Sunday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Clancy Fancy intrigues in return to turf
Belmont at the Big A | Race 8 | Post Time 4:43 p.m. (ET)
Six of the 10 runners in this New York-bred allowance/optional claimer are returning from lengthy layoffs to make their first starts of 2025, which adds a layer of uncertainty to an already difficult handicapping puzzle. A few of those making their seasonal debuts last raced in a Nov. 10 race at this level. Among that group, Yarrow (No. 1) might be the most trustworthy option. This 7-year-old tends to run well off layoffs, but he did work out an absolutely perfect trip when last seen in that common race. He’s already won this condition multiple times but can take advantage of the waiver option as he returns at the same level.
Twisted Filigree (No. 2), who Yarrow defeated in that Nov. 10 photo finish, drew the best post position of those with early speed. However, he may be content to stalk here as he returns from the layoff. George Weaver is 7 for 25 (28 percent, $3.42 ROI) off layoffs of 180 days or more in turf sprints over the past five years.
Chris Englehart sends out a pair of runners. The one who will attract much more support is Waralo (No. 10), who earned a career-best 114 TimeformUS Speed Figure when he finally made his turf debut last time, winning his statebred first-level allowance condition by more than three lengths. He’s now stepping up against a tougher field, but he should be a major factor if able to repeat his last effort. The only problem is that he’s drawn in the far outside post position with plenty of other speed to his inside, so he could get hung wide.
Englehart’s other runner Clancy Fancy (No. 6), like his stablemate, is one of just a few who isn’t coming off a significant layoff, having already made a couple of starts this year. This speedy gelding has only tried turf once, and it was a better performance than the result suggests. He contested a strong pace while racing three wide on the far turn and took over in upper stretch before getting overhauled late. That 103 TimeformUS Speed Figure doesn’t put him that far off the main contenders here. Furthermore, he improved significantly on turf, having never run that well in his prior dirt races. Since then, he’s continued to move forward on dirt, suggesting that he’s just progressed as a racehorse since last year. I think he has untapped potential on this surface, and he figures to be a generous price.