Sunday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Vigilantes Way looks ready for step up in class in Winter Memories

Aqueduct | Race 9 | Post Time 3:47 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs | Not already a TimeformUS member? Sign up

Speaktomeofsummer (#1) is probably the horse to beat as she drops in class after the Grade 2 Sands Point, in which she finished a well-beaten second to impressive European import Tamahere. Some may be tempted to upgrade her performance since she encountered some traffic in upper stretch, but I don’t think she was ever going to be a serious threat to the winner that day. Her overall form is strong and stretching back out to the two-turn 1 1/16 miles should suit her. My only knock against her is the likelihood of a slow early pace given the lack of speed in this field.

And that pace is expected to be set by Duopoly (#5), who is getting a little class relief coming out of the Grade 3 Valley View. She was bet down to tepid favoritism that day, but her trip didn’t quite work out. They went quickly up front and she just got swallowed up by a slew of closers in the stretch. This time she figures to get a trip that will be very similar to the one she enjoyed en route to victory at Saratoga two back. If she can repeat that performance she’ll be tough. Yet I prefer a new face.

VIGILANTES WAY (#3) steps up in class, but I think this well-bred Phipps filly has run well in both career starts on turf. She was very impressive winning her turf debut at Colonial Downs over the summer, defeating subsequent stakes winner Luck Money by over 5 lengths. She got rained off the turf once thereafter, but returned to this surface with a strong runner-up finish in a salty edition of the Hilltop. That race was run over a yielding course, and she figures to catch similar turf conditions on Sunday at Aqueduct. Furthermore, she has the tactical speed to get first run on Duopoly.

THE PLAY

Win: 3

Exacta Key Box: 3 with 1,2,5,7

Trifecta: 3 with 1,5 with 1,2,5,7