Saturday’s TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Trilliant is on the improve as she makes her U.S. debut

Aqueduct | Race 4 | Post Time 1:47 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs

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Scheme (#8) and Speighgal (#10) were installed as the two shortest prices on the morning line, and I think both deserve respect. The former ran a strong race in the Pebbles behind the talented Rubilinda, and should be in the mix with a similar effort against this softer group. She showed some promise back at Gulfstream in early spring, and has certainly improved since then.

Speighgal has yet to run quite as fast as her main rival, but she appears to be quickly improving for Barclay Tagg. She ran deceptively well when making a strong, sustained run two back at Saratoga, and followed that with a dominant maiden win last time, beating next-out winner Wake Island in the process.

I’ll use both, but my top pick at what should be a more attractive price is TRILLIANT (#2).

It has obviously taken some time for this filly to figure out the game, but she’s really stepped up her efforts in her past couple of outings. Our global correspondents at Timeform had positive things to say about her after her maiden win, noting that she is “only just coming to herself and she’s open to further improvement now that it’s clicked.” Then, following her last effort in England, it was suggested that she “is capable of better still, so very much one to be interested in.” She obviously needs to continue improving to be competitive in this spot, but Graham Motion often does get these horses to step forward. Over the past five years, he is 18 for 58 (31 percent, $3.21 ROI) with foreign shippers on turf making their first start for his barn and first start on Lasix.

THE PLAY

Win/Place: 2

Exacta Key Box: 2 with 4, 6, 8, 10