Top pick: #5 (MAGIC MARK) (3-1) - Lightly-raced home-bred takes on winners for the first time off a good-looking maiden win here at this distance Jan. 9. It was only his second start and trainer Ron Ellis has him working fast for this assignment.
2nd pick: #7 (Noble Kent) (3-1) - He was a winner here over weaker on Jan. 1 in his first since Nov. 11. Stalker likes this surface 6-2-1-1, is working well, and is a factor right back.
3rd pick: #4 (Volkonsky) (4-1) - He raced both wide and evenly here at this level on Jan. 25 in what was astronger field than this. It was his first off a private sale to owner/trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and he's worked him twice since.
4th pick: #2 (Woodman's Luck) (4-1) - Probably better on the turf, no-speed type needs some pace help to make his late charge effective. A minor award is his ceiling unles the pace collapses.