Top pick: #7 (AWESOME GEM) - Amazing old-timer is still running well and has banked $2.75M in his career (48-10-15-5) 9-year-old won his seasonal debut April 12th at Golden Gate Fields in an "off the turf" contest and followed that up with a bullet 5 furlong breeze on this surface on May 1st. He's (6-2-1-0) locally and the last time he ran here, veteran was beaten only 4 lengths in the $1,000,000 Hollywood Gold Cup last July. Lots of pace for him to close into and he gets the call in a tough race.
2nd pick: #8 (Gladding) - He's the speed of the speed and last out was beaten a head in a stakes on the Santa Anita dirt March 18th. Working very fast on this surface and this will be his first start ever on a synthetic track.
3rd pick: #5 (Kettle Corn) - Longshot is an uncoupled barn-mate of Gladding and this price play is 4-for-6 on "poly" surfaces and is a perfect 2-for-2 locally. When last in action, he rallied to win the Native Diver Stakes (G3) on this footing on Dec. 3. Stretch threat.