Who can go with Commentator?

ELMONT, N.Y. - Commentator is a nightmare for handicappers. At short odds, you can't bet on him, and with his immense talent, you can't feel comfortable betting against him.

It's a dilemma that horseplayers will be faced with Wednesday when Commentator, most likely at 4-5, heads the field set to run seven furlongs in the Grade 2, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap at Belmont Park. A field of seven was entered for the Tom Fool, but trainer Bobby Frankel said Monday he would most likely scratch Saint Anddan because of all the speed in the field.

Commentator is the main speed, but there are other fast colts such as High Finance and Rondo. But it could be a suicide mission for either of those two horses to try and outfoot Commentator, who has won 9 of 12 career starts including the Grade 1 Whitney. Commentator has emerged from each of his three losses - including last year's Grade 1 Forego at 4-5 - with injuries.

"There's no speed like him," said Nick Zito, who trains Commentator for Tracy Farmer. "Who in their right mind would go with that horse? Who could? Is there a faster horse in the world?"

Commentator demonstrated that speed winning the Richmond Runner stakes for New York-breds by 11 1/4 lengths, running

6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.69, in his first start in nearly nine months. That he is coming back in 37 days - and shows two bullet workouts in the interim - is a good sign.

"Right now, knock wood, everything's going good," Zito said.

Commentator, the 119-pound highweight, breaks from post 6 under Corey Nakatani.

High Finance demonstrated excellent speed winning a one-mile allowance race in 1:33.54 wire to wire here the day before Commentator won his race.

"I don't know that we have to be on the lead," trainer Rick Violette said. "There looks like there's plenty of speed in this race."

Will He Shine, who won the Grade 2 True North last out, is the best off-the-pace runner in the field. Trainer Dale Romans acknowledges that if Commentator is on, the race is for second. "If he's at his best, he's probably the winner of the race," Romans said. "But we're moving forward and doing as good as we can do, and I think he'll run very well."