Top pick: #5 (STAR DESTINY) (5-2) - Grey gelding chased the pace and weakened late to finish fifth of 12, beaten just over 4 lengths facing special-weight competition sprinting on the Hollywood Park grass Dec. 8. Trainer Mike Machowsky drops him to a new low and moves him back to the main track. 3-year-old has run well on this surface in the past and is the horse to beat.
2nd pick: #3 (Shackbamalama) (7-2) - Debuting colt by "Broken Vow" is working fast for his debut and has a good "speed rider" in Marty Pedroza aboard. If he runs to his AM drills he's a win candidate.
3rd pick: #2 (I Don't Care Who) (4-1) - He has some closing punch and will race on real dirt for the first time in his second back off a almost a three month layoff. Stretch threat.