David Grening

The three best races of Iron Dome's career came last summer at Saratoga when he ran 1 1/8 miles against New York-breds. Under those circumstances, Iron Dome went 3 for 3, winning by a combined 28 1/4 lengths. Wednesday, Iron Dome is back at Saratoga, running 1 1/8 miles against New York-breds in the $200,000 Commentator Stakes.

Chad Brown is a numbers guy. But he's also a realist. He knows that just because he has a third of the field entered in Saturday's $2 million Belmont Stakes at Saratoga doesn't mean he's going to be successful.

A change in tactics has led to a change in performance for Little Trilby. A winner of three of his last four starts, Little Trilby will seek a second consecutive Grade 1 victory in Wednesday's $150,000 Beverly Steinman Hurdle Handicap at Saratoga.

Renegade, the Kentucky Derby runner-up, drew post 4 and was installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite by Daily Racing Form and New York Racing Association linemaker David Aragona in a field of nine entered for Saturday’s $2 million Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.

Nitrogen concluded last season with a runner-up finish in the Breeders' Cup Distaff and a 3-year-old filly divisional championship. Nitrogen's transition into her 4-year-old season has brought mixed results and reviews. Friday, she returns to Saratoga looking to get her campaign back on track in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps.

Zulu Kingdom and Salamis are Grade 1 winners pointing to similar such races later in the year. For now, however, Sunday's Grade 3, $300,000 Poker Stakes at Saratoga serves as a nice bridge toward those more prestigious spots later this summer.

Following Golden Tempo’s victory in the Kentucky Derby, which made Cherie DeVaux the first female trainer to win that race, DeVaux was everywhere, from the Today Show to Inside Edition to multiple podcasts to Yankee Stadium, where she threw out the ceremonial first pitch before a game.

Book’em Danno, the New Jersey-bred gelding who won Saturday’s Grade 3 True North Stakes at Saratoga for a second consecutive year, may have a homecoming at Monmouth Park for his next start.

The list of horses who have won the Metropolitan Handicap and the Breeders’ Cup Classic is short, but impressive. Ghostzapper, the 2004 BC Classic winner, won the Met Mile the following year in a career in which he won nine of 11 races. Flightline won both races in 2022 as part of an undefeated (6 for 6) career.

Golden Tempo not only validated his Kentucky Derby victory by winning Saturday's Belmont Stakes, he took complete control of the 3-year-old division heading into the second half of the year.