Friday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Adeliese’s Smile returns to allowance company
Belmont at the Big A | Race 9 | Post Time 5:11 p.m. (ET)
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This N1X allowance field has attracted a competitive field of runners, many of which have already won multiple races, having risen out of starter-allowance or New York-bred company. Likely favorite I’mhavingamoment (#3) falls into the latter category, having worked her way through her statebred allowance conditions in her last couple of starts. She upset a field to win two back at Belmont in impressive fashion and proved that was no fluke last time, delivering as the heavy favorite at Saratoga. Her triple-digit TimeformUS Figures for those efforts do make her the horse to beat, but she’s going to take money again off that exposed form.
Only one runner in this field is coming out of a maiden win. White Chocolate (#4) did earn a fast speed figure for her victory Aug. 25, but she took advantage of a sloppy track that was very kind to speed. Trainer Chad Summers is just 3 for 43 (7 percent, $0.85 ROI) with last-out winners over the last five years, so I want to look elsewhere.
I’m more interested in some other 3-year-olds in this lineup. Fancy Azteca (#6) has some things to prove after getting eased on the backstretch in her most recent start at Saratoga. It’s a good sign that she returned to the work tab just two weeks later, and now she’s entered back at the same level. I also like the turnback for her, since her prior start going six furlongs was an impressive victory. She only beat claimers that day, but did so after stalking an honest pace that came apart.
My top pick is Adeliese’s Smile (#8). This filly just feels like one who could fly under the radar for some low-profile connections. She’s definitely an overachiever, having won her maiden at 40-1 odds at Gulfstream over the winter. She returned from a layoff at Belmont in June and put in a game performance to just miss at this level. That was a slower race, but she did hold her own against some horses who would be considered contenders in this spot. I won’t hold the Victory Ride against her, since she was overmatched against that field. Now she’s back at the right level and gets to race on Lasix, which she has used in both of those aforementioned career-best efforts.