Top pick: #5 (PALACE MALICE) (8-5) - I've always liked this colt by "Curlin" and over the past year he's gone 8-5-1-1 with all of those starts coming in "graded" stakes. He won the "Jim Dandy" stakes (G2) here at this distance last meet and then was beaten just under a length in the $1M "Travers" stakes a month later. He's undefeated this year (4-for-4) and has earned a trio of extremely lofty figures in his last three wins. Working fast and his flexibility as to style gives him the edge.
2nd pick: #3 (Moreno) (10-1) - Dangerous front-runner just missed by a "nose" here last year in the "Travers" stakes and is working very fast locally for this attempt. Gelding by "Ghostzapper" enters off a solid second-place finish at Belmont in the (G2) "Suburban" and will be tough today if he's allowed to set soft early fractions. Price play.
3rd pick: #1 (Will Take Charge) (4-1) - Hard-hitter makes most of the big dances and has earned almost $4M during his career. He won the "Travers" here last year and defeated both "Palace Malice" and "Moreno" in the process. Working fast for this rich contest, he draws the ground-saving rail and is a true professional at this two-turn 1 1/8th mile distance (6-3-3-0). Has a shot if the top pair are just a bit sub par today.
4th pick: #6 (Departing) (10-1) - On any other day at most tracks he'd be the favorite when facing lesser fields. Very consistent gelding by "War Front" is 7-for-11 overall and has banked just under $1.5M. Another that's working fast and he must be left in the mix at a square price.