Tom Pedulla offers takeaways from a pair of Grade 1 contests Saturday at Belmont at the Big A, the $727,500 Belmont Derby Invitational and the $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes, and other major developments this weekend.

GOING THE DISTANCE: Trainer Graham Motion thought Trikari could get the distance in the 1 3/16-mile Belmont Derby. Now, he’s sure of it after the 3-year-old colt by Oscar Performance, out of the Harlan’s Holiday mare Domestic Holiday, outdueled White Palomino by a head under jockey John Velazquez for his first Grade 1 win. “Physically, he’s such a big, strong, good-looking horse,” Motion noted. “I trained the mare and I didn’t think the distance was going to be an issue, but you never know.” Motion will seriously consider the $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes Aug. 3 for Trikari’s next start.

FEELING AT HOME: Cinderella’s Dream made her first start in North America a winning one when she captured the Belmont Oaks with William Buick aboard. She set a course record for the 1 3/16-mile contest with a clocking of 1:53.42. “We were always confident she was the right filly coming into the race,” trainer Charlie Appleby said. “She’s learned plenty and had a good experience. It was her first start in America and she can only progress.” Appleby indicated the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes on Aug. 2 will probably be next.

Domestic Product winning Dwyer. (Eclipse Sportswire)

SHORT REST: Trainer Chad Brown does not typically run his horses with only three weeks between starts. He did that with Domestic Product in the one-mile Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes Saturday at Belmont at the Big A and was rewarded with a 7 ½-length romp. Domestic Product had finished second to Tuscan Sky in the June 15 NYRA Bets Pegasus Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park. “I felt in control the whole race,” jockey Flavien Prat said of the Dwyer, adding, “When I called on him, he responded very well. I do think he’s better with the cutback in distance.”

ON A ROLL: When Juddmonte homebred Dragoon Guard debuted with a second-place effort in a maiden special weight contest Sept. 22 at Churchill Downs, trainer Brad Cox decided not to press on with the son of the late Arrogate and to give him time to grow physically and mentally. That sure was the right call. Dragoon Guard made it 3-for-3 as a sophomore when he succeeded in his first graded-stakes attempt, taking the Grade 3, $300,000 Indiana Derby Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The 1 1/16-mile test also marked his first race around two turns. The Aug. 24 Travers Stakes or the Sept. 21 Pennsylvania Derby could be next for this emerging colt.

WHITNEY POSSIBLE: The $1 million Whitney Stakes on Aug. 3 at Saratoga could be the next start for Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap runner-up Post Time. “We’re going to see who shows up and who’s coming,” trainer Brittany Russell said, “but he deserves his chance of kind of keep stepping along.” The Whitney is a 1 1/8-mile race. Post Time has never finished worse than third in 11 career starts while banking $817,910. But he has never been asked to go beyond a mile. Convincing Met Mile winner National Treasure also is considered a possibility for the prestigious Whitney.