Saturday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Eliminate starts over as new gelding
Aqueduct | Race 9 | Post Time 5:26 p.m. (ET)
Quick to Accuse (#5) looks pretty formidable at first glance. He's coming off a career-best performance in which he trounced New York-bred competition by over 7 lengths, earning a career-best 119 TimeformUS Speed Figure. A repeat of that number is likely to put him right back in the winner's circle. However, one has to wonder where that effort came from, since it's not as if he's terribly formidable based on his prior form at this level. He did earn that effort on Gotham day during a period of time when Brad Cox had several horses produce breakthrough efforts. I also question the speed figure a bit, since the race did come right after the Gotham, which has since proven to be somewhat weaker than the number it was assigned. Perhaps the most critical point to make is that Quick to Accuse has been claimed away from Brad Cox, now going out for Michelle Giangiulio. This new barn does a fine job, but it's never easy to claim from Cox.
Both horses drawn down towards the inside figure to attract some support. Antonio of Venice (#2) just edged out Master of Arms (#1) for second in a tight finish at this level last time. There isn't much speed in this field, and one would have expected Antonio of Venice to set the pace based on his form from last year. Yet he's lost some of that early speed in recent outings, and Rudy Rodriguez even took the blinkers off last time. Master of Arms is another with tactical speed, and perhaps he'll get a more aggressive ride drawing the rail this time. He's been pretty consistent, but has generally competed at lower levels than this so he still has something to prove from a class perspective.
My top pick is Eliminate (#3), who returns from a layoff for Todd Pletcher. This runner has been a mild disappointment, never really building upon some promising efforts behind the likes of future graded stakes winners Deterministic and Domestic Product early in his career. He did eventually break his maiden sprinting, suggesting that shorter distances are preferable for this son of Curlin. However, he lost much of his early speed after that even as his speed figures started to improve. He seemed to struggle pushing away from the gate with his hind end, often leaving himself with too much to do. Horses with that issue can sometimes benefit from being gelded, and that's exactly what Pletcher did for him. He has been training for this return like clockwork down at Palm Beach Downs for his 4-year-old debut. Pletcher can certainly have one ready off a layoff, and this gelding's uneven form should ensure a fair price.