Top pick: #4 (HANSEN) - Last year's two-year-old champ finished second in his seasonal debut at Gulfstream, but looked very sharp when winning a stakes at Aqueduct on March 3rd. He raced without blinkers for the first time that day and was able to rate off the pace in a comfortable manner. Trainer Mike Maker elected to skip last Saturday's Wood Memorial (G1)and will race him on "poly" today in this stakes to set him up for the "Derby". Looks tough in this spot.
2nd pick: #3 (Prospective) - In an excellent barn (Mark Casse), this colt showed promise last season at age two and comes into this off a sharp win in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 10th. Colt has a flexible style and that win in Florida came when he ran in blinkers for the first time.
3rd pick: #10 (Howe Great) - He was a sharp winner at Gulstream last month and defeated today's rival Dollahan in the process. In the barn of last year's Kentucky Derby winning trainer (H. Graham Motion) and this colt will need to bring his fine dirt form to a "poly" surface this afternoon.