Belmont: Teeth of the Dog best in Easy Goer

ELMONT, N.Y. - Despite the absence of I'll Have Another, the Preakness produced a stakes winner when Teeth of the Dog took Saturday's $100,000 Easy Goer Stakes in decisive fashion.

Dropping in class after running third in the Wood Memorial, and fifth in the Preakness six weeks later, Teeth of the Dog lagged toward the rear early and rallied to contention on the turn as Romancing the Gold and Politicallycorrect carved out an honest pace. A large opening materialized when Politicallycorrect drifted out turning for home, and Joel Rosario shot Teeth of the Dog through to seize command just outside the eighth pole.

Teeth of the Dog drew away to win by 3 3/4 lengths, running 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.84 on a fast main track. Named for a golf course in the Caribbean, he paid $6.10 to win as the favorite in the field of nine 3-year-olds, and improved to 2-1-2 from 6 career starts for trainer Michael Matz, who was to saddle Union Rags in the Belmont Stakes later in the day.

Fast Falcon, at 27-1 the longest shot on the board, swung wide into the stretch and was along to edge Politicallycorrect by a head for second. It was 3 1/2 lengths farther back to Bridge Loan in fourth. The order of finish was completed by Inflation Target, Romancing the Gold, Brimstone Island, Sensor. and Skyring.

The Easy Goer was the first leg of an all-stakes pick six that easily surpassed a $1 million guarantee, handling $1,682,176.