Thursday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: A change of tactics will benefit Hidden Vow

Belmont Park | Race 9 | Post Time 5:50 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs

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This is primarily a two-horse race between With Exultation (#3) and Hidden Vow (#1A). The former has been keeping the best company, but his recent performances have not been particularly inspiring. With Exultation can be very inconsistent, so it's hard to know what we're going to get from him today. He will appreciate the class drop, but George Weaver has been very cold at this meet.

I strongly prefer HIDDEN VOW (#1A).

He ran a winning race last time but did not get a ride that was conducive to success in that race. Paco Lopez aggressively sent him up to chase a fast pace (indicated by red color-coding in the PPs), and Hidden Vow just could not hold on late in a race that was dominated by closers. This horse seems to do better when he can come from a bit farther back in the pack, and that should be the strategy employed today as he gets a rider switch to Irad Ortiz, Jr. Furthermore, the Pace Projector is predicting he will get a fast pace to close into.

THE PLAY

Win: 1

Exacta Key Box: 1 with 3,5,9