Top pick: #2 (NORTHERN LION) (4-1) - Colt by "Lion Heart" cost $625,000 earlier this year at the Ocala sale of 2-year-olds in training and he's run well in both starts to date. Latest effort saw him chase the pace and hold gamely to finish second of 11 at this level going 7 furlongs on the Churchill dirt Nov. 24. Trainer Mark Casse has worked him three times since, stretches him out in distance, and has him making back-to-back starts.
2nd pick: #3 (Nevada) (9-5) - The probable favorite hails from the Pletcher barn and has run well in both starts on conventional dirt. He's working nicely at the Palm Meadows training center and is another trying a two-turn distance for the first time.
3rd pick: #4 (Town Extension) (6-1) - He exits a solid race at Aqueduct going a mile Nov. 11 and grey colt is also training well at Palm Meadows. Bred to like this trip and it's good to see Castellano aboard on the re-ride.