Thursday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Winter’s Ghost ready for better third off the layoff

Belmont at the Big A | Race 3 | Post Time 1:42 p.m. (ET)

This $16k claimer brings together an interesting mix of horses, a few of which are dropping in class. The runner with the best recent form might be Giroovin (#6), who has been competing against tougher fields at the $40k and $32k claiming levels since returning at Saratoga. He ran pretty well off the layoff two back, closing against a better field than this to just miss getting up for second. He failed to step forward when raised in class last time, but that race just didn’t set up for him and was also contested over a track that was favoring speed. He has to stretch out to a mile here, but he’s run reasonably well going this distance in the past. The class relief might be enough to put him over the top.

Barese (#7) is another taking a precipitous class drop, but he’s harder to trust based on his lackluster recent form. Mason Mania (#5) dropped to this level last time and was extremely disappointing, fading to finish a distant last at Saratoga. However, he was wide against a rail bias that day, and is now claimed by Wayne Potts, who has gotten off to a strong start at this meet.

A horse like First Glimpse (#2) seems a little more trustworthy. He’s also dropping in class but he’s steadily descended the class ladder to a level that appears to make sense. He just wasn’t good enough to win against tougher company in his recent starts but he did put in a decent effort off the claim for Rudy Rodriguez last time, beaten by superior rivals who were also making class drops. He fits well at this level but might need some help up front in a race that appears to lack early speed.

I prefer the other Rodriguez entrant Winter’s Ghost (#1). This gelding has more tactical speed than his stablemate, and should get an aggressive ride from his inside post position. He hasn’t run quite good enough to win here in his two starts since switching into this barn, but he strikes me as one that’s rounding into form. He looked like he needed that return race for fitness two back, and he improved last time. He was chasing the pace set by eventual winner Critical Threat while racing outside of that foe on a track that was favoring rail runners. The race fell apart behind the winner and he did well to hang on for fifth, only beaten for second by two lengths. He ran plenty of races at Tampa last winter that would put him in the mix here, and he’s posted some improved workouts for this third start off the layoff.