Thursday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Sheer Will capable of another step forward with added ground
Belmont at the Big A | Race 4 | Post Time 2:43 p.m. (ET)
There appears to be some talent in this one-mile maiden event for fillies and mares. Snowyte (No. 4) has to be considered the one to beat based on her 2-year-old résumé, highlighted by a runner-up result in the Grade 1 Frizette over this course and distance. She subsequently disappointed in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and was given time off. She lost as the favorite in her return last time at Keeneland, but she was chasing a pretty fast pace and was flattered when the second-place finisher returned to win at Churchill Downs. Danny Gargan does well second off a layoff of this type, and she obviously merits respect.
I'm a little more confident that the filly who finished directly behind Snowyte at Keeneland last time, Meursault (No. 1), will appreciate the added distance of this one-mile affair. This daughter of Tapit has been staying on at one pace in her sprints with long, loping strides, looking very much like a horse who wants to go farther. She gets an extra furlong here, but she will need some pace to develop given her closing style.
Bill Mott sends out a pair of runners, of which Mazayaat (No. 6) looks like the stronger contender. She’s settled for second in both prior starts, but she’s run into talented winners on each occasion. I just wonder if she has as much upside as some others in this field given how professional she’s been in both races.
My top pick is Sheer Will (No. 7). She obviously needs to improve to beat the aforementioned rivals, and this might be a tough spot for a locally-based runner given the strength among those fillies shipping in from Kentucky. However, I do think this Linda Rice trainee has shown progression with each start to date. She got steadied on the far turn of her debut last summer before going to the sidelines. She probably needed her return two back and then stepped forward last time despite drawing another inside post position. She doesn’t appear to appreciate racing inside of horses, as she tends to get shuffled back on the far turn before running on late. She did finish with good interest when set down in the last eighth of her most recent start. That gives me hope that this added distance will suit her, and drawing outside will help her work out a trip.