Top pick: #3 (VIOLA) (5-2) - Grey mare has raced herself back into shape following a pair of layoffs and it's nice to see her stringing starts together. Stalker has finished second and third here in her last pair here at this level and should get a fast pace to rally into.
2nd pick: #2 (Grand Distraction) (6-1) - Freshened up since April 19th, mare by "Artie Schiller" finished third that day facing similar at Keeneland. Working well for this and a threat from close range.
3rd pick: #1 (Private Cause) (4-1) - Lightly raced Ohio-bred stakes winner ships in from Thistledown where she was an easy winner on May 8th facing state-bred allowance foes. This will be her first ever on a "poly" surface, but that's balanced a bit by her trainer (Tim Hamm) who is leading this meet.
4th pick: #5 (Little R Rosson) (3-1) - Mare is making her 63rd lifetime starts and the majority of her success has come on this surface (34-9-7-6 with $322K in earnings). Eight-year-old runs third back off almost a seven month layoff and has run evenly in her return pair. She's finished within range of "Viola" in both and can factor with just a bit of improvement.