Bet this race at Diamond SportsTop pick: #4 (BARBARY COAST) (3-1) - Speedy sort has been competitive in all three starts since trainer Scott Lake dropped him down to this $10,000 claiming price. In shape, and he gets a slight edge in today's opener.
2nd pick: #2 (West Terrace) (7-2) - He rallied into a slow pace and missed by a 'head' here at this level going a bit farther Oct. 18th. It was his best overall since last December, and a repeat of it makes him a serious threat to 'Barbary Coast.'
3rd pick: #3 (Shem Creek) (6-1) - Lightly raced, he lost his rider when debuting here facing much tougher Sept. 27th. Good barn (Keith Nations) brought him back 23 days later and dropped him into a $15K claimer. Gelding chased a solid pace before weakening during the stretch run. Drops down a bit and Nations has Vic Carrasco aboard. The pair has won six of 10 when teamed up.
4th pick: #1 (Rosario's Spirit) (9-2) - Another that's lightly raced, he finished behind 'Barbary Coast' in three straight. Latest saw him rally late to finish 4th, two lengths back of that rival. He would love a fast and/or contested pace to develop.