Sunday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Prerequisite set for step forward in second start

Belmont | Race 8 | Post Time: 4:40 p.m. (ET) TimeformUS PPs are now available on DRF.com. Go to PPs

This is a really interesting maiden special weight event where I think the likely favorite is vulnerable. Financial Advice (#4) figures to be the clear-cut public choice after taking money in a live maiden race on debut back in February at Tampa. She put in a pretty nice effort behind Juniper's Moon, who came back to finish third the Grade 3 Florida Oaks next time. However, this filly got a great ride and trip from Jose Ortiz that day, saving ground early and tipping out seamlessly in upper stretch. She just seemed to hang in the late stages. Now Irad Ortiz Jr. takes over, but he can’t ride much better than his brother did, and she could take more money due to this switch.

Highland Grace (#7) also could take money as she ships up from Gulfstream, where she finished a good third in her most recent start. That was a strong maiden event for the level, and she’s improved with every start.

My top pick is the other Chad Brown trainee Prerequisite (#6). Her debut looks disappointing on paper, but the running line is misleading. She was always pretty far back and had dropped much more than five lengths behind around the far turn and into the stretch. The jockey appeared to let the race get away from them a bit, but once asked for run this filly was really powering through the stretch. Her fastest eighth of the race was actually her last one as she was quickly making up ground on the third-place finisher across the wire. She’s bred to get better with added distance, since her dam is a full sister to Homeland Security, a marathon stakes winner. I get the sense there’s more ability here than it might appear, and she figures to be a much better price than her stablemate.

I also want to use another second-time starter coming up from Gulfstream. Like my top pick, Meow Meow Hiss (#8) did more running in her debut than the running line might suggest. She rated off the pace early in the two to three path and was trying to make a run through traffic in upper stretch. The winner basically ran off the screen and looks like a future stakes horse for Brown, but this filly kept trying to work her way into a photo for fifth. She didn’t take much money that day, but clearly showed some affinity for the surface and may do better getting away from that chewed-up Gulfstream turf course. Jimmy Jerkens is 9 for 60 (15 percent, $2.40 ROI) with all second-time starters over the past five years.