Tuesday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Tres Charmant should have more to offer in her second start

Belmont Park | Race 4 | Post Time 3:09 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs

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Rock Ave. Road (#7) did well to be fourth behind impressive winner Dreamy Margarita last time despite working out a wide trip over a course that appeared to be favoring inside paths. I prefer her to Catch Your Dreams, who exits the same race but rode the rail after breaking slowly. Out of Nowhere (#8) finished well clear of the rest of the field when second to the promising Spring Folly last time, but she’s had plenty of chances in her 21-start career.

I’m going to try to beat them with the lightly raced TRES CHARMANT (#1).

The head-on replay of this filly’s lone start last month is worth watching. I don’t know what the plan was, but Jose Ortiz never asked her for any serious run during the opening half-mile, and she lost contact with the field. However, when he finally set her down in the stretch, she absolutely took off. She ran the fastest final quarter of anyone in the field and proceeded to gallop out past them all after the wire – including the winner, who beat her by more than 20 lengths – as Ortiz continued to niggle at her. Linda Rice gets a 100 Trainer Rating with second-time starters, and this seems like a horse who simply wasn’t meant to win her debut.

THE PLAY

Win: 1

Exacta Key Box: 1 with 2,5,6,7,8

Trifecta: 1 with 7,8 with 2,5,6,7,8