In a rematch between two Kentucky Derby also-rans, Any Given Saturday – eighth in the Run for the Roses – surged to the front at the top of the stretch, then easily turned back a challenge from Nobiz Like Shobiz to win yesterday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park by four lengths.
The son of Distorted Humor ran the mile-and-a-sixteenth in 1:40.3 under Garrett Gomez to pay $5.30 as the second choice in a field of five 3-year-olds.
“The Biz,” favored at 6-5 in his first start since finishing 10th in the Derby, held second, five lengths clear of Sightseeing, followed by pace-setter Believeinmenow and Helsinki.
“It was a huge win,” said Any Given Saturday’s trainer, Todd Pletcher, who won three stakes last weekend at Belmont. “He came out of the Derby with a pretty good foot bruise. We felt like the freshening would be good for him, and obviously it was.”
“It’s almost impossible to beat Pletcher, no matter where you are, what race you’re in or who the horses are,” said Nobiz trainer, Barclay Tagg, whose afternoon wasn’t a total loss.
A few minutes before the Dwyer, Tagg’s gutsy gelding Funny Cide – the 2003 Derby and Preakness winner, now a 7-year-old – notched his first victory in over a year, taking the Wadsworth Memorial Handicap at Finger Lakes by three lengths.
In the Independence Day co-feature, the Grade 2, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap at seven furlongs for older horses, High Finance won his second straight and his first in a stakes, drawing off to score by 23/4 lengths under John Velazquez in 1:21.4. He paid $13.20.
The 6-year-old New York-bred gelding Commentator, winner of the Whitney two summers ago, was the 1-2 favorite under Corey Nakatani making his second start back off a nine-month layoff. Pressed by High Finance, he went the first quarter-mile in :22, then Rondo, Edgar Prado up, came through between them to duel with Commentator through a scorching first half in .43.4.
“If you look at 10,000 races, you’ll never see that again,” said Commentator’s trainer, Nick Zito. “A .21 second quarter? Have you ever heard of that?”
As Rondo began to fade, High Finance, making his fifth start of the year for trainer Rick Violette, came back again to the inside, took command with a furlong to run and kicked clear.
Awesome Twist, in his first race since Dec. 9, rallied to catch Commentator for second completing a $100.50 exacta.