Just 7,116 showed up at Belmont Park on Saturday on a sunny warm day with 2 Grade 1 stakes races on the card. The highlight race of the afternoon was the $400,000 Suburban Handicap (G1) for older horses, the race which Invasor was scheduled to enter until his retirement due to injury. Just six entered this 1 1/4 mile main track feature, including Met Mile winner Corinthian as the 3-2 favorite over Tokyo City winner Fairbanks at 2-1 and Birdstone Stakes runner-up Hesanoldsalt at 3-1.
Fairbanks set the pace most of the way around, through fractions of 24.29, 47.53, 1:10.69, and 1:34.90 while being stalked by Hesanoldsalt and Corinthian for the backstretch trip. 5-1 fourth choice Political Force sat back in fourth along the rail. On the turn, both Corinthian and Hesanoldsalt tired from the fast pace and faded to finish out of the money. Entering the stretch, jockey Cornelio Velasquez took Political Force between horses and he passed Fairbanks just before the 1/8 pole. Bearing out the length of the stretch, Political Force was still able to draw clear by 1 1/4 lengths at the line in 2:00.50 over the fast track. Corinthian finished last, 2 3/4 lengths behind 5th place finisher Hesanoldsalt.
