Bet this race at Diamond SportsTop pick: #8 (GOSOFAR) (7-2) - Like the majority entered, he's lightly raced. 4yo tired at this level and distance Dec. 17 at Los Alamitos. He had some trouble at the break and had to rush up into a fast pace before weakening. It was only his second start and first since debuting here in early May of 2015. Trainer Adam Kitchingman has him making back-to-back starts for the first time, and that's a big plus. Gets a slight edge.
2nd pick: #2 (Monterey Shale) (6-1) - The field's most experienced maiden, he's been competitive several times in the past facing much better groups than this. Stalker is working fast and is a strong win candidate in this spot.
3rd pick: #5 (Jet Set Man) (3-1) - Gelding moves from grass to dirt and is shortening up in distance. He's shown early speed in both starts on the turf and continues to work fast on the Los Alamitos dirt.
4th pick: #6 (Desert General) (10-1) - Blinkers go on home bred who was beaten 3.5 lengths when debuting at this level Nov. 11 at Del Mar. His last trio of works are all above average, and longshot must be left in the mix.