Suburban (G2) — Race 10 (5:44 p.m. ET)
Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Mystic Guide and unbeaten Grade 1 victor Happy Saver will meet up in an excellent edition of Saturday’s $400,000 Suburban S. (G2) at Belmont Park. It will be the second matchup between the classy four-year-olds.
The 1 1/4-mile race is a “Win & You’re In” for Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar.
Mystic Guide dropped their lone previous encounter, finishing a close second to Happy Saver in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont last October, but he appears to have big strides for Michael Stidham this season.
After opening 2021 with a six-length romp in the Razorback (G3) at Oaklawn in late February, the Godolphin homebred shipped overseas to Meydan to record a stellar 3 3/4-length score in the Dubai World Cup. Luis Saez retains the mount on the Ghostzapper colt.
Happy Saver made a belated three-year-old debut last June for Todd Pletcher. After a couple of wins over maidens and entry-level allowance foes, the Super Saver colt registered his first stakes tally in the Federico Tesio S. last September. He followed with a game win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, pressing the pace before prevailing by three-quarters of a length.
That marked his final appearance last year, and Happy Saver returned from a 7 1/2-month layoff with a sharp allowance tally at Belmont on May 28. Now 5-for-5 overall, the chestnut colt keeps Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons.
Runner-up in last year’s Suburban, Moretti will make his second start back from a lengthy layoff after a non-threatening third in the June 5 Brooklyn S. (G2) at Belmont. Flavien Prat takes over aboard the five-year-old for Pletcher.
Informative steps up in class after registering a 79-1 upset in the June 12 Salvator Mile (G3) at Monmouth Park. Grade 3 winner Max Player and stakes-placed Prioritize round out the field.
