Top pick: #2 (GROUND FORCE) (9-5) - Hard-hitting veteran enters off a career best figure when he was a winner here at this level on June 5th. Trainer Dave Jacobson has given him two months of freshening and this eight-time winner should get a swift pace to close into. The horse to beat.
2nd pick: #6 (The Big Deluxe) (5-1) - Speedy sort just missed at this level and distance at Saratoga July 25th, then tired facing tougher open starter-allowance foes there Aug. 14. Barn (John Toscano) drops him back down and he's a major factor with his best.
3rd pick: #5 (Flying Zealous) (6-1) - Much like "The Big Deluxe" he likes to race on the lead and has won 7 of 14 starts doing so. Veteran has been a bit sub par this year and he needs to avoid an early speed duel with "Deluxe" for anything more than a small slice.