The Dwyer

$200.00 For Three Year Olds – 1 Mile – Dirt
Belmont Park – November 7, 2006

Life is good if you are a three year old thoroughbred with talent. Tons of prestigious races restricted to your age group. The Derby trail, the Spring Classics, the Summer Derby. Rich in dollars and rich in points. At a certain time it has to end and the three year olds will need to venture out and prove themselves in the world beyond their fellow sophomores. If it was up to me I would employ the no white after Labor Day rule and tweak it to no three year old restricted stakes after the end of summer holiday. Alas, I don’t rule the world so we find ourselves in November with a three year old stakes race that “back in my day” used to be run much earlier in the year. It doesn’t seem right to me but chances are I am most likely just jealous that I don’t have a three year old talented enough to be in this group. Lets see who the lucky owners are that do have horses with the speed to be here. 

1 Political (Big Guns Stables, A. Fresu)

The Dwyer will be the tenth race of the year for Political Star who began the season firmly on the Derby trail with triple crown aspirations. He won the Jerome at Aqueduct to start it all off. He then entered the gate in the G2 Risen Star, G2 San Felipe and G1 Santa Anita Derby but came away with zero money or points from any of them. He has regrouped since then and has had a string of good races in allowance company and gets another chance to step up to add another stakes score to his Jerome win. 

2 Do Dream (Nakamura Stables, L. Contreras)

Undefeated. He is one for one in a career that spans exactly one free race at Mountaineer back in July. He won that race going away by five lengths which is impressive but he hasn’t been seen in competition since. Works are fast but combines his first pay race with his first stakes effort so this is a huge acid test. 

3 Weaponize (D J C Racing Stables, F. Pennington)

He was beaten by Political Star on the rail in The Jerome in January but he has stepped up his game since that 2026 opener. He won the G3 Holy Bull a few weeks after the Jerome and he has only been seen in graded company since, including six straight grade ones coming into The Dwyer. He finished third in the G1 Preakness and the G1 Travers which speak to his talent despite being somewhat up and down in his form. Stays amongst three year olds but hopes to find things a bit easier coming out of graded company for the first time since the aforementioned Jerome.

4 Suffering Fools (Alydar Stables, J. Lezcano)

Suffering Fools likes to win. He has won six out of eleven races lifetime and four out of his last five starts. All four of those recent victories have been in stakes company. He has worn the flowers in the Mine That Bird Derby, The Long Branch BC, The Curlin and the Super Derby in his last start. Working great and is two for two on wet tracks which might be relevant with a 40% chance of wet weather on race day.

5 Mystic Caller (D J C Racing Stables, J.R. Velasquez)

Started off the year hot with a win in an optional claiming race into a a second place finish in the G2 Rebel. Disappointed in the G1 Bluegrass Stakes and it took him five more races to find his way back to the winners circle in his last race, a N3X at Belmont at the end of September. He has had several close near misses in getting his first stakes win and is working fast looking for a breakthrough.

6 Neon Twist (Serenity Stables, P. Lopez)

Neon Twist is still looking for his first win. He was gelded in early October and was second in the G3 ONT Derby in his one start since then. He lost that race by less than a length and now cuts back to a mile three weeks later still looking for that first victory. That graded stakes placing also produced a career high SRF speed figure of 98. Has not hit the board in two wet track starts so be aware of that if the track comes up less than fast.

7 New Yorks Finest (Big Jd Racing, R. Santana Jr.)

He has a stakes win in the bank by virtue of his win in The Bongard for NY-breds as a two year old. He has several stakes placings since then but his form has tailed off in recent races. He has not finished in thet top three since a N1X allowance win at Keeneland in April which was seven months ago. Fast works give backers some hope that maybe he is turning it around. 

8 Wonka Wages (Hf Stable, M. Franco)

There is a record of consistency here with two wins in eight starts and five top three finishes. He dipped a hoof into stakes company when he ran in the TUP Derby in March but disappointed with a seventh place finish that day. The brightest spot in his form is that he won his last start so he comes into this test on a form upswing. Meets a tougher group than he is used to and will need to produce an effort beyond what he has shown so far. 

Suffering Fools is coming into this race red hot so he will be the pick. Weaponize has produced some good results against top competition despite his inconsistency so put him second. Do Dream is unproven but is intriguing off of that one win and his appearance here so I will place him third followed by Mystic Caller.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded