Westchester winner Dr Post targets Met Mile

ELMONT, N.Y. – Two members of the 3-year-old class of 2020 made promising 4-year-old debuts over the weekend at Belmont Park. On Saturday, Dr Post, the 2020 Belmont Stakes runner-up, won the Grade 3, $200,000 Westchester Stakes to likely earn himself a start in the Grade 1, $1 million Metropolitan Handicap on June 5.

On Sunday, Ny Traffic, the 2020 Haskell Invitational runner-up, won a second-level New York-bred allowance going seven furlongs. His connections are not pointing him to the Met Mile.

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Dr Post, a son of Quality Road trained by Todd Pletcher for Vinnie Viola’s St. Elias Stable, was making his first start since he finished fourth to Mystic Guide in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on Sept. 5 at Saratoga. Under Manny Franco, Dr Post stalked the pacesetting Mr. Buff on Saturday, overtook him in midstretch, and drew off to a 1 1/2-length victory over Wicked Trick.

Dr Post earned a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He’s a horse we’ve always thought had enormous potential,” Pletcher said during an interview Monday on Steve Byk’s “At the Races” radio program. “It was great to see him come back off the bench with a good win. If you look at his form as a 3-year-old, he was right there on the verge with a good second in the Belmont to Tiz the Law and a third in the Haskell to Authentic with a bit of a tough trip. If we can just gain a length or two from where he was last year, I think he’s potentially a top-class older horse.”

Pletcher, who won the 2010 Met Mile with Quality Road, said the Met Mile would be his next start, provided Dr Post is training well.