Top pick: #6 (LAKOTA ROAD) (5-2) - Filly has the best early speed in this small field and runs off a trainer change to Doug O'Neill. Well-bred, lightly raced and improving, daughter of "War Chant" is the horse to beat.
2nd pick: #1 (Caribe d'Oro) (9-5) - Lightly-raced filly by "Medaglia D'Oro" stretches out and goes dirt to turf after rallying to finish third here at this level in a dirt sprint on Jan. 5. Race was her first in seven months and sets her up as a win candidate this afternoon.
3rd pick: #4 (Majestic Minister) (7-2) - No-speed type tends to "hang" a bit at "crunch" time, but was only 1 1/2 back of "Lakota" last out. Working fine since, Bejarano stays put, and 4-year-old is a stretch threat.
4th pick: #3 (Little Unusual) (8-1) - This is start #34 and this stone closer may grab a small slice at a big price if the pace is quicker than I anticipate.