Saturday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Diamond Status in best form of her career
Belmont at the Big A | Race 6 | Post Time 2:44 p.m. (ET)
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A few of these exit the eighth race at this level on Sept. 3 at Saratoga that was won by Can’t Fool Me. Dontmesswithtess (#7) figures to take money despite finishing off the board that day. She did have a valid excuse last time, as she was unfocused for the start and spotted the field several lengths. She actually made a strong move into contention on the far turn, but flattened out late. The problem is that she always seems to get overbet whenever Irad Ortiz Jr. is aboard, so I’m not confident that her poor result last time, excuse or not, is going to scare anyone away. She also has shown a tendency to flatten out late in her races, and her lack of early speed is a concern in this spot.
Miss Kristy (#8) also ran well in that Sept. 3 affair from off the pace, and she might have more upside as a 3-year-old. She’s been improving with each turf start, and reliably tries hard down the stretch in each of her races. I do wonder if the race will set up for her without a ton of speed signed on, but she figures to give an honest account of herself.
My top pick is Diamond Status (#2), who finished ahead of both of those runners on Sept. 3. Some might be turned off by her 1-for-15 lifetime record, but she’s really figured things out lately, finishing in the exacta in each of her last three starts. I thought she ran deceptively well to break her maiden when stalking a fast pace that was falling apart behind her. Then last time she attended another honest pace in a race that was dominated by closers. She looked ripe to get swallowed up at the top of the stretch, but continued to battle on gamely all the way to the wire at a distance that may be stretching her. I love this cutback to a mile, and she figures to get a perfect trip sitting just in behind likely speed Miss San Gabriel.