Suburban photo goes to Dynamic One after stretch battle with First Captain

ELMONT, N.Y. - Dynamic One continued his gradual climb up the ranks in the older male dirt division Saturday at Belmont Park, outfinishing First Captain by a nose to win the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban Stakes.

Untreated, who set the pace, finished three-quarters of a length back in third. It was 7 3/4 lengths to Max Player and Forewarned, who completed the order of finish.

The win was the second consecutive stakes victory but first in a graded race for Dynamic One, a son of Curlin out of the graded stakes-winning mare America, who, as a yearling sold for $750,000. He is owned by Mike Repole, Vinnie and Teresa Viola’s St. Elias Stable, and the Phipps Stable.

After being put away following a last-place finish in the Travers Stakes last August, Dynamic One has a third, a second, and now two stakes wins in four starts this year.

“It seems like he just keeps getting a little better and starting to figure things out,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He’s a horse we always had high hopes for.”

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Dynamic One, who likes to make one run, was about 4 1/2 lengths off the slow pace established by his stablemate Untreated, who ran an opening six furlongs in 1:13.75. Irad Ortiz Jr., aboard Dynamic One, decided to make his move when First Captain, who was in third under Luis Saez, made his around the far turn.

First Captain went three wide, Dynamic One four wide while both were gunning for Untreated, who wasn’t yielding easily in upper stretch. In mid-stretch, it did look like Dynamic One was going to easily go on by, but First Captain fought him all the way to the wire.

Dynamic One completed the 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.26 and returned $3.80 as the 4-5 favorite.

“He made the lead really early for his style but he kept fighting all the way to the wire,” Ortiz said. “That’s why I like him a little more now.”

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Pletcher said making the lead too soon with Dynamic One “has always been a concern with him. [Ortiz] kind of got him revved up and maybe got there a little sooner than he wanted to, but I also think the second- and third-place finishers fought back hard.”

Saez said that First Captain was focused on getting by Untreated when Dynamic One “came on and he just nailed us.”

Pletcher said Dynamic One would be pointed to the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga on Sept. 3.