Belmont | Race 8 | Post Time 5:01 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs | Not already a TimeformUS member? Sign up 

#1 Love and Love is probably the horse to beat as she seeks to make it two in a row since returning from the layoff to launch her 6-year-old campaign. She finally broke through her N1X allowance condition off the bench last time, earning a solid 104 TimeformUS Speed Figure. However, now the waters get a bit deeper, and she’s being asked to cut back to 7 furlongs. This trip has been a bit short for her in the past, and she’s facing some rivals who are already proven at this class level. 

#2 Customerexperience is another who figures to attract support. I do like the slight turnback for her, since a mile is her absolute upper limit. However, I’m not sure that she really fits here from a class standpoint. She beat much weaker when she earned her top speed figure this winter on Jan. 23 and that race has proven to be of dubious quality in retrospect. Her subsequent form is merely mediocre and doesn’t exactly make her formidable here. 

I don’t see that much true speed in this field, so I’m going with #3 FLASHNDYNAMITE. This 7-year-old doesn’t need to be in front, but I do hope that Kendrick Carmouche gives her an aggressive ride. She’s generally faced tougher company at this level, as was the case when she ran into the classy Make Mischief last time. The rail was the place to be on April 14, and this mare chased outside the entire way. She rarely takes much money due to the out of town connections. Yet her overall form on the NYRA circuit has been solid, and I think this race came up on the soft side. I also don’t mind the slight tunback in distance, since she’s been successful sprinting in the past.

THE PLAY

WIN: #3 Flashndynamite, at 7-2 or greater