Top pick: #8 (LION KEEN) (9-5) - Lightly raced, well-bred, and improving, son of "Lion Heart" is in the barn of leading trainer Dave Jacobson and will be dropping down and moving from turf to dirt. Colt meets a weak field and is the horse to beat.
2nd pick: #1 (Zol Zayne) (2-1) - Woodbine invader has raced well enough on the "poly" surface there to contend today if he can handle the switch to real dirt. Has the rail, some early speed, and is a threat.
3rd pick: #4 (El Dreamer) (8-1) - He's making his 47th start and comes off one of his best when he rallied to finish second, going a mile on the main track on Dec. 4. Veteran does his best work on this inner-track and has finished second in 8 of 14 on it. Stretch threat.
4th pick: #6 (Mach Seven) (12-1) - Away slowly last out, he improved to run 4th of 10 in what was his first in 15 months. Claimed that afternoon, blinkers go on and gelding by "Big Brown" can factor with a "clean' start.