Top pick: #4 (FAVORITE KETCH) (4-1) - Three-year-old finished second here at this tag and trip on Nov. 16 in his first since late Sept. at Monmouth Park. In a winning barn (Ed Plesa Jr.) and this gelding has more positional speed than most.
2nd pick: #1 (Target Sighted) (3-1) - I almost made him the top pick as he has back class, has defeated better fields in the past, and ships down from Laurel in shape. He drops to a new low, ran well here last winter, and is a strong win candidate.
3rd pick: #8 (Noble Doss) (6-1) - Churchill shipper enters off a career best "figure" in an "off the turf" contest there on Nov. 17. Nicely bred runer has a pair of grass wins and is another with more early zip than the majority entered.
4th pick: #9 (Northwood Bully) (20-1) - Jersey-bred has no early speed, but is capable of impacting at a big price if the pace is fasst and/or contested. A small slice would appear to be his ceiling.