Sunday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Miami Kaz gets back on fast track

Aqueduct | Race 1 | Post Time 1:10 p.m. (ET)

A few horses in this race are exiting that Feb. 26 race won by Southeastern. It was a speed-favoring track and Mercilesanihilator (#3) was unable to clear off up front ahead of that eventual winner. He dueled inside of that foe in a tight spot and ultimately faded. That was his second consecutive race in which he had a less than ideal trip, since he was chasing two-wide against a bias two back. I think he's the horse to beat, but now he's going to be a short price.

Escape Hall (#1) didn't run that much worse in the same race last time and has comparable prior form. I thought he was a legitimate contender. The same can be said about Mo Spice (#6), who was running on belatedly for second in that same race.

I believe another horse from that affair has a chance to move forward at a bigger price. Longshot Miami Kaz (#2) got a strange ride last time, as Ricardo Santana hustled him early and then basically stood up in the stirrups on the far turn, looking like he was contemplating easing to the wire. He ultimately set him down again in the lane and the horse finished the race, running on with decent energy under mild late encouragement. He may have struggled to handle muddy, sealed tracks in each of his last two starts. He was also on a dead rail two back, so his form isn't quite as bad as it looks. He ran a speed figure that makes him competitive here on debut in his only start over a dry track.