Top pick: #10 (STARDOM BOUND) - Filly has done something that no other entered has accomplished. That's a winning race on this course, and a smashing one in a stakes at today's distance. Big and rangy daughter of "Tapit" has improved for trainer Chris Pasach with each and every start, including wins in a pair of Grade One stakes in her last two races. Draws well, is working fast, and the previous victory over this "new" surface is a huge plus. The choice for the win.
2nd pick: #2 (Persistently) - A bit unlucky in her last pair, both in important stakes over the Belmont dirt surface. Wide in the "Matron" (G2), and had traffic issues in the "Frizette" (G1), but managed to finish second in both. Daughter of "Smoke Glacken" doen't have any speed but has displayed a strong closing kick in all her starts. In a winning barn (Shug McGaughey), filly would certainly benefit if the pace here were a bit on the fast/contested side. Like many eastern invaders, this will be her first try on an artificial surface.
3rd pick: #4 (Sky Diva) - Undefeated filly has looked super in her first pair, a win over a small field at Delaware and an easy win in the Grade One "Frizette" in start number two. No telling how good she is at this point, but the stake win was impressive. Filly has trained her whole life on the artificial "Tapeta" surface at trainer Steve Klesaris's home base of Fair Hill in Maryland, and if she handles this "Pro-Ride" main track she'll be a handful.
4th pick: #11 (Pursuit of Glory) - Unlike several of the other juvenile filly invaders from overseas, this one has elected to try this event instead of the "grass" event preceding this contest. Lightly raced and talented, it's of note that she broke her maiden on the only "artificial" surface in Ireland and then finished a strong third in the very prestigious "Cheveley Park" stakes (G1) at the important fall meet at Newmarket. This is an interesting entrant.