Iron Dome edges Wynstock, Tricky Business in Empire Classic

Iron Dome has a lot more to do if he’s to come close to the exploits of his older brother, Mr. Buff, an 11-time stakes winner and earner of more than $1.4 million.

But on Saturday, Iron Dome did something Mr. Buff couldn’t do - win the Empire Classic as a 4-year-old.

Sitting comfortably behind horses, Iron Dome was switched outside by Ricardo Santana Jr. for the stretch drive and gradually wore down Tricky Business and held off a late run from Wynstock to win Saturday’s $250,000 Empire Classic by a head at Belmont Park. It was a neck back to Tricky Business in third.

It was Iron Dome’s fourth victory in 14 starts and first since he won the Albany as a 3-year-old. He finished sixth as the favorite in last year’s Empire Classic run at Aqueduct.

The Empire Classic was one of 10 stakes on an 11-race Empire Showcase Day card that highlighted the New York-bred program.

By Into Mischief out of the Speightstown mare Speightful Affair, Iron Dome is a half-brother to Mr. Buff, who finished third in the Empire Classic as a 4-year-old, but won the race at ages 5 and 6.

“He’s a solid 4-year-old that’s Buff’s little brother and Buff didn’t get good until he got older,” said Steve Asmussen, the trainer of Iron Dome.

Iron Dome lost his last start to the Asmussen-trained Preside in an allowance race at Saratoga. But Asmussen was pleased with the effort because he proved effective sitting off of horses. (Preside, by the way, finished second in an allowance race at Keeneland run about a half-hour after the Empire Classic.)

On Saturday, Iron Dome proved effective from off the pace again as he sat an up-close third behind dueling leaders Donegal Surges and Leon Blue, who dueled through splits of 23.74 seconds and 46.51 for the opening half-mile. Tricky Business, who was racing outside of Iron Dome, made the first move, going three wide under Junior Alvarado.

Santana kept Iron Dome inside and behind horses until the top of the lane when he guided him outside. Now in the four path, Iron Dome gradually charged at and passed Tricky Business while holding off Wynstock to his outside. Wynstock finished second by a head over Tricky Business. Doc Sullivan, the lukewarm 3-1 favorite, was fourth.

“I had a lot of confidence in him today,” Santana said. “The plan was to let him break, let the speed go and sit behind them. Today, he was much the best.”

Iron Dome, owned by L and N Racing and Chester Broman - the latter who owned and bred Mr. Buff - covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.84 and returned $14.06 to win.

“Well-deserved win for the horse, he got there,” Asmussen said. “I thought Ricardo gave him a perfect trip, knew him well.”

Asmussen, who watched the race from Keeneland, said Iron Dome would return to Kentucky and he would evaluate the horse before deciding where he would run next.

The plan is for Iron Dome to return as a 5-year-old and it’s a pretty safe bet that one of his goals will be the Empire Classic of 2027.

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