Belmont 18:09 - Fontanafredda
The first of our picks in the US on Saturday evening comes in the 18:09 at Belmont Park, where 16 line up in what has the potential to be a useful maiden special weight event.
Kant Hurry Love heads the betting after posting a trio of placed efforts however she is starting to look exposed and a wide birth in 14 may not be ideal; though her gate experience will probably get her out of trouble against a number of un-raced rivals.
At a bigger price, we feel Fontanafredda may improve past here having finished a never-nearer second at Saratago last month.
This 2-y-o filly passed a number of rivals in eye-catching fashion that day only to be denied by the winner who had got first run up the straight.
With progression anticipated she is likely to go close with Luis Saez riding from stall 5.
Belmont 20:15 - Higher Truth
Our second selection at Belmont is the high class Galileo filly Higher Truth for the lethal duo Irad Ortiz and Chad Brown.
This European-bred 3-y-o has progressed nicely this season and she was unlucky not to get closer to Santa Barbara over this sort of trip in the Belmont Oaks Invitational.
A repeat of that effort would make her tough to beat here and she is evidently still on an upwards trajectory.
She also holds race rival Harajuku on that form.
Keeneland 19:04 - Grand Sonata
The first of our Keeneland fancies comes in the 19:04 where Grand Sonata, a nicely bred son of Medaglia d’Oro, looks likely to go close for Tyler Gaffalione and Todd Pletcher.
This 2-y-o colt came from way off the pace for a never-nearer second at Belmont Park the last time and the winner of that has since enhanced the form at Stakes level.
Like many from this yard, he will improve plenty from that, although that form alone would put him right in the mix.
Keeneland 21:44 - Nicest 14/1
The feature race of the evening is the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes, where 10 top class fillies line up for the Grade 1 prize at Keeneland.
The Europeans have a strong hand here with the O’Brien’s and Haggas having three of the field and it is the biggest price of the trio which we are siding with.
Nicest, a daughter of American Pharoah, will relish this quick surface and she has been freshened up nicely since her third in the Irish Oaks.