E Dubai steals Suburban

ELMONT, N.Y. - E Dubai, a lightly raced son of Mr. Prospector who wasn't even supposed to run in the race, led every step of the way under John Velazquez to steal Saturday's $500,000 by three-quarters of a length before 8,611 at Belmont Park.

Lido Palace, making his first start since February, finished second in the Grade 2 Suburban for the second straight year, a length in front of even-money favorite Macho Uno. Completing the order of finish were Evening Attire, Pure Prize, Country Be Gold, and Pleasant Breeze.

Tom Albertrani, the New York-based assistant trainer for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin Racing, said all week E Dubai was unlikely to run in the Suburban. But, on the morning of entry, Brooklyn Handicap winner Seeking Daylight was injured and forced out of the race. Albertrani also saw the race was coming up void of speed.

"When [Seeking Daylight] came out of the race, then we just decided let's go for it; there's not much speed in here, maybe the horse can go out there and steal the race," said Albertrani, who had concerns about E Dubai's ability to go the 1 1/4 miles of the Suburban.

Belmont's main track has been speed-favoring all week, and of Saturday's six dirt races, five were won by front-runners.

Breaking from post 2, E Dubai opened up a 1 1/2-length lead after running an opening quarter in 24.10 seconds. Pleasant Breeze came up from the inside to pressure E Dubai through fractions of 48.72 seconds and 1:12.84.

But E Dubai put away Pleasant Breeze around the turn. Turning for home, Lido Palace, under Jerry Bailey, launched his bid, as did Macho Uno, ridden by Gary Stevens. But neither could catch E Dubai, who ran his final quarter in 23.84 seconds. He covered the 10 furlongs in 2:00.95 and returned $11.80 to win.

"I was pretty much a passenger until I got to the quarter pole, and he responded right away," said Velazquez, who also won Saturday's Grade 1 Prioress aboard Carson Hollow. "He really had some punch in the end."

Bobby Frankel, the trainer of Lido Palace, did not blame the speed-favoring track, but Joe Orseno, the trainer of Macho Uno, was upset. "This racetrack is not fair," Orseno said. "Gary Stevens's exact words were that it was like a trotting-horse race."

E Dubai is a stablemate of Street Cry, who last month won the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap and in March the Dubai World Cup. Street Cry is being pointed to the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap on Aug. 3 at Saratoga, so E Dubai will likely race elsewhere, Albertrani said.

* The NTRA Summer Pick 3 returned $198. The winning combination (8-4-2) consisted of With Anticipation in the United Nations at Monmouth, Cetewayo in the Stars and Stripes Handicap at Arlington, and E Dubai.