Norumbega, Micromanage to Meet Again in Suburban

The Grade 2, $500,000 Suburban Handicap, a mainstay of the Belmont Park stakes schedule, will be contested at 1 1/4 miles for the first time since 2009. The race's distance was 1 1/8 miles from 2010-2013. The Suburban is open to 4-year-olds and up.

Norumbega and Micromanage, who were separated by only a neck when finishing 1-2 in the Grade 2, 1 ½-mile Brooklyn Invitational on June 7, are expected to meet again in the Suburban. Ever Rider, fourth in the Brooklyn, also is probable for Saturday's race.

Last Gunfighter will aim for his seventh stakes victory in the Suburban. He has won two straight: the Grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap in November and Penn National's Mountainview Handicap on May 31.

The Suburban probables also include Moreno, Mylute, Romansh, and Stormin Monarcho. Perfect Title, Prayer for Relief, and Vyjack are possible.

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Central Banker, who was scratched out of the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on June 7, is slated to return to Belmont Park to compete in the Grade 3, $400,000 Belmont Sprint Championship, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up which was formerly run at Saratoga Race Course as the James Marvin Stakes. In his most recent start, Central Banker won the Grade 2 Churchill Downs by a head on May 3.

Palace also brings winning graded stakes form into the Belmont Sprint Championship, having captured the Grade 2 True North by three-quarters of a length on June 6. He is winless in two starts at the Belmont Sprint Championship's seven-furlong distance.

Also expected for the Belmont Sprint Championship are Big Screen, Clearly Now, Declan's Warrior, Moonlight Song, Salutos Amigos, and Sensational Slam. Eastwood and Mezzano are possible.

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Kid Cruz, who has won three stakes, will attempt to land his first graded stakes score in the Grade 2, $200,000 Dwyer, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds. The colt, named for New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, took the Private Terms and Federico Tesio earlier this year in Maryland before finishing eighth in the Grade 1 Preakness in May. He regained the winning thread with a 3 ¼-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Easy Goer on June 7 at Belmont.

Captain Serious, who is unbeaten in three starts against New York-breds, will take on open company and race beyond seven furlongs for the first time in the Dwyer. Most recently, Captain Serious, who is named in honor of Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, took Belmont's Mike Lee by three lengths on May 31.

Gaining Ground, Mexikoma, Spot, Tiz Dark, and Ulbanator complete the list of Dwyer probables.