Sunday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: By All Means much better than her last result
Belmont | Race 2 | Post Time 1:36 p.m. (ET)
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This optional claiming field only attracted six runners entered for turf, but there’s some quality in this field. Veronica Greene (#1) could go favored off her fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Beaugay last time. She was no match for stablemate Marketsegementation, who dominated that affair, but the entire race was flattered when that rival came back to win the Grade 1 New York last week. Veronica Greene traveled a bit awkwardly down the backstretch, taking some hopping, eager strides before settling and making a mild stretch rally. She’s obviously improved since last year, but she got a perfect setup two back and was never a serious threat last time. I just worry she might be overbet with those flashy speed figures and Irad Ortiz attracting too much support.
Pleasant Passage (#3) is another who figures to take money as she drops out of a series of graded stakes races. She showed real promise last year, wiring the field in the Miss Grillo, albeit with a perfect trip. She then improved again to finish second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf behind the classy Meditate, though she did benefit from an honest pace. The concern is that she might have just been a precocious sort, as she disappointed as the favorite when she returned last time in the Appalachian. She did encounter some minor traffic in deep stretch, but was already spinning her wheels at that point.
Pleasant Passage has some versatility, but she still figures to concede the lead to For the Flag (#6), who looks like the clear speed. This filly has obviously improved since returning as a 4-year-old and switching into Jimmy Toner’s barn. However, she beat weaker two back and then benefited from a very favorable pace setup last time in a race where her main rival for the front end got a curiously unaggressive ride. She might be fortunate with a lack of pressure again here, but I think she has to improve significantly to beat this field. 
My top pick is By All Means (#4). This filly showed real talent in Europe last year, impressively rallying to victory in the Prix de Bagatelle before just missing in a Group 3 at Deauville when she was placed much closer to the pace. She wasn’t competitive in the Group 1 Sun Chariot after that, but she was always far from the stands side rail where most of the running was done. She made her 4-year-old debut for Christophe Clement and new connections last month at Gulfstream, and ran a lot better than the result suggests. She was covered up at the back early after a tardy start, and had plenty of energy left at the quarter pole. However, her rider buried her behind horses, where she was blocked, ultimately having to alter course when it was too late. She galloped strongly through and past the wire once she found room, suggesting that she might have won that race with a clear run. Now she gets a rider upgrade to Joel Rosario, and I’m expecting a much better result.