Sunday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Fair Haired Boy can take advantage of inside post

Saratoga | Race 6 | Post Time 3:22 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs | Not already a TimeformUS member? Sign up

A couple of horses who could attract support here are both coming off maiden victories. Clever Fellow (#9) may go favored for Chad Brown after finally making it to the winner’s circle last time. However, he needed a perfect trip as the odds-on favorite, and I’m not sure he actually ran any better than the runner-up in that spot, who got a perfect trip. I think he’s stepping up to face much tougher company here.

Caribbean Gold (#11) ran a faster speed figure last time beating open company in his maiden score. He set a legitimate pace and did well to hold on. However, he won at a time when Mike Maker was very hot at the start of the meet, and he’s since cooled down.

I’m interested in a pair of bigger prices. The longer of the two figures to be Public Information (#12), who was running races that would make him competitive here when he was in Chad Brown’s stable two and three back. He regressed off the claim for Wayne Potts last time, but I thought he got a poor ride, ridden far too aggressively in the first furlong. Now he’s switched to Jorge Abreu, a much more productive turf trainer.

My top pick is FAIR HAIRED BOY (#3). I tried this horse last time and thought he was simply second-best when taking plenty of money at this level. However, I want to give him another shot third off the layoff. He was competing over a yielding turf course last time and I think he’ll appreciate getting back on firm ground here. Furthermore, he’s trained well out of that race and he’s drawn toward the inside in a race where all of the others I’m considering have wide post positions. The Saffie Joseph barn has been cold all meet long, but this is one of the few horses that actually ran well for this stable.

THE PLAY

Win: 3

Exacta Key Box: 3 with 9,10,11,12

Trifecta: 3 with 11,12 with 4,9,10,11,12