Bet this race at Diamond SportsTop pick: #3 (VERY AMUSING) (7-2) - He won for a $6250 tag Nov. 16 to clear the 2l condition and has been competitive in two of three since that at the next level (3l). Stalker should receive a fast and/or contested pace to close into an I give him a slight edge.
2nd pick: #2 (Beast Mode) (3-1) - Lightly raced 4yo has plenty of early zip and is taking a big drop after tiring facing much tougher Feb. 16. He had gone 4-2-1-1 prior to that and is a strong win candidate and I could have easily made him the top selection.
3rd pick: #5 (Rayo My King) (6-1) - The veteran was in very good form during the Fall, but after going in for a two-month break his return effort was rather poor. He tired after attending a quick pace and races today off a Joe Orseno claim (18%). The veteran trainer doesn't often play the claiming game anymore, so he must like this 4yo.
4th pick: #4 (Slick Star) (9-2) - Another with speed that is lightly raced, he won here for a $16K tag in an 'off the turf' sprint to clear the 2l level Dec. 12. In his follow up Jan. 15, he raced evenly while missing by 3.5 lengths at that same level. Down in class for this attempt, he must be left in the mix.