Thursday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Slight class relief should elevate Curbstone

Belmont at the Big A | Race 7 | Post Time 4:11 p.m. (ET)

Signator (#4) looked like a promising late-developer last year. A tardy start likely cost him the victory in last December’s Queens County but he was otherwise in fantastic form right on through the end of 2023 . He looked like an interesting contender in the Grade 3 Fred Hooper to kick off his 4-year-old campaign. However, he just failed to show up at Gulfstream, dropping out of the race around the far turn. He’s gotten some time off since then, and now returns in an appropriate spot. However, it took him a few starts to find his best form when he returned from a layoff last summer, and I wonder if he’ll be ready to deliver a top effort off this recent freshening. I won’t be surprised when he bounces back, but I expect others to offer better value.

Ouster (#1) is another would will be awfully dangerous if he returns to top form. He was earning some of the fastest TimeformUS Speed Figures of anyone in this field last year, and even stretched out effectively when he tried 1 3/16 miles at Saratoga in July. His campaign obviously ended on a sour note, but he did what was required in his return effort last time. He probably wasn’t fully cranked in that seven-furlong race, but he still won comfortably. This is a tougher spot, but he drew well and seems likely to progress.

I’ve long been a fan of Unbridled Bomber (#5), who also has plenty of past races that would make him competitive in this spot. However, his form seemed to tail off at the end of last year. I can make a couple of excuses for him, since he caught slow paces on Nov. 26 and March 18. Irad Ortiz Jr. has ridden him well in the past and perhaps can get him more involved early at a decent price.

Kuchar (#7) could fly under the radar again after being dismissed at 9-1 when he won his N2X condition two back. He had gotten a tough trip in his prior start and rebounded with that upset victory going this distance. He tried the Excelsior last time and was hardly disgraced while finishing third in a speed-dominated affair. He now picks up Flavien Prat and has the tactical speed to be forward in a race lacking pace.

The horse that might have gotten the worst trip in the Excelsior is Curbstone (#8), who was ridden for speed from his outside post but got hung six wide into the clubhouse turn. His rider then eased him back off the pace and he could never recover on a day that featured a strong speed bias. He will appreciate getting back on a fair surface, and he did show better tactical speed last year. His top speed figures from last year fit right in with the favorites, and he loves these longer distances. He hasn’t run quite that well in either start this season, but this is a more suitable spot. He also gets a rider upgrade to John Velazquez.