Multiplier

MULTIPLIER (c, 3, The Factor—Trippi Street, by Trippi)

O-American Equistock. B-Mark Stansell (KY). T-Brendan P. Walsh. Sales History: $62,000 Wlg '14 KEENOV; $220,000 RNA Ylg '15 KEESEP; $120,000 RNA 2yo '16 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-2-1-1, $187,310.

Last Start: 6th, GI Preakness S., PIM, May 20

Accomplishments: 1st, GIII Illinois Derby, HAW, Apr. 22

Equineline PPs

I actually thought Multiplier's sneaky-good win in the Illinois Derby two starts back might be sharp enough for him to nail a piece of the Preakness S. at 19-1 odds, but he was relatively even-paced throughout in Baltimore and could not capitalize when the race broke apart on the far turn. Although he did not regress in the Preakness numbers-wise (same 94 Beyer as his Hawthorne win), Multiplier did not demonstrate significant forward progression on his own, so the addition of blinkers in the Belmont will be tried as a spark to potentially put this gray into the race a little bit earlier. His visually impressive kick in the final sixteenth of the Illinois Derby sticks in my head as a potential building block for better efforts down the road as this colt matures (only five career races; did not race at age two), so don't cross him off your list just yet–especially if Multiplier's price creeps up above his 15-1 morning line Belmont S. ranking.

VIDEO PPS