Top pick: #2 (HONOR THE KITTEN) (3-1) - Ramsey home bred was reclaimed by their trainer (Mike Maker) at Aqueduct for $35K on Nov. 9 at Aqueduct. Strong finisher is working steadily at Palm Meadows and Maker (23% off the claim) has Castellano aboard.
2nd pick: #6 (Sneaky Kitten) (6-1) - Dangerous foe moves up in class in his first off a claim. Veteran rallied to finish fourth here for a $20K tag the day he was claimed. He's moving from the Maker barn to a low-percentage outfit, but is a threat if he doesn't regress.
3rd pick: #5 (Pernicious) (5-1) - He appears to be nearing his best after coming back from a two month layoff in mid-December. Fits with these, has back class, and he's been sharp in his last pair facing weaker.
4th pick: #4 (Defining Product) (12-1) - Lightly-raced 4-year-old has some early speed to utilize and in this rather pace-less contest on paper that gives him a shot at a square price.
5th pick: #3 (Ride the Lightning) (2) - He's yet to win in two grass starts, but ran evenly at Churchill in late Nov. facing a bit tougher. I believe that a small slice at a big price is his ceiling.