New Yorker

What makes New Yorker particularly interesting is the trajectory of that recent form. Reading the last four races in order — a win, then a fourth, a third, and a second — actually tells the story in reverse: this horse started with a bang, and its most recent run was a runner-up finish just one day ago. That kind of consistent placed form suggests New Yorker is highly competitive even when not winning outright.

Behind the horse is one of the most powerful training operations in the sport. A P O'Brien, based at Cashel in County Tipperary, has already sent out 138 winners this season alone — a number that reflects an industrial scale of excellence. When a horse this young comes out of that yard showing a win and two places from four races, it tends to get noticed. O'Brien's team don't waste promising horses in unimportant spots, so the races New Yorker runs in going forward will be worth watching closely.