Sunday’s TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Giantinthemoonlite would benefit from more aggressive tactics

Belmont | Race 8 | Post Time 4:46 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs

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Mr. Buff (#3) is going to be tough to handle if he runs back to his return effort last month. He wasted no time getting right back to the same high level of performance that he had displayed in the spring at Aqueduct. He dueled through solid fractions last time and was very game, hanging on until the last jump. The Pace Projector is predicting that there isn’t much early speed in this race, which will work to Mr. Buff’s advantage.

One horse who I’m hoping is closer to that pace here is GIANTINTHEMOONLITE (#1), who got a peculiar ride last time. He was not aggressively ridden early and was allowed to drop too far back early. He actually launched a solid rally but had to steady when going for a position between horses at the top of the stretch. Despite all that, he was actually finishing fastest of all across the wire. He ran very well two back at Saratoga, and it seems like Charlton Baker has this runner in top form.

One other horse that I want to include somewhere in the play is Proper Freud (#6). I know David Cannizzo doesn’t have very good numbers off the claim, but this horse did get back to running one of his better speed figures last time. This is a step up in class, but he has run races that would make him awfully tough here if he’s getting back to that form. I’ll primarily throw him in underneath.

THE PLAY

Win: 1

Exacta Key Box: 1 with 2,3,4,6

Trifecta: 1 with 3,6 with 2,3,4,6,7