Friday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Queens Masterpiece capable of better on fair track

Aqueduct | Race 6 | Post Time 4:02 p.m. (ET)

The key to this race is Tempermental (#2). If she returns to her best form, she’s going to be awfully tough for this group to handle. However, she has some serious questions to answer after losing as the 2-5 favorite when dropped in for a $25k tag last time. That was a field that she was supposed to handle easily, and it’s not the first time Rob Atras tried to drop her, as she was a vet scratch previously. She’s been claimed by Chris Englehart, who has done well off the claim recently. Yet she’s moving back up in class and doesn’t figure to be much of a price.

Little Linzee (#5) seems a little more reliable even as she steps up from the N1X level. She has had some excuses this winter, including when she was racing on a dead rail two back. She got the perfect trip last time, sitting just in behind an honest pace before producing a strong kick through the lane. That 100 TimeformUS Speed Figure is higher than even Tempermental’s better numbers, and she should get another good trip.

There doesn’t appear to be much pace in this race, which could make Silken Dollar (#4) dangerous. She didn’t get the best trip last time when always out of position after getting rated through the early stages. She had run a race that makes her competitive here prior to that, and she’s handled 7 furlongs in the past.

My top pick is Queens Masterpiece (#6). She’s coming off a disappointing effort when she tried this level in January, but I’m willing to give her a pass for the performance. Jan. 19 was a strange day that featured a very strong rail bias. While Queens Masterpiece was briefly towards the inside leaving the backstretch, she drifted off the rail on the turn and faded badly once drifting out. She’s had some time off since then and now returns at this same level. I liked her victory back in November where she showed good tactical speed. She figures to be forward again from this outside post and she gets a rider upgrade to Javier Castellano.