Top pick: #4 (ITHASTOBEGEORGE) (8-5) - Colt ran well in two of three starts last year as a 2-year-old and was in against some pretty tough competition. Well-backed in each, trainer George Weaver has had him working both fast and frequently at Saratoga on the deep "Oklahoma" training track and will drop him into a high-priced claimer for the first time.
2nd pick: #2 (Alysaro) (5-1) - Colt has a bit of early speed and has finished second in two straight, one here and the other at Aqueduct. Florida-bred goes first off a Dom Schettino claim and should be involved from start-to-finish.
3rd pick: #6 (Political Farce) (5-1) - Grey gelding runs first off a Rudy Rodriguez claim (25%) and he raises him slightly in price and cuts him back from a mile to 6 furlongs. He tired badly in his latest, but was much sharper in his first two outings.
4th pick: #3 (Trusted Choice) (6-1) - $220K gelding by "Langfuhr" runs second back from a 15 month layoff and raced evenly at Monmouth facing special weights in his return to action. That field was a strong one and trainer Mark Hennig drops him into a claimer for the first time.