Thursday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Parola Sicura can rebound with different trip

Saratoga | Race 10 | Post Time 6:19 p.m. (ET)

Risk Threshold (#10) may go favored here despite drawing the far outside post position. She’s run well in all three prior starts for Chad Brown, and did seem to put it all together last time when turned back to a sprint distance at Aqueduct. However, that affair featured a moderate pace and she was able to dominate on the front end while no one was able to close. This filly obviously has some ability, but she won’t have as favorable a trip coming to her here with other speed signed on. I prefer others.

Another last-out maiden winner Leslie’s Humor (#5) is a little more appealing to me. She showed ability in her debut on dirt when chasing home the talented Roswell after encountering some traffic and racing greenly. She then disappointed on dirt but seemed to take a step forward when switched to grass last time. She showed improved early speed and was powering away from that field late as the two horses contesting the early pace with her faded to finish 6th and 8th. This is a tougher spot, but she has some upside for Christophe Clement.

A few of these exit the July 20 race at this level, from which Riley Jean (#9) achieved the best result of those returning in this spot. This Tom Amoss trainee really seemed to take a step forward getting back on the turf, finishing gamely between horses to just miss behind a winner with back class who had recaptured her best form. She’s dangerous again, and she probably won’t be that short a price even in light of that strong recent performance.

My top pick is Parola Sicura (#3), who finished farther back on July 20. The trip just didn’t work out for her that day, as she found herself chasing a fast pace that ultimately collapsed. She raced in a pocket behind the leaders early and Brian Hernandez Jr. tried to slip through inside of the tiring leaders past the quarter pole. However, the hole never fully opened up, and she was forced to steady before getting put in tight quarters through much of the stretch drive. She’s clearly better than that, as she displayed two back when running on well for second at a big price against a tougher field in the Stormy Blues. All of her prior turf sprint efforts are strong, and a return to that form makes her logical.