Charge It poised to rejoin top echelon of 3-year-olds in Dwyer Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. – Charge It appeared to be on a fast track to becoming a significant player in the 3-year-old division before he was derailed by a breathing issue in the Kentucky Derby.
Following a minor surgical procedure and with a series of strong works under his belt, Charge It looks to kick off the second half of his season on a positive note in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park.
Charge It will face five rivals in the one-mile race, which could serve as a stepping-stone to more prestigious races during the summer.
In his second start, Charge It won a maiden race at Gulfstream Park in February and then was second to White Abarrio in the Florida Derby after lugging in a bit during deep stretch.
“He showed his greenness in the Florida Derby,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains Charge It for Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm. “That cost him. I think he potentially could have won that if he was a little more seasoned.”
Charge It finished 17th in the Kentucky Derby, after which it was determined he flipped his soft palate, which made getting his air an issue. Charge It underwent a procedure known as a myectomy at the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky.
The horse shows four works since early June, including solid five-furlong drills on June 17 and last Saturday.
“Everything’s gone really smoothly,” Pletcher said. “His works have been really good. He’s been scoping well. I would expect him to rebound with a good performance.”
With regular rider Luis Saez at Churchill Downs to ride Americanrevolution in the Stephen Foster, John Velazquez picks up the mount.
Pletcher has won the Dwyer twice. In 2007, Any Given Saturday rebounded from an eighth-place finish in the Derby to win the Dwyer and Grade 1 Haskell. In 2003, Strong Hope won the Dwyer and the Jim Dandy and finished third in the Travers.
For Charge It, Pletcher said he hopes the Dwyer “proves he wants a route of ground.”
“I’m confident he does,” said Pletcher, “and it could be a stepping-stone to the Jim Dandy or Travers or both.”
Fluid Situation was impressive winning a maiden race by 5 3/4 lengths at Tampa Bay Downs on March 27. He finished fourth of six in the six-furlong Gold Fever Stakes here on May 15.
“He didn’t break,” said Tonja Terranova, assistant trainer to her husband, John. “He’s a free-running horse. That got him all out of rhythm. We think he’s a really nice horse.”
Javier Castellano rides Fluid Situation from post 3.
Nabokov, a son of Uncle Mo trained by Chad Brown, is coming off a solid maiden victory here in his second start on May 15. He, too, looks like a front-running sort and will break from post 6 under Flavien Prat.
No Sabe Nada, a three-time winner, is up from Delaware Park for trainer Scott Peck. Unbridled Bomber and Runninsonofagun complete the field.