Saratoga | Race 4 | Post Time 2:55 p.m. (ET)   This New York-bred allowance/optional claimer has attracted a competitive group of eight runners entered for turf. The horse to beat is probably Marco T. (No. 5), one of two Miguel Clement trainees in this field. She had competed against tougher open-company competition this winter at Gulfstream, but she put in a good effort when returned to the statebred ranks last time at Aqueduct. That race was won on the front end by Being Betty, and Marco T. did well to close for second. The inside part of the outer turf course did feel like an advantage, and she saved ground early before angling out late. She should get an honest pace ahead of her this time, and that makes her a deserving favorite. The TimeformUS Pace Projector shows Bustin Bullet (No. 2) and Bellacose (No. 4) vying for the early lead. Wesley Ward-trained Bellacose might be naturally faster, but she has to prove that she can transfer her early speed to the turf in her first attempt over this surface. She doesn’t have that much pedigree for it, and her turf workouts don’t inspire a ton of confidence. Bustin Bullet is the forwardly placed contender that I prefer. She relinquished good early position last time, sitting in the pocket before getting shuffled back in upper stretch. She’s been better when she can get to the front, and she may have that opportunity here.   My top pick is Firsttimeinfover (No. 8), who turns back to a sprint distance for the first time in more than two years. This mare ran some speed figures in the early half of 2024 that would make her tough for this field to handle. It might look like she tailed off a bit when she came to New York, but she got some less-than-ideal trips, particularly when stymied in traffic on May 25 and making a wide, early move on June 23 of last year. She launched a comeback this spring and ran like a horse who needed a race off the layoff before returning to the winner’s circle last time. She’s stepping up against a tougher field here and trying to succeed going shorter. That move might seem curious at first glance, but she’s a lot better now than she was when she last sprinted. She’s out of a sprinting dam and possesses the quicker action of a horse who should adapt well to this distance. She’s also switching into the barn of Joseph Lee, who does a good job with limited starters.