Top pick: #6 (MUCHO MACHO MAN) - He held his own last winter/spring against the best 3-year-olds in the country and was sent in for a 5 month layoff following a poor effort in the Belmont stakes. He looked sharp when dominating a field of out-classed rivals in his return start at Belmont on Nov. 9 and is training nicely on this surface. Faces much tougher, but think he's up to the task.
2nd pick: #5 (Turbo Compressor) - Dangerous runner is in career best shape and last out ran a career best when going wire-to-wire at Calder at this trip in a $150K stakes on Nov. 12. Training fine for this and this lightly-raced ridgling by "Halo's Image" is a win candidate, and I almost made him the top choice.
3rd pick: #3 (Adios Charlie) - He broke his maiden here last March and would go on to win the (G2) Jerome and finish second in both the Peter Pan (G2) and the Dwyer(G2). Lightly-raced son of "Indian Charlie" defeated weaker here on Dec. 16 in his first start in 5 1/2 months and must be left in the mix.