Friday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: London House looks to pick up right where he left off in return

Belmont | Race 7 | Post Time 4:40 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs | Not already a TimeformUS member? Sign up

The entry is likely to attract support merely due to the fact that both horses are contenders, but I’m not too fond of either one. Amundson (#1) will attempt to step up in class after winning at the N1X level last time, but he wasn’t beating the strongest field. His speed will make him dangerous, but I believe some others have shown more talent. His entry-mate Singapore Trader (#1A) is a difficult runner to read. It would appear that 6 1/2 furlongs is a bit short of his best distance, so this might just be a prep off the lengthy layoff. Furthermore, aside from a deceptive 10-length romp in an off-the-turf race, he’s never put forth a performance that makes him that formidable against this field.

The Caretaker (#6) seems like a more reliable option. He won at this level for Ray Handal last time and now makes his first start off the claim for Rob Atras. This is essentially a lateral move and he’s been in solid form for a few months now. My only reservation is that he seems to have lost much of the early speed that he once possessed so he may need some help up front if he’s to pull off a repeat victory.

I want to go in a different direction, so I’m taking a shot with the returning LONDON HOUSE (#5). I was a fan of this horse when he was running last winter, and he got quite good at Aqueduct, winning his last two starts by a combined 20 lengths. That 113 TimeformUS Speed Figure he recorded in February remains the best number in this field, and one would assume he’s improved with natural maturity since then. The layoff is a concern, but the Pace Projector is predicting he’ll get a great stalking trip in a situation favoring runners on or near the lead.

THE PLAY

Win: 5
Exacta Key Box: 5 with 1,4,6
Trifecta: 5 with 6 with ALL
Trifecta: 5 with 1,2,4 with 6