Oklahoma owned horse-Strong Contender muscles way to Dwyer win

Tuesday, July 4th 2006, 7:11 pm

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ Oklahoma-owned Strong Contender runs to a 7-and-three-quarter-length victory Tuesday in the $150,000 Grade 2 Dwyer Stakes for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park in New York.

Ridden by Edgar Prado and trained by John Ward, Strong Contender found room on the rail and burst through on the turn to score his third win in five career starts. Doc Cheney finished second and Da Stoops took third.

Strong Contender earned his first stakes victory, following third-place finishes in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 15th and the Grade 2 Peter Pan at Belmont on May 20th.

The time was 1 minute, 45.24 seconds for the 1 1/16 miles on the fast track.

Strong Contender earned $90,000 for owner John Oxley of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and paid $6.20, $3.40 and $2.80.