Saturday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: American Gentleman cuts back to proper distance

Aqueduct | Race 8 | Post Time 4:27 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs | Not already a TimeformUS member? Sign up

Trash Talker (#6) could attract some support in this spot as he steps up in class to face N1X company. This isn’t the strongest race for the level, but it’s still a tougher field than Trash Talker defeated last time when he got loose on the front end here two weeks ago. He’s capable of running some competitive speed figures when things go his way, but he figures to get some early pressure here from Bustin Shout. I don’t trust him, and instead prefer horses that have competed against tougher fields at this level.

That includes all three horses exiting the seventh race on Feb. 5. Castle Chaos (#1A) is the one that figures to garner the most attention from that spot after finishing well to get up for third behind runaway winner Southern District. He got a little shuffled back on the turn, but that actually worked out for him because it allowed his rider to wheel him outside to the best part of the track. The inside was not the place to be on Feb. 5, as all of the best running was down out in the middle of the racetrack.

For that reason, I want to give a shot to AMERICAN GENTLEMAN (#7) coming out of that race. A mile is probably too far for him anyway, but he was forced to gravitate towards the inside once he inherited the lead coming around the far turn, and he understandably faded late. I like the turnback in distance, and thought that he ran particularly well two back when closing after a wide trip to get up to win over Trash Talker. That’s proven to be a strong race, as the 5 runners who finished directly behind American Gentleman have returned to improve their speed figures in their next starts.

THE PLAY

WIN: #7 American Gentleman, at 7-2 or greater

USE with: 1A,2,3