Saturday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Patriot Spirit should get right setup in Vosburgh

Belmont at the Big A | Race 9 | Post Time 4:41 p.m. (ET)

The expected scratch of Super Chow (#3) takes a significant pace player out of this Vosburgh. That should benefit my top selection Patriot Spirit (#8), who is drawn perfectly outside of any remaining speed types. This gelding doesn't need the lead to be successful, but he's naturally fast enough to be prominent throughout. His connections have gone back and forth between targeting routes and sprints throughout his career, but he seems to have responded well to the cutback in his last two starts. He actually ran better than it looks the last time he went two turns in the Essex, contesting an extremely fast pace and holding on gamely into upper stretch. Yet he's clearly more comfortable over shorter distances. He ran well to be second with a career-best 124 TimeformUS Speed Figure in the one-mile Knicks Go two back, and last time he earned a facile victory over this distance at Colonial. If he maintains that form on Saturday, he should be tough to beat.

His main rivals exit the Grade 1 Forego, a race that featured a strong pace that ultimately was falling apart in the late stages. That race flow benefited both Scotland (#1) and Crazy Mason (#9), who close for second and third. The former has shown a little more tactical speed in the past, but he may not have an opportunity to attain forward position here breaking from the rail. Crazy Mason just lacks any early speed whatsoever. He also possesses the best late kick of anyone in this field, and has closed into slow paces before. I'm just concerned he may leave himself with too much to do at this level.

The most interesting horse out of the Forego might be Doc Sullivan (#4), who settled for fourth. Whereas the other two closers running back in here had an opportunity to save ground early, he was stuck wide every step of the way. He did well to battle on into the late stages after such a trip. He's been in the best form of his career since the trainer switch to John Ortiz, and new jockey Joel Rosario seems to get along very well with a horse who can sometimes be difficult to ride.