Friday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Soloshot owns best turf form in Cupecoy’s Joy

Belmont at the Big A | Race 6 | Post Time 3:39 p.m. (ET)

Horses without any prior turf form could attract serious support in the Cupecoy’s Joy division of the New York Stallion Series. Geopolitics (#2) may actually go favored in this spot despite coming into this race as a maiden and having no prior grass experience. She has run well in both prior starts, missing by narrow margins on each occasion. She earned a 104 TimeformUS Speed Figure for her last effort, which makes her one of the fastest horses in the field. She also has the best pedigree credentials to handle turf among those trying for the first time, being a half-sister to five turf winners, including multiple grass allowance winner Morrison. Central Banker is just an 8 percent turf sprint sire, according to DRF Formulator, but this filly does look like one who could handle the surface. I just wouldn’t want to take too short of a price finding out.

Being Betty (#4) has at least won on the turf, but she did so in a pretty slow maiden race last September that hasn’t proven to be any stronger in retrospect. She has been overmatched in two subsequent starts going longer, but she didn’t run that well on either occasion. I don’t mind the cutback in distance for her, but I’m just a little concerned about her overall ability. It’s unclear if she’s really that much better than a maiden like Naughty Destiny (#8), who closed for third against maidens coming off a layoff last time and might have some upside in her second start as a 3-year-old.

While Soloshot (#5) hasn’t won in two prior turf starts, she’s run much faster speed figures on the surface than Being Betty and everyone else in this field. She had been a little disappointing on dirt when Lolita Shivmangal claimed her for $32k over the winter. After another failed stakes attempt on dirt, she switched this filly over to the grass, and it’s completely turned her form around. She finished a strong second against a much better open-company field than this at odds of 49-1 two back. She didn’t run quite as well last time, but still put in a respectable effort against some seasoned New York-bred allowance horses. She now gets class relief dropping back in against straight 3-year-olds, and is also receiving a significant rider upgrade to Irad Ortiz Jr. She won’t be nearly as generous a price this time, but she appears to fit the race perfectly.