Flat Out Chases Second Suburban Title

What a difference a couple of years can make. Flat Out, who shocked the field in the 2011 $350,000 Grade II Suburban Handicap when he powered to a 6 ½-length victory as the longest shot on the board, will go into the gate for the 2013 Suburban this Saturday at Belmont Park as not only a past champion, but also the morning line even-money favorite. The race is for three-year-olds and up, going 1 1/8 miles over the Belmont dirt track.

Flat Out in the money at 2012 BC Classic

The 2011 Suburban was the Bill Mott-trained Flat Out’s very first graded-stakes score, and since then he’s gone on to run in 15 straight graded-stakes races, putting together a record of three wins, three seconds and four thirds in that span. Included in that are back-to-back victories in the 2011 and 2012 Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup, and a third in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic.  Most recently, he ran third in the Grade I Metropolitan Mile, a race that may have been just a little short for him.

Last Gunfighter looms as a challenge

The Suburban won’t be a walk in the park for the Florida-bred son of Flatter, however. Also going into the gate will be Last Gunfighter, who is six-for-six since breaking his maiden last October, but who hasn’t raced since a 4 ½-length win in the Grade III Pimlico Special in late March. He’s been made the 2-1 morning-line second choice.  Also in the field are Alpha (5-1), Percussion (6-1), and Best Falcon (10-1).  A win by Flat Out would make him the fifth two-time winner in the 123 years of the event.