Friday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Miss Lao cuts back in top form

Aqueduct | Race 8 | Post Time 4:08 p.m. (ET)

I’m generally not inclined to take short prices on horses like Al’s Ruby (#3). She’s moving up in class off two visually impressive wins, and these types of runners are often underlays as bettors tend to overestimate their potential upside. Al’s Ruby does have some obstacles to overcome here, as she has gotten away with slow paces in both prior victories before spurting away late. I do like the way she finishes off her races, appearing to gain strength as she approaches the wire. I’m just concerned that she might get outrun early from an inside post position with so much other speed to her outside.

One of her main rivals My Magic Wand (#11) has already proven that she can deal with a fast pace, having overcome some very swift fractions when she won her N1X condition last time. She did get pretty tired in the late stages, and only had to forge past the fainthearted Geopolitics in the late stages, but the slight turnback to 6 furlongs does figure to suit her. I’m just concerned she could get burned up in an early duel.

I’m most interested in the horses who chased home the talented Speightful Lily in a fast race for the level on Dec. 12. The winner was clearly best, laying down some legitimate fractions before pulling clear late while not even on the best part of the track. I do want to give Mosienko (#1A) some credit for applying pressure to that rival early before fading in the final furlong. Mosienko has never quite gotten back to the best form that she produced during her long stint in Dennis Lalman’s barn, but her last race was a small step in the right direction first off the claim for Ilkay Kantarmaci. Turning back to 6 furlongs should suit her as well.

Less distance is probably not ideal for Maggy’s Palace (#8), who closed mildly for second behind Speightful Lily last time. However, she’s a reliable late runner, and possesses the highest TimeformUS Late Pace Rating in a race where the Pace Projector is predicting a fast pace. She’s been short prices recently, but may be more palatable odds here as some bettors choose neighbor True Empress as the preferred closer. I just have more faith in Maggy’s Palace, who has proven her class against tough fields on this circuit.

My top pick is the third-place finisher from that Dec. 12 affair, Miss Lao (#4). She was edged out by Maggy’s Palace in a photo for second, but might have run the better race overall. That day produced many results that made it seem like outside paths were preferred, as a few runners who rode the rail performed worse than expectations. Miss Lao raced pretty close to the rail for her entire trip, never outside the 2-path. Considering that less than ideal journey, she stayed on very well through the late stages. She’s primarily contested longer races recently, but she possesses the versatility to work out a trip from mid-pack if this pace heats up. She certainly fits this spot from a class perspective, and is usually a fair price for the low-profile but highly capable Dennis Lalman.