Sunday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Makingcents looks like controlling speed on class drop

Aqueduct | Race 3 | Post Time 1:50 p.m. (ET)

Equal Measure (#2) comes in off a competitive speed figure, which was earned finishing second at the $32k level last time. She was no match for the impressive winner Customerexperience that day, but it was a good sign that she ran so well in the return to dirt. The problem is that she was riding the gold rail for part of that trip, which may have enhanced her performance. I want to see it again.

Some may consider Greatest Love (#5), who goes first off the claim for Linda Rice. She was against the track last time when closing for second, but that was a soft field and she’s unproven going this far.

I’m more interested in a couple of New York-breds in this field. Choose Happiness (#4) never looked totally comfortable over that sloppy track last time, but she had run well in her prior start when overcoming a rail trip on a day when that wasn’t the place to be. She’s a rebound candidate with Trevor McCarthy taking over the reins.

My top pick is MAKINGCENTS (#6). She clearly hasn’t looked like the same horse after her 3-year-old season. However, I thought she showed some signs of life when dropped in for a tag against New York-breds last time. That Dec. 19 race was a strangely run affair where they set a glacial early pace before sprinting home. Notably, this mare was glued to the rail the entire way on a day when all the best running was done on the outside. That effort may be better than it looks, and she figures to be the controlling speed from the outside this time. It’s the last chance for this once classy runner.

THE PLAY

Win: 6

Exacta Box: 4,6

Trifecta: 6 with 4,5 with 1,2,4,5