Belmont at the Big A | Race 8 | Post Time 4:21 p.m. (ET) My Life Story (#9) has earned plenty of speed figures that are faster than those of his rivals in this statebred maiden claimer. However, those numbers are trending in the wrong direction, and he’s already had chances to break through at this level.  He did run a decent race when cut back to this six-furlong distance last time, tracking down a pace rival from a wide draw before getting overhauled late. However, he once again lacked a late punch, which has been an issue for him, even in his races going longer. Joel Rosario takes over the mount and will need to time this runner’s move perfectly if he is to be successful. That’s not the kind of horse I want to rely on at a short price. I would prefer the filly Starsinthecity (#3) out of that Sept. 19 race. She hung a bit in deep stretch, but she did edge past My Life Story at the wire after stalking outside on the turn. She’s less exposed than that rival and drew well inside. I would still rather lean towards horses coming from different directions. The horse with the best form sprinting on turf is Scherzando (#10), but he’s had even more chances than My Life Story, and is seeking his first victory in his 26th lifetime start. Only seven of those races have been turf sprints, and he’s hit the board in five of those efforts, all against maiden special weight company. This drop in class to $40,000 should help, but he has a layoff to overcome and drew a wide post. Spoken Bluntly (#2) might be the horse to beat as he drops back down into a maiden-claiming race after trying maiden special weight foes last time. He chased the winner Master Freud and was just turned away by that rival in the lane. He might have run even better two back at this level when staying on for third against a strong field, which featured multiple runners who came back to improve their speed figures in their subsequent starts. His tactical speed should ensure him a good trip. My top pick is Cousin Ed (#1), who exits the same race as Spoken Bluntly, finishing just behind that rival. I thought this gelding might have run the better race as he was intentionally rated away from the gate, and raced in traffic around the turn. He had little chance to close given the slow fractions – indicated in TimeformUS by the blue-colored pace figures – which were set by eventual winner Master Freud. This horse also ran better than it appears on debut when getting too keen early, chasing a fast pace while hung wide on the clubhouse turn. I like that Christophe Clement is keeping him at a sprint distance, and now he’s dropping back down to the right level.