The rematch is on between Phileas Fogg and Antiquarian in the $500,000 Suburban Stakes (G2) on Saturday at Saratoga. The Suburban is one of four graded stakes on the sizzling card as Saratoga celebrates Independence Day.
Sizzling is the operative word. The heatwave gripping much of the country is expected to hit the Spa for the holiday weekend. A number of tracks have canceled or rescheduled races to avoid temperatures and heat indexes that could top 100 degrees. Bettors should be aware that Saratoga could cancel or adjust the weekend schedule.
The Suburban, featuring a deep and talented 11-horse field, is part of a Saratoga Saturday lineup that includes the Belmont Derby (G1), the Belmont Oaks (G1), and the Sanford Stakes (G3). First post is 12:35 p.m. ET.
Phileas Fogg (8-1) and Antiquarian (3-1) met in last year’s Suburban, with Phileas Fogg setting the pace and holding off Antiquarian by a head at the finish. Can he do it again over a track and distance (1 1/4 miles), which he clearly likes? The 6-year-old gelding has a record of 2-1-0 in four tries at 10 furlongs.
On the downside, Phileas Fogg’s record has been spotty since last year’s Suburban. His next effort was one that lives in infamy, the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), where he created chaos shortly after the start by veering sharply to his left from an outside post, disrupting several horses while knocking jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. off Mindframe. Phileas Fogg finished third but was placed seventh for his antics.
That was the start of a four-race losing streak that ended when he captured an allowance at Aqueduct on May 1.
“He’s been training really good,” trainer Gustavo Rodriguez, “Every time he goes, and he works, he works very nicely. We’re coming into the race beautifully.”
The lack of high-level stakes conditioning is a concern. Phileas Fogg was in a groove heading into last year’s Suburban, coming off stakes wins in Aqueduct’s Excelsior and a good second in the Pimlico Special (G3).
In contrast, Antiquarian should be in top form for his third start of the season. The chestnut colt trained by Todd Pletcher won Aqueduct’s Westchester (G3) by 5 ¾ decisive lengths before setting the pace and finishing fourth to Nysos, the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner, in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1).
This is a substantial class drop heading into the rematch with Phineas Fogg.
“The Met Mile was a tough race – Nysos, Journalism, Knightsbridge – and we are not a flat miler or anything like that, but we tried with the history of the Met Mile, many of the winners were Classic horses,” said Don Little, president of Centennial Farms, who campaigns the horse.
Phileas Fogg and Antiquarian figure to be well backed by the bettors. Is there a price horse in here who could add value to our tickets?
That could be Forged Steel (4-1), winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) by almost 10 lengths in his first try at 1 1/4 miles.
Or perhaps Hit Show (5-1), winner of the 2025 Dubai World Cup (G1), who was most recently third in the Blame Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs in a trouble-filled trip.
Post time for the Suburban is 4:42 p.m. ET.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
