Top pick: #11 (CELESTINE) (5-2) - She's been well backed in both starts on the dirt. Competitive in both, trainer Bill Kaplan will move her to the grass and shorten her up in distance. Daughter of top grass sire "Scat Daddy" had a quick work the other day and is the horse to beat.
2nd pick: #4 (Ana May Our Queen) (5-1) - Speedy filly has been on the sidelines since early August. Competitive in two of three during the summer, trainer Ed Plesa Jr. has her racing on the grass for the first time. Bred for the surface, she's a threat off the layoff.
3rd pick: #7 (Simmer) (12-1) - $100K daughter of "Latent Heat" ships down from Laurel where she set the pace and tired to finish second in a dirt sprint Dec. 18. Nice debut, filly is bred to like the grass and is in a good mid-Atlantic based barn (Dane Kobiskie).
4th pick: #9 (She's Abl) (6-1) - She just failed to hold on when debuting here at this trip for a $35K tag on Dec. 20. Trainer Pat McBurney has worked her three times since and moves her up in class.
5th pick: #12 (My Little Annas) (20-1) - She raced evenly here at this level and distance on Jan. 10. It was her first since late October and it's noted this filly by international sire "Galileo" has been bet several times. May grab a share at a very big price.