Bet this race at Diamond SportsTop pick: #1 (PEACE) (2-1) - Grey colt has run well in both starts and he missed by a 'neck' at this level and distance Nov. 23. Working fast since, speed/stalker has the rail and gets a slight edge.
2nd pick: #4 (Restoring Hope) (8-5) - One of two entered by trainer Bob Baffert, home bred by 'Giant's Causeway' rallied strongly to miss by a 'nose' when debuting going 6 furlongs at Los Alamitos Dec 17. Barn wins at a 25% rate 2nd time out and at a 26% clip when stretching runners out in distance. A strong win candidate.
3rd pick: #2 (Regulate) (5-1) - The second of the Baffert pair, he raced both wide and evenly when debuting at this trip Dec. 14 at Los Alamitos. Heavily backed that day, Juddmonte home bred draws a much better post and should run much better in this spot.
4th pick: #6 (Midnight Soot) (8-1) - Even paced runner has finished within range in all three starts and has a pair of two-turn efforts on his resume. He may grab a minor award at a square price, but all three of the top selections are much more likely to win this.