post 9 at 20-1 odds.

Ever Rider – Argentinean bred is coming off a fourth in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Invitational on this track June 7 after consecutive second place finishes – the minor Drosselmeyer here May 4 and in the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita in March. His best result to date was a win at home in the group 2 General Belgrano June 21. He has placed in three of six North American starts and looks to break through for the first time on American soil. Luis Saez has the mount from post 2 at 20-1 on the morning line.

Zivo – has four starts this year and four wins for trainer Chad Brown – three minor stakes scores including the Commentator Handicap on this track May 31, the Kings Point Stakes in February at Aqueduct and the Whodam Stakes at Aqueduct in January. He has eight wins, two seconds and four third place finishes in 14 career starts – competitive every time out. He looks more than ready for his graded stakes debut and will have Jose Lezcano aboard from post 3 as the 20-1 longest shot in the field.

Race 8 on Belmont Park’s Saturday card with a Post Time of 5:08 PM.