Top pick: #7 (ORATION) (3-1) - Home-bred finished second when debuting here on the dirt Jan. 23, then tired after chasing a very quick pace while wide on Feb. 20. Freshened up for the past five weeks, trainer Chris Clement will race him on the grass for the first time. Gelding draws outside of the other pace and that will give rider Julien Leparoux some options.
2nd pick: #3 (It's a Great Life) (5-2) - He's finished second in both starts, the latest coming here at this level and disnace on Feb. 20. Good Midwest based barn (Jim DiVito) has worked him three times since and colt is an obvious win candidate.
3rd pick: #6 (Ruby's Rocketman) (7-2) - Four-year-old gelding by "Congrats" earned a high "figure" when finishing second on the dirt at this level going 6.5-furlongs on the dirt in early Oct. On the sidelines since, he's been training off site and is bred to like the grass.
4th pick: #8 (Don't Stop Back) (6-1) - Debuting gelding from breeder/owner/trainer Ed Broome has some impressive works on his AM tab and Broome has his go-to rider (Paco Lopez) aboard. Major threat if he runs to his drills.