Thursday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Well-bred Dearly Declared looks primed for her debut

Belmont Park | Race 6 | Post Time 4:14 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs

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Midnitesalright (#5) can certainly win here, but she’s going to be the favorite after already having had a few chances. Horses that are as precocious as her usually don’t continue progressing into the fall of their juvenile seasons, so I think it's unwise to lean on her in this spot.

Call It a Truce (#6) ran well within the context of her Sept. 15 debut, as she made a wide move around the far turn and into the lane on a day when you wanted to be on the rail. She clearly has some ability, but I have doubts about the overall quality of the race she exits.

I’m using both of these fillies, but there are some interesting first-time starters in this field. Saratoga Style goes out for Todd Pletcher and sports a stellar pedigree in the second generation of her female family. However, Pletcher has been on a bad run with his firsters and I have not liked what I’ve seen of her morning drills.

The one that interests me most is DEARLY DECLARED (#2) for Barclay Tagg. She, too, is bred to be a runner as a half-sister to the popular New York-bred stakes performer Saratoga Snacks, who earned nearly $700,000 during his career. This filly has shown some ability in her morning drills. She has outworked all of the stablemates with whom she’s been paired, usually while under a strong hold by her exercise rider. Barclay Tagg can certainly have one ready to fire first time out, and the barn has been in the midst of a strong run since mid-summer.

THE PLAY

Win: 2

Exacta Key Box: 2 with 3,5,6,7