Top pick: #4 (BAYERN) (7-2) - "Haskell" winner tired badly last out in the "Travers Stakes"(G1) and ships back from trainer Bob Baffert's home base of Santa Anita. Colt is working fast and looks to be the main speed of this $1M contest. Take him to cause a mild upset.
2nd pick: #1 (California Chrome) (6-5) - He's working fast for his first since what I thought was a better than the result effort when he finished 4th in the Belmont Stakes(G1). Colt has always had a flexible style and he draws the ground saving rail. An obvious win candidate, but the public will most certainly over-bet him.
3rd pick: #8 (C J's Awesome) (15-1) - Lightly-raced speed/stalker takes a big step up in class for this attempt. Son of "Awesome Again" comes off a career best at Saratoga on Sept. 1 and it came at this 1 1/8th mile trip. Has a shot at a big price.
4th pick: #3 (Protonico) (8-1) - Very lightly-raced colt is one of two with a local win and his came in the prep for this stakes on Sept. 1. Well bred, in the Pletcher barn, and it's of note that J.J. Castellano thinks enough of this runner to come in for the mount.
5th pick: #7 (Tapiture) (9-2) - Talsnted colt has been freshened up since winning the (G2) "West Virginia Derby" on Aug. 2. Stalker ran a career best figure that afternoon and has been working fast since.