Top pick: #5 (ZA APPROVAL) - Very lightly raced home-bred by "Ghostzapper" came back from a two month break last summer a much better animal and has gone (3-2-1-0) since that time. Hee broke his maiden at Saratoga on Sept. 3, then was sent in for a 4 1/2 month vacation by trainer Chris Clement. Gelding showed a lot of "grit" in his return race at Gulfstream when he had a poor start from a tough outside post, yet rallied strongly while four-wide to finish second to a very promising runner. Given six weeks between starts, he ralied to win an entry-level allowance at the same track and distance March 31st. Believe he has a bright future and should get a nice pace set-up today.
2nd pick: #3 (Our Entourage) - One of two 3-year-olds entered and he's a perfect 2-for-2 on the turf. Speed/stalker is the only runner entered who has won here before and is training sharply for his first race since he set a pressured pace and tired to finish fifth of 14 in the Illinois Derby(G3) on April 7th. Moves back to the turf and is a win candidate.
3rd pick: #1 (Voodoo Storm) - Plodding type needed a dozen starts to pick up win No. 2 which he did at Keeneland in an entry-level allowance at this mile trip April 6th. 4-year-old son of "Storm Cat" got a very fast pace to close into and may not be as fortunate today. That said, he has a near bullet half-mile local breeze since shipping here from Kentucky.