Thursday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Fuel the Bern can rebound as he switches back to turf

Belmont Park | Race 4 | Post Time 2:34 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs

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Herecomesyourman (#1) merely has to repeat his effort from a week ago to give himself a great chance to win this race. He's cutting back to a shorter distance, but he just isn't facing any proven rivals of the same quality as Brianbakescookies, who defeated him in that similar spot last week. That said, there are a couple of intriguing alternatives to the favorite who may have a right to improve here.

One of those is Rule Yourself (#3), who drops in class while making his second start back from an extended layoff. The 5 1/2-furlong distance of his last race was probably just too short for him, and now he's stretching out to a more appropriate distance.

I'll certainly use him, but my top pick is FUEL THE BERN (#10).

This runner made his career debut on turf last fall, closing greenly to be a solid third behind the subsequently stakes-placed Holiday Stone. He ran well enough on dirt in his second start for them to try it again in his first start back from the layoff. However, he's probably getting back to the right surface now since he's a half-brother to three turf winners. Over the past five years, Christophe Clement is an outstanding 8 for 14 (57 percent, $5.49 ROI) with horses switching from dirt to turf in maiden-claiming races.

THE PLAY

Win: 10

Exacta Key Box: 10 with 1,3,8,9