Exotics Plays for the 2026 Suburban Stakes

A deep and accomplished field of 11 will vie in the $500,000 Suburban (G2) at Saratoga on Saturday, one of four graded races on the slate on July 4 at The Spa.

The 1 1/4-mile event on the main strip is a fascinating event with numerous logical contenders in the field, and I feel as though the up-and-coming #9 Stars and Stripes (6-1) will be a formidable foe in the race for trainer Bill Mott, who is represented by two good ones in the contest.

Suburban Exotics

• $2 Exacta: box 2,7,8,9 ($24)
• 50-cent Trifecta: 7,9 with 2,7,8,9 with 2,3,4,6,7,8,9 ($15)
• 20-cent Superfecta: 9 with 2,7,8 with 2,7,8 with ALL ($9.60)
• 20-cent Superfecta: 9 with 2,7,8 with ALL with 2,7,8 ($9.60)

By top sire Not This Time, Stars and Stripes was last seen bagging the Ben Ali (G3) at Keeneland in April at 1 3/16 miles, and the move to 1 1/4 miles should be an easy transition for the four-year-old. The Kentucky-bred bay was very impressive when dusting allowance foes last summer in his lone previous run on the surface, and the colt is 4-for-5 with a second when running two turns in his lifetime. The stalker has a strong turn of foot and landed in a field where the pace is expected to be swift and potentially contested. Junior Alvarado will take the reins. 

#7 Antiquarian (3-1) was a close second in the race in 2025 and ran big in two attempts going 1 1/4 miles on this surface last campaign, led by a score in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) in August. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the son of Preservationist has put in two strong runs at one-turn to commence his five-year-old season and will appreciate the added ground on Saturday. He smoked a bullet half-mile on the Oklahoma as of late and will retain John Velazquez. 

I’m not sure where the commanding win in the Hollywood Gold Cup (G2) at Santa Anita last time out came from by #2 Forged Steel (4-1), who earned a robust 107 Brisnet Speed rating in the process, but I have to use him in this one, nonetheless. The Vekoma colt has improved in each of his last four starts this campaign, and the colt may have found his niche at extended distances on the dirt for trainer Saffie Joseph. Flavien Prat retains the mount and will ask the Kentucky-bred for speed when the gates open. 

The $9.4 million earner #8 Hit Show (5-1) is a Grade 1 victor at the distance, and the high-quality grinder can’t be ignored as a serious exotics threat in the well-matched group. Trained by Brad Cox, the Candy Ride six-year-old had trouble when a closing third in the Blame (G3) at Churchill Downs most recently, and I fully expect him to improve while making his second run back since returning from the desert. Manny Franco will be in the silks.