The Lake Placid features the return of last year’s top juvenile turf filly, Rushing Fall (6). She’s only lost once in five career starts, as she got run down last time out in the Edgewood. While she arguably ran one of her best races in defeat, that race came more than three months ago, and you have to be a little concerned about the time off. This layoff was not planned, as she was originally being considered for Royal Ascot, then the Belmont Oaks, and finally, she missed the Lake George with a fever. She’s been training steadily for this return, but it’s the toughest field she’s met yet in 2018, and I think this is the time to take a shot against her.

A few horses exit the Belmont Oaks, which featured a number of fillies who didn’t really want to go 10 furlongs. The pace of that race was actually pretty fast for the distance (indicated by red color-coded pace figures in TimeformUS PPs), and SIGNIFICANT FORM (4) was the only filly involved early who was around at the finish. In fact, the two others with whom she was contesting that pace – La Signare and Toinette – were the final two to cross the finish line. Significant Form battled on gamely to the wire that day, and she will appreciate the slight cutback to nine furlongs. There isn’t much pace in this race, so she should get first run on likely leader Go Noni Go, and I believe that will make her tough to beat.

Thewayiam (1) did well to be second in the Belmont Oaks, but she also got a fantastic trip, sneaking up the rail when Significant Form vacated that position. She always tries hard, but may find one or two to be too tough for her once again. Daddy Is a Legend (2) scares me more, as she always hinted at having potential but rarely worked out the right trip. She finally put it all together last time and is a threat if she can work out a similar trip and build on that effort.