Sunday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Shezanarcticqueen in top form for first NYRA start
Aqueduct | Race 5 | Post Time 1:37 p.m. (ET)
I don’t have a major knock against likely favorite Elliptic (#2) other than the fact that her form is totally exposed. She’s coming off two consecutive victories against slightly weaker company, working out great trips both times. She stalked behind dueling leaders two back and found a convenient split on the far turn before coming on through to win easily. She had to work harder for her starter allowance win last time, and was game to fend off a late challenge, aided by a perfect ground-saving trip. She may have to improve a bi ton that 91 TimeformUS Speed Figure to beat this field, but she is going out for a dangerous barn.
Main rival Empire Magic (#4) is also stepping up in class, having just beaten maidens in her last start. It took her a while to run back to her encouraging debut, where she closed from well off the pace. She started showing more early speed after that, but couldn’t sustain that pace until last time, where she drew off an easy 5-length score. That 95 TimeformUS Speed Figure makes her competitive here, and she’s bred to get this one-mile distance.
That filly could face some pace pressure, since Chasing Daylight (#3) and Red Burgundy (#5) figure to show speed on either side of her.
The horse who might sit the best trip is Shezanarcticqueen (#8), who should be perched just outside the speeds stalking from mid-pack. This Finger Lakes invader has never raced on the NYRA circuit before, but she has been steadily improving at her home track this year. She really took a step forward when stretched out to route distances this summer, hitting the board in all four of her two-turn dirt races since then. She earned a competitive 92 TimeformUS Speed Figure in her July victory going this distance, and got back to a similar figure in her stakes placing last time. She didn’t get the best trip that day, as she was off a bit slowly and was pretty keen while racing wide and trying to make an early advance. She strikes me as one who will be well-suited to the one-turn mile configuration at Aqueduct.