US racing tips: Tom Collins thinks best prospect can win Belmont Park feature

Eye Luv Lulu
10.04 Belmont Park
1pt win

Turned Aside
10.36 Belmont Park
1pt win

Pinpointing horses who are being dropped in class should always be the starting point when you analyse races Stateside. Without a real handicapping system, class-droppers will attract plenty of money and have a pretty decent strike-rate so are well worth following.

There are a couple to keep a close eye on in the $60,000 allowance optional claimer (10.04), not least the Rob Atras-trained Eye Luv Lulu who makes his first start for the yard having been switched from Jason Servis's base.

This nine-year-old gelding has been round the block a few times with 56 runs to his name, but he has proved prolific throughout his career with 11 victories and a further 22 places and has looked as good as ever lately.

Eye Luv Lulu has largely been campaigned in black type races throughout his career and although he has struck at that level, most of his successes have come at this kind of level.

Servis had this sprinter pitched into better races for much of last year and he often went close, albeit bumping into one on a number of occasions.

In fact, his last win was on January 5, 2019, so it's been a while since Eye Luv Lulu entered the winner's circle. On that basis he is a hard one to support with much confidence, but his recent works have been eyecatching, a layoff will have freshened him up and he has drawn well in gate one.

Jockey Jose Lezcano gets on well with him and he is taken to make every yard of the running against the rail on the class drop.

The Panamanian rider, who hasn't really got going at the Belmont Park meet yet with just two winners from 43 runners going into Thursday's fixture, also rides Linda Rice's talented Turned Aside in the feature $80,000 Sir Cat Stakes (10.36).

This looks a pretty hot edition of the 6f turf event with the likes of Chimney Rock and the ex-Archie Watson-trained Guildsman in the line-up, but Turned Aside is the most unexposed runner in the field and is the one horse that could make up to be a real Graded performer.

A son of Triple Crown-winner American Pharoah, Turned Aside placed on his first two outings at this track in maiden special weight company before breaking his duck in fine style over this course and distance in October.

Rice then entered him in the Atlantic Beach Stakes, which clearly came too early in his career as he tried to match the pace of the reopposing Jack And Noah only to pay for those exertions when fading into seventh in the stretch run.

He readily made amends on his next outing in an allowance optional claimer and should have come on leaps and bounds for seven months off the track.

His last three works over 5f at this track have been sparkling and this $270,000 purchase is likely to get the perfect stalking trip in behind the aforementioned Jack And Noah and So Street, who could duel on the front end.

Place bets on international races with the Racing Post. Log in to your bookmaker accounts in the Accounts tab and then click cards to view the racecards