Belmont Derby, Oaks fields coming together

The centerpieces of next Saturday’s Stars and Stripes card are the $1.2 million Belmont Derby Invitational and the $1 million Belmont Oaks. Since both 1 1/4-mile turf races are invitationals, the fields are still in flux as the New York Racing Association continues to invite horses.

While the fields may grow, both races have a solid core.

The Belmont Derby is particularly strong, with probable starters including Pennine Ridge winner Oscar Performance; the top two finishers from the Penn Mile, Frostmourne and Big Score; American Turf winner Arklow; and the promising Yoshida.

Other expected runners are Good Samaritan, Senior Investment, Ticonderoga, French import Called to the Bar, and the Aidan O’Brien-trained War Decree. Whitecliffsofdover, also trained by O’Brien, is a possibility.

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The Oaks is expected to have four starters from the barn of Chad Brown – New Money Honey and Fifty Five, the first- and second-place finishers in the Wonder Again, and the French imports Sistercharlie and Uni.

Sistercharlie is now owned by Peter Brant, and Uni will debut for Michael Dubb.

Also expected are Beau Recall, Coasted, Daddys Lil Darling, Grizzel, and Journey Home.

The $750,000 Suburban, a Grade 2 at 1 1/4 miles, will match Shaman Ghost and Matt King Coal.

Shaman Ghost, trained by Jimmy Jerkens, has won the Pimlico Special and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in his two most recent starts. Matt King Coal is coming off an easy win in the $200,000 Mountainview at Penn National for Linda Rice. In his prior start, he finished second, beaten a neck, in the $1.25 million Charles Town Classic.

The Suburban also is expected to lure Follow Me Crev, who is based at Santa Anita with Vladimir Cerin, Keen Ice, and Watershed.

The field for the Grade 3, $400,000 Dwyer, a one-mile race for 3-year-olds, is expected to include Practical Joke, Battalion Runner, Giuseppe the Great, and True Timber.

Trainer Brown has said that Practical Joke could move on to the Haskell Invitational off a good performance in the Dwyer. Practical Joke will be making his first start since finishing fifth in the Kentucky Derby. In his other two starts this year, he finished second to Irap in the Blue Grass and second to Gunnevera in the Fountain of Youth.

Last year at 2, Practical Joke won both the Grade 1 Hopeful and Grade 1 Champagne.