SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The three best races of Iron Dome’s career came last summer at Saratoga when he ran 1 1/8 miles against New York-breds. Under those circumstances, Iron Dome went 3 for 3, winning by a combined 28 1/4 lengths. Wednesday, Iron Dome is back at Saratoga running 1 1/8 miles against New York-breds in the $200,000 Commentator Stakes, and he figures as the horse to beat once again. The Commentator is the last of seven stakes and the ninth of 10 races on a card made up primarily of races restricted to New York-breds that kicks off the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Over the five days, there will be 25 stakes worth $11.075 million, highlighted by Saturday’s $2 million Belmont Stakes, the third leg of racing’s Triple Crown. Iron Dome, a son of Into Mischief trained by Steve Asmussen, is coming off a runner-up finish behind repeating winner Crushed It in a one-mile allowance on April 25 at Oaklawn Park. Dance Some Mo and Fast Jack, the fourth- and sixth-place finishers from that race, both came back to win their next starts. Asmussen said Iron Dome “ran solid, but it was too short for him. Anxious to get him back running at Saratoga where all of his wins have come.” Jose Ortiz, aboard for all of those wins here last summer, rides Iron Dome from post 7 in this nine-horse field. Bank Frenzy was the champion older New York-bred dirt male of 2025 on the strength of four wins, including a 1 1/4-length victory in this race last year. Bank Frenzy also won the Empire Classic last fall at Aqueduct and is 3 for 4 at the 1 1/8-mile distance. Bank Frenzy will be making his first start since Dec. 26. :: DRF Belmont Stakes Packages: Save big on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more. Trainer Rudy Rodriguez said he thinks he’s got Bank Frenzy 80 percent ready to run and is expecting improvement from the horse after this race. In 2024, Drake’s Passage and Donegal Surges ran one-two in the Commentator. Drake’s Passage has not won since and has not run since finishing third in an allowance last August at Saratoga. Trainer Miguel Clement has been impressed with the way Drake’s Passage has trained in the mornings – “He’s probably my best work horse, to be honest,” Clement said – and he’s looking forward to giving him a shot to win a second Commentator. “My only reservation is: Is he quite tight enough to get the distance?” Clement said. “But the ability I’m convinced is still there.” Donegal Surges has had mixed results since the 2024 Commentator and is coming off a second-place finish in a seven-furlong allowance race last out at Aqueduct. That performance came after Todd Pletcher removed blinkers from his equipment. Dr. Kraft, Quick to Accuse, Alan Turing, Wynstock, and Russian Realm complete the field. Critical Eye Valtellina could get the right setup when she returns from a six-month layoff in Wednesday’s $200,000 Critical Eye for New York-bred females at 1 1/8 miles. The late-running daughter of Complexity came from 10 lengths back to win last October’s Empire Distaff at Aqueduct, her lone win from nine starts as a 3-year-old. She wasn’t quite ready for graded company in the Grade 3 Comely, where she finished fifth of seven. Trainer Ray Handal gave Valtellina a proper break and was set to run her in an allowance April 4 at Aqueduct but scratched her due to a minor setback. “I could have run her but decided to play it conservative,” Handal said. “A prep race would have been ideal, but she has plenty of works in her. She had some big half-miles with big gallop-outs. Fitness is always a question mark two turns on the dirt off a layoff, but I think I have her pretty tight.” Valtellina should have ample pace in which to close with Bernietakescharge and Landed in the field. Bernietakescharge won this race last year from the outside post in a seven-horse field, the same draw and field size she encounters Wednesday. :: Get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports straight from the morning workouts. Available each race day at Saratoga. Bernietakescharge is coming off a fifth-place finish in the six-horse Top Flight Stakes at Aqueduct in her most recent start. Manny Franco takes over for Ruben Silvera. Landed is 2 for 2 at Saratoga, with 2024 stakes wins here at 3 in the seven-furlong Bouwerie and the Fleet Indian going 1 1/8 miles. Most recently, Landed finished second in an open-company allowance at Keeneland. “She got beat on the square,” trainer Wesley Ward said. “We got the rider that knows her [John Velazquez] well, she loves the track, and she’s fit and ready to go.” Walk With Me, stretching back out to 1 1/8 miles and breaking from the rail, is another who could show speed. She was a front-running winner of a nine-furlong allowance last summer at Aqueduct. Boxed Wine, who has not been out since a fourth in the Empire Distaff last October, Hello Beauty, and Lika Rolling Stone complete the field. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.