Sunday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Writer’s Regret gets logical class relief
Aqueduct | Race 6 | Post Time 2:51 p.m. (ET)
This $25k claimer for New York-breds is pretty wide open, and it’s not made any easier by the presence of two coupled entries. One half of the Mark Hennig pair will have to scratch, since Dylan Davis is named on both. Between the two, I would prefer Warriors Revenge (#2), though he obviously has questions to answer after failing to show up with any kind of effort off the layoff last time.
Everything David Jacobson sends out has to be taken seriously right now, and there are reasons to like both parts of his entry here. Hot Rod Rumble (#1A) possesses dangerous early speed, though he’s moving up in class out of softer conditioned claiming races. Horn of Plenty (#1) has a more versatile running style, and he’s dropping down out of a tougher spot. I can’t say that I love any of his recent races, but he has run a few speed figures that put him in the mix.
The horse to beat might be Bustin Shout (#3), who just won at this same level back in early January. He didn’t get the smoothest trip that day, forced to wait in traffic in upper stretch before angling out and unleashing a strong kick to the wire. The third-place finisher was a bit more unlucky in that spot, but this horse still ran well, putting good efforts back to back after finishing second just 5 days prior to that. He needs some pace to develop up front, and he might get it here.
Six Percent (#4) is another to consider as he drops back down to this level. He’s primarily gone longer distances during his career, but he did run well sprinting at this level two back, losing by only a nose despite making a wide move on the far turn. He didn’t get the best trip last time after a poor start, and might be set for better on the turnback. Yet he’s another who needs a quick pace.
My top pick is Writer’s Regret (#5). He’s also dropping in class after facing tougher company for much of the past couple of seasons. He got some time off after this past summer, and returned with a pair of solid efforts at Finger Lakes. That 110 TimeformUS Speed Figure he earned for a victory two back makes him one of the fastest horses in this field. He obviously regressed when he returned to the NYRA circuit last time, but that Jan. 1 effort isn’t as bad as it looks at first glance. He didn’t get off to the best start and was ridden conservatively at the back of the pack, as his rider seemed to have difficulty securing a clear path for him. He has much more tactical speed than that, and figures to be more forwardly placed this time.