Suburban lacks a standout; Adios Charlie heads Dwyer

Belmont Park will kick off the Holiday Weekend with a trio of stakes races,

including the $300,000

Suburban

H. (G2) and $150,000

Dwyer S.

(G2), and both graded events have attracted short fields. Six well-matched

older horses, including RODMAN (Malibu Moon), COLIZEO (Distorted Humor) and HYMN

BOOK (Arch), will contest the 126th running of the Suburban at 1 1/8 miles, and

Jerome S. (G2) hero ADIOS CHARLIE (Indian Charlie) tops a field of seven

three-year-olds in the 1 1/16-mile Dwyer.

Rodman, who exits a fast-finishing second to Tizway (Tiznow) in the

Metropolitan H. (G1), has been installed as the 2-1 favorite on the morning

line. A claimer earlier in his career, the Michael Hushion climbed the ranks to

capture the Queens County H. (G3) in December 2009, but was forced to miss the

2010 season due to a foot injury, followed by a bout of colic. The six-year-old

returned in February, recording a runner-up in an allowance/optional claimer,

and then rolled to a 3 1/2-length, wire-to-wire score in the Irish Tower S. in

April.

Overlooked at 36-1 in the Met Mile, Rodman dropped well off the pace before

closing with a rush in the stretch, checking in 5 1/2 lengths clear of third

while never seriously challenging the winner, and the chestnut will look to keep

improving off the highly-encouraging effort in the Suburban. He'll pick up a new

jockey in Javier Castellano.

"We were thrilled with his race," Hushion said. "It was a very good effort,

and he seems to have come out of the race well. We're hoping for another good

performance."

A Grade 3 winner at three, Colizeo opened 2011 with a four-length romp in the

Challenger S. at Tampa Bay Downs. He finished third as the favorite in the Skip

Away (G3) at Gulfstream Park in his next start and exits a good second in the

William Donald Schaefer Memorial (G3) at Pimlico, missing by only a neck in a

near wire-to-wire performance. Todd Pletcher trains the well-traveled colt, who

has compiled a 5-3-3 mark from 15 starts at eight different tracks, including a

three-length score in the Star of Cozzene S. at Belmont last October, and the

four-year-old will likely show speed from the start Saturday under new rider

Cornelio Velasquez.

"I'm hoping the race he won at Belmont indicates he likes Belmont," Pletcher

said . "We're stepping up a notch here, but it's a logical step given what he's

shown."

Pletcher's go-to-rider, John Velazquez, will depart Colizeo for Hymn Book,

who will make his graded stakes debut following a victory in the off-the-turf

Three Coins Up S. on May 19 that netted him a 114 BRIS Speed rating. The

lightly-raced five-year-old has raced primarily on turf, recording an overall

mark of 9-5-2-1, but the gelding is two-for-three on the main track for Shug

McGaughey.

"He's doing well and his last race was good; the numbers were supposedly

really good on him," McGaughey said. "It might be an ambitious place, but we'll

see."

Rounding out the field is stakes winner FLAT OUT (Flatter), a good second in

the Lone Star Park H. (G3) two back and set to make his New York debut off a

sixth in Stephen Foster H. (G1) at Churchill Downs; last year's Suburban

runner-up CONVOCATION (Pulpit), who exits a third in the Easy Goer S. on June 5;

and ICABAD CRANE (Jump Start), a multiple New York-bred stakes winner who will

make his second straight start against open rivals following a third in the

Schaefer.

Adios Charlie is the one to beat in the Dwyer. A 6 3/4-length maiden winner

when making his second career start in late March, the Stanley Hough pupil

jumped straight to stakes company with a superb 2 1/2-length tally in the

one-mile Jerome H. (G2) on April 23. The bay colt tried nine furlongs for the

first time in the May 14 Peter Pan (G2), surging to a clear lead in midstretch

before coming up a head short in second. Adios Charlie has been freshened 49

days for Saturday's cutback in distance.

"As the Triple Crown races unfolded, it might have been nice to be involved,

but everything has worked out for this horse," Hough said of the 6-5 choice on

the morning line. "I think the way it unfolded, I couldn't be any happier. There

are a lot of races for three-year-olds, and a lot of choices, and I really like

the way he is coming into this race."

Adios Charlie has recorded five consecutive "bullet" workouts in Saratoga in

preparation for the Dwyer. He will tote top weight of 122 pounds, including

Rajiv Maragh, as the 6-5 morning-line favorite.

DOMINUS (Smart Strike) is another lightly-raced sophomore with a promising

future. A 5 1/4-length maiden winner at Santa Anita two starts ago, the Steve

Asmussen runner recorded an excellent second when making his stakes bow in the

Derby Trial S. (G3) on April 30. He dueled through a wicked pace battle in the

latter, drawing off to a clear lead in the stretch before being caught in the

final strides, and his supporters will be hoping for continued forward progress

in the Dwyer.

Julien Leparoux will be in to ride the 2-1 second choice on the morning line.

The remaining Dwyer contestants are outsiders. COOL BLUE RED HOT (Harlan's

Holiday), a recent allowance winner at Belmont, will make his stakes bow for

trainer Angel Penna Jr. TECH FALL (Birdstone), who shows a 2-2-0 line from four

career starts at Delaware Park and Parx Racing, will make his first foray into

stakes waters for Tony Dutrow. ROCKING OUT (Include) exits a third in the

Ziggy's Boy S. at Belmont, and Monmouth shippers MALIBU GLOW (Malibu Moon) and

HARLAN'S HELLO (Harlan's Holiday) finished third in the Spend a Buck S. and

fourth in the Pegasus S. (G3), respectively.

The $60,000

Recording S. will feature eight three-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on

the inner turf. CELESTIAL KITTEN (Kitten's Joy) and PARTING WORDS (Artie

Schiller [Ire]), the respective second- and third-place finishers in the Sands

Point S. (G2) on May 30, both rate as top contenders, and the Pletcher-trained

SKATING (Awesome Again) will draw support off her close third in the recent

Little Silver S. at Monmouth Park.