Wednesday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Pounds to Pennies needs a clean trip

Belmont Park | Race 2 | Post Time 1:26 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs

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Length (#2) has to be considered the horse to beat off her solid runner-up finish in a similar spot last time. She showed marked improvement over her debut effort, flashing early speed before just getting run down by Speighal in the late stages. I prefer her to Wake Island (#4), who always shows up with a solid effort, but has had her chances and just doesn't seem to possess that will to win.

I respect Length, but I'm most interested in Bill Mott's other entrant, POUNDS TO PENNIES (#5), who figures to go off at a more attractive price.

This filly has run better than it seems in all of her turf starts. She made a wide, premature move to the lead in her debut at Gulfstream over the winter, and if she ever gets back to that effort she could certainly beat this field. After that, she was steadied sharply at the eighth pole in her next start, at Keeneland, and clipped heels and fell at Monmouth. In her most recent turf start, at Suffolk Downs, her rider may have waited too long to make a move as the winner was able to put too much separation between herself and the rest of the field around the turn. If she works out a fair trip today, I think she's a real threat to take down the top prize.

THE PLAY

Win: 5

Exacta Key Box: 5 with 2,3,4,7