Top pick: #3 (ESKENDEREYA) - Getting better with each start, he's now a perfect three for three on real dirt having won the Pilgrim stakes (a contest switched to the main-track) last fall at Belmont before a "troubled" trip in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita. He's won both races this season at Gulfstream, a one-mile allowance and a smashing win last out in the Fountain of Youth(G2). Wotking strongly since, he's the horse to beat in this edition of the Wood Memorial.
2nd pick: #5 (Jackson Bend) - Talented colt finished second in his debut at Calder last May, then proceeded to win his next five in a row, including several "pricey" stakes as he ended the year with almost $500,000 in earnings. Now with Nick Zito, he's started his sophomore year with a pair of 2nd place finishes in the "Holy Bull" (G3) and the "Fountain of Youth" (G2) to today's rival #3 Eskendereya. He should be in this from start-to-finish.