Fort Bragg wins extended duel to take Dwyer S. (G3)

Fort Bragg and Saudi Crown staged a stretch-long duel in Saturday’s $200,000 Dwyer S. (G3) at Belmont Park, with Fort Bragg getting the better of his foe in an epic battle between the 3-year-old colts.

Fort Bragg became the third Dwyer winner for Bob Baffert, the first coming in 1999 with Forestry.

Coming off a heartbreaking loss to General Jim in the May 6 Pat Day Mile (G2), Fort Bragg was seeking his first stakes win in the Dwyer. Sent away as the 3-5 favorite, Fort Bragg was wide down the backstretch, but no more than two lengths from Saudi Crown, who flew through an opening half-mile in a torrid :44.63.

Around the turn Fort Bragg got to within a half-length of Saudi Crown, who was still in high gear after six furlongs in 1:08.84. Fort Bragg moved alongside the leader in upper stretch and those two traded punches the rest of the way, with Fort Bragg getting his nose on the wire first.

The final time for the mile on the fast track was 1:35.37.

“A big shout out to the Terranovas (John and Tonya) who looked after the horse for me and saddled him today,” Baffert said.

Owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan, the colt’s lifetime record now stands at 8-2-2-2, with $321,300 in earnings.