Top pick: #2 (CLOSE HATCHES) (8-5) - Juddmonte home-bred enters this 2-for-2 and was working fast at Gulfstream before heading north. She's won from both on and off the lead and that versatility is a big plus. The top pick, she's one of two fillies entered by Bill Mott and the pair race uncoupled.
2nd pick: #1 (Walkwithapurpose) (3-1) - Home-bred from the famous Sagamore Farm in Maryland has won five races in a row (all at Laurel) with the last three coming in stakes. Filly enters this off a career best when taking a $140K stakes on March 2nd and is a win candidate.
3rd pick: #6 (Princess of Sylmar) (9-5) - Pennsylvania-bred has won four in a row, the last pair both stakes going two-turns on the winter surface here. Stalker is in the Pletcher barn and gets a class test this afternoon.
4th pick: #5 (Watrugonnadorosie) (12-1) - The second of the Mott fillies, she cost a whopping $700K as a yearling and was working very fast on the deep surface at Payson Park before heading here. She ran third in her seasonal debut at Gulfstream on Feb. 16 and had some early traffic issues on a sloppy track that I don't think she cared for. Price play.