US Saturday Preview: Sky can be Spectacular at Belmont

Graeme thinks that Spectacular Sky can win at Belmont

Timeform's Graeme North provides you with a preview of the action at Belmont and Woodbine...

The highlight at Belmont this weekend is the G2 Vagrancy Handicap (off 17:15 local time, 22:15 BST) for fillies and mares over six and a half furlongs. Only six go to post, but it's quite an open affair with Spectacular Sky the Morning Line favourite at 3.5 and probably rightly so as she is top-rated on our figures on 132 followed by Glorious View and Fantasy of Flight on 130 with the other three runners all rated within another 3lb.

Spectacular Sky has never run at Belmont before but she has shown a good degree of versatility having won at Gulfstream, Calder and Tampa and she comes into this race in peak form having finished second last time out in the seven-furlong G2 Inside Information at Gulfstream where she made the running as usual but just found subsequent G1 Humana Distaff winner Aubby K too strong in the stretch.

Spectacular Sky should be able to head off sometime front-runner Glorious View, who was still a maiden as recently as February and who is stepping up in grade after winning her last three starts at Aqueduct, for the lead and make the best of her way home. Fantasy Of Flight, who was outclassed in the G1 Madison at Keeneland last time out but was second in the G2 Hurricane Bertie at Gulfstream before that when doing her best work at the finish, may again find this trip slightly on the sharp side having shown some of her best form recently over a mile.

Miss D'Oro is worth a mention as her profile is progressive and after starting the year with two wins at Parx she finished second in the four-runner G2 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct last time, albeit no match ultimately for the long odds-on Cluster of Stars. For all that, Spectacular Sky has the most appealing credentials, however, and should relish the drop back to a trip she was successful at when last trying it. 

At Woodbine on Sunday eight fillies line up for the G3 Selene Stakes (16:25, 21:25 BST) over a mile and a sixteenth on the all-weather track. Race conditions dictate that Spring Venture and Nipissing have to concede 7lb all round. They finished sixth and eighth respectively in the G1 Ashland at Keeneland last time behind runaway winner Emollient and there is little between them on form.

Spring Venture might just have the edge, however, and be good enough to give the weight away. She was never in a position to get competitive in the Ashland, held up well off the pace, but her win before that at Ocala at the expense of Spring In The Air reads very well and her form last year was good enough for her to be sent off second favourite for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. She has won her only start here on the surface and can get back to winning ways.   

Recommended bets:
1pt win Spectacular Sky in the Vagrancy
1pt win Spring Venture in the Selene

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