A healthy Fort Bragg adds blinkers for Dwyer

ELMONT, N.Y. – After missing an intended start in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens due to an illness, Fort Bragg seems recovered and ready to do battle again when he faces five 3-year-olds in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park.

If Fort Bragg runs as well in the Dwyer as he did in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile – his most recent start on May 6 at Churchill Downs – he’ll be awfully tough to beat in the one-mile race.

After getting bumped out of the gate in the Pat Day Mile, Fort Bragg attended a sharp pace, racing three wide under Joel Rosario. Fort Bragg made the lead midway around the far turn, then fought the closing General Jim to the wire, succumbing late by a neck while finishing 3 1/2 lengths clear of Gilmore in what was a 13-horse field.

Fort Bragg was trained by Tim Yakteen for his last three starts. He has been returned to Bob Baffert, who had Fort Bragg at 2 when he twice crossed the finish line first but was disqualified once while finishing 1 3/4 lengths clear of Practical Move. At 3, Practical Move would win two stakes, including the Santa Anita Derby.

Baffert said Fort Bragg was immature at 2 and that the Pat Day was his best race to date. Still, Baffert is adding blinkers to Fort Bragg’s equipment while removing the cheek pieces that Yakteen had used on the colt.

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“Tim was using cheek pieces, but I’m not a cheek-piece user,” Baffert said. “I think the talent’s there, he’s just starting to mature mentally and figure it all out.”

Baffert had planned to run Fort Bragg in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens but scratched when the horse got ill upon arriving from Southern California.

John Velazquez will ride Fort Bragg from post 5.

Saudi Crown, a son of 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming, heads the competition for Fort Bragg. Saudi Crown, trained by Brad Cox, won his debut going six furlongs by 4 3/4 lengths at Keeneland, a race from which three runners – including Saudi Crown – came back to win their next starts. In fact, Briterdayzahead, third to Saudi Crown on debut, came back to win his next two starts.

In his second race, at 6 1/2 furlongs, Saudi Crown showed good speed from the gate and turned aside a challenge from Sweet Cherry Pie, beating that one by 1 3/4 lengths.

“He’s light on experience and seasoning. We do think he’s a very good colt,” Cox said. “He’s another one based off pedigree – he’s by a Derby winner out of a Tapit mare – that should stretch.”

Joey Freshwater won the Grade 3 Bay Shore in April before finishing third to the then-undefeated Drew’s Gold in the Gold Fever. A turf try that resulted in a fifth-place finish can likely be dismissed.

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Harrodsburg, also scratched from the Woody Stephens following a tough nose defeat in a first-level allowance, Alternate Reality, and Prove Right complete the field.

The Dwyer goes as race 6 on a nine-race card that begins at 1:05 p.m. and includes the Grade 2, $250,000 John Nerud for older male sprinters.

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