On Saturday, May 8, 3-year-olds take center stage at Belmont Park
with the 93rd running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Dwyer.
According to Andrew Byrnes, stakes coordinator for The New
York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), likely for the 1 1/8th mile
race are Codoy, making his first start on conventional dirt; Drosselmeyer,
most recently third to Mission Impazible in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby; First
Dude, third to Stately Victor in the Grade 1 Blue Grass; the Nick
Zito-trained Fly Down; Remand, third in the Grade 3 Bay Shore; Soaring
Empire, a troubled eighth in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, and recent maiden
winner Zio Tony.
Privilaged, third in the Grade 2 Swale, and Turf
Melody, fourth in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby, are questionable.
With just two races under his girth, the Mike
Hushion-trained Zio Tony may be the most inexperienced horse heading to
the Grade 2, $200,000 Dwyer, but there’s no question about his status for the
race.
“My Uncle Tony is coming in from Italy
for Mother’s Day, so I told Mike, “That seals it”, said owner Mike Repole, who
named the son of 2000 Horse of the Year Tiznow after his uncle. “He’s lightly
raced, but we looked at the nominees, and his numbers fit. I also love
the one-turn mile and an eighth for him, especially since ran greenly the last
time.”
In his second start, Zio Tony drew off to a 4 ½-length
victory over Avenging Spirit in a seven-furlong maiden race on April 16, joining
the “New York Watch” series, which shines the spotlight on promising colts and
fillies that have recently cleared the maiden and allowance ranks on the NYRA
circuit.
In the Dwyer, Zio Tony will get a new jockey in Javier
Castellano, replacing Gabriel Saez, and may get a change of equipment as well,
said Repole.
“Javier will work him in blinkers either Tuesday or
Wednesday, and we’ll see,” Repole said.