Drosselmeyer Headlines Dwyer

When the horses enter the gate for the 142^nd running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 5, the WinStar Farm connections of Super Saver are hoping its Kentucky Derby winner will be vying to become racing’s 12^th Triple Crown winner.

In the meantime, one of WinStar’s other top 3-year-olds is readying for Saturday’s 93^rd running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Dwyer, which in its new spot on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) calendar will serve a major steppingstone to the 1 ½-mile Belmont.

Drosselmeyer, who missed making the cut in graded stakes earnings for the Derby, tops a field of seven for the 1 1/8^th mile Dwyer. The Distorted Humor colt, who fetched $600,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, began his career on turf and synthetics but really began to blossom when switched to conventional dirt, closing out his 2-year-old campaign with a maiden victory at Churchill Downs and launching 2010 with an allowance victory at Gulfstream Park.

Following a fourth in the Risen Star and a third, beaten just a length, in the March 27 Louisiana Derby, WinStar and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott briefly entertained the idea of running him back either in the Lexington or the Blue Grass, but elected to await the Dwyer. Training at Keeneland, Drosselmeyer last breezed seven furlongs in 1:27 on Derby Day.

Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux has the mount on Drosselmeyer, 2-1 on the morning line from post position 2.

Also coming in from the road to the Derby is the lightly-raced but talented Soaring Empire, owned in part by Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino. Winner of two of his first three starts, the Empire Maker colt took a big step up in class in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, but lost all chance before the start when, bothered by the crowd, he dumped jockey Eddie Castro and grabbed a quarter, subsequently finishing eighth.

“It was a maturity thing,” said trainer Cam Gambolati. “He’s a talented colt, and we were behind the eight ball, trying to make the Kentucky Derby, and he just wasn’t ready. But the Dwyer is a great spot for him. A mile and an eighth at Belmont Park is a lot different, and it’s a great race from which to move forward.

“The Belmont, of course, is a possibility, but we’ll let him tell us where he’ll go next. Right now, he’s trained very well and I expect him to run well.”

Castro is back aboard Soaring Empire, who drew post position 4 and was 5-1 on the morning line.

Another who spent a little time on the Triple Crown trail earlier this spring was Richard Pell’s Fly Down, trained by Hall of Famer Nick Zito. A maiden winner at second asking last fall at Churchill Downs, defeating First Dude in the process, the Mineshaft colt took an allowance at Gulfstream Park in February, winning by a head and earning a 90 Beyer Speed Figure coming off three-month layoff. A ninth-place finish in the Louisiana Derby ended his Derby hopes, but he comes into the Dwyer off a bullet half-mile move in 47.60 on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

Jose Lezcano rides Fly Down, 7-2 on the morning line, from the outside.

Coming in from the mid-Atlantic are a pair of horses with familiar faces,

James McIngvale’s Carnivore, who was fifth to Eskendereya in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial, and Earle Mack’s Turf Melody, fourth in the Grade 3 Gotham behind Awesome Act and fourth to American Lion in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby in his most recent start.

“He came out of the race fine and he’s had plenty of time to recover from that trip,” said Turf Melody’s trainer, H. Graham Motion. “The track at Hawthorne seemed to be cuppy and I don’t think he handled it well, if I were to make an excuse.

“The thought process is that this isn’t as tough of a group as the one going to the Preakness, and it’s a chance to run over the track. If he handles the competition and the surface, we’ll look at the Belmont Stakes in four weeks.”

Carnivore, who came back to finish second to Nacho Friend in an allowance at Pimlico on April 29, drew the rail and will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez at 10-1 on the early line, while Rajiv Maragh has the mount on Turf Melody,12-1, from post position 3.

Rounding out the field are Bred to Win Partners’ Codoy, who will be making his first start on conventional dirt and who most recently finished fifth in the Blue Grass, and Sovereign Stable’s Remand, third behind Eightyfiveinafifty and subsequent Derby Trial winner Hurricane Ike in the Bay Shore on April 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Codoy, with Cornelio Velasquez up, is 15-1 from post position 6, while Remand drew post position 5 at 3-1 on the morning line. John Velazquez will ride.

The field for the Grade 2, $200,000 Withers: