Friday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: L’Antharis well spotted for U.S. debut

Saratoga | Race 7 | Post Time 4:35 p.m. (ET)

I’m not thrilled with the familiar horses in this marathon first-level allowance. Be Like Clint (#6) and Better Bet (#5) have been competing at this level in recent starts. The former is the most consistent runner in the field, routinely picking up checks in recent starts. However, he remains winless on turf despite working out good trips in his recent attempts at this level. I can at least make an excuse for Better Bet’s poor performance last time, since he clipped heels heading into the first of three turns and was never himself thereafter. However, I’m not thrilled with the fields either of these horses are exiting and would rather explore other options.

Vesting (#2) could take money, and might even go favored, based purely on connections. This gelded son of Blue Point is obviously improving, having taken a step forward from his debut last time when stretched out to this distance. Yet he got a great trip that day, controlling the pace up front. He still barely held off his stablemate, who didn’t exactly flatter that form here last week.

I see a couple of more interesting options with tactical speed. Harry Hood (#3) really seemed to improve when stretched out to marathon trips at Gulfstream last winter. His recent form has tailed off, but he was badly overmatched in the Man o’ War two back and then last time got hung out five wide into the clubhouse turn. He’s better than that and might be able to rebound as he stretches back out.

Au Paradis (#4) is an intriguing new face at the level. He broke his maiden on dirt last time at Delaware against a pretty soft field. However, he’s more of a turf horse, and did look very much like a work in progress in his only two turf attempts at Tampa Bay Downs earlier this year. He’s bred to appreciate the added ground, and his tactical speed could make him a threat towards the front end. He’s definitely a horse I would want to use.

My top pick is L’Antharis (#7). This horse is a bit of a mystery as he returns from a 13-month layoff and makes his first start in the United States. It’s tough to evaluate his French form, since he showed some promise early on before failing to make much of an impact in a series of handicaps last year. However, it’s fair to say that he didn’t get great trips or rides in quite a few of those starts. He was extremely wide every step of the way on both May 23 and June 26 of last year. He ran better on June 11 but even then got held up in traffic before running on belatedly. He may be better than his form suggests, and I find it intriguing that he’s now going out for Bill Mott. Two summers ago Team Valor and Mott sent out a European shipper, Mooney Love, to win a race just like this over a marathon trip at Saratoga. He surely will get the distance and should be a fair price.