Dwyer will be Charge It's first start since Derby

ELMONT, N.Y. – Charge It, the Florida Derby runner-up who finished 17th in the Kentucky Derby, heads what is expected to be a small field of 3-year-olds for Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Dwyer Stakes going a mile at Belmont Park.

Charge It, trained by Todd Pletcher, won a one-turn mile maiden race by 8 1/2 lengths at Gulfstream Park in February before jumping right into the Florida Derby field where he finished second to White Abarrio.

Pletcher believes Charge It displaced his palate in the Derby, which led to his 28-length defeat to Rich Strike. He has since undergone a procedure to address that.

With regular rider Luis Saez at Churchill Downs on Saturday, John Velazquez will ride Charge It in the Dwyer. Last Saturday, he worked five furlongs in 1:00.79.

Others under consideration for the Dwyer are Nabokov, a recent maiden winner for Chad Brown, No Sabe Nada, and Unbridled Bomber. Other possibles include Fluid Situation and one of three possibles for trainer Rodolphe Brisset – Barossa, Kuchar, or McLaren Vale.

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◗ Aikhal, a Group 3 winner at The Curragh on Saturday, and Stone Age, winner of the Group 3 Irish Derby Trial – both trained by Aidan O’Brien – head the European contingent invited to the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational.

Nations Pride, a winner of 4 of 6 starts for trainer Charlie Appleby, also is a noteworthy invitee from Europe for the 1 1/4-mile turf race. Implementation, Machete, and Royal Patronage also are invited from Europe.

The U.S. contingent includes Annapolis, Emmanuel, and Grand Sonata for trainer Todd Pletcher, plus Limited Liability, Napoleonic War, Sy Dog, Stolen Base, and Tiz the Bomb.