Thursday’s TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Zealous Scholar can wire the field at a price

Aqueduct | Race 7 | Post Time 4:44 p.m. (ET) | Go to the FREE TimeformUS PPs

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Tiznow's Smile (#4) is a deserving favorite, but she does have some questions to answer as she returns from a layoff. Her best effort probably would beat this field, but Charlton Baker has said that this is just a spot to get her started before stretching her out again. I'm against the other runner likely to take money, Overnegotiate. She has been disappointing in her recent races, and others have more room for improvement.

Instead, I'm most interested in the likely early leader, ZEALOUS SCHOLAR (#5).

There isn't that much speed in this race, and the Pace Projector is predicting that this filly will be clearly in front early in a situation favoring the leader. Zealous Scholar has been involved in fast paces in each of her three starts. That was especially true last time, when she put away her early pace rival before getting swallowed up by the closers late. Not only was she against the race flow that day, but she was racing on a dead rail. This filly is in better form than it appears, and she has a clear TimeformUS Speed Figure edge on this field. If she can get the seven furlongs, she can win this race at a decent price.

THE PLAY

Win/Place: 5
Exacta Key Box: 5 with 2,4,6,7
Trifecta: 4,5 with 4,5 with 2,6,7,8