Dwyer distance suits Practical Joke
ELMONT, N.Y. – Practical Joke, the fifth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, and Battalion Runner, the runner-up in the Wood Memorial, return to the races in Saturday’s Grade 3, $400,000 Dwyer Stakes going a one-turn mile at Belmont Park.
Last October, Practical Joke won the Grade 1 Champagne going a one-turn mile at Belmont. He is winless in four starts since, but those races were run around two turns. He is 3 for 3 in one-turn races. Practical Joke drew post 3.
Battalion Runner won a seven-furlong maiden race around one turn at Gulfstream Park before winning a first-level allowance race going two turns there in March. Following a second to Irish War Cry in the Wood Memorial, Battalion Runner was held out of the Kentucky Derby after a subpar workout.
Giuseppe the Great, the runner-up in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens, True Timber, and Tale of Silence complete the compact field.
◗ The Dwyer, Belmont Sprint, and Belmont Oaks will be shown live on NBC Sports Network in a 90-minute telecast starting at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. The Suburban and Belmont Derby will be shown live during a one-hour broadcast beginning at 6 p.m. on MSG Plus, Fox Sports 2, and other regional networks that typically carry Belmont Park.