Top pick: #3 (HOPE CROSS) (3-1) - Irish bred has been sharp in both starts, and she just missed at this level & distance at Belmont on May 26. Freshened up since, speed/stalker is in a winning barn (Chad Brown), and has Castellano aboard for the first time. Filly gets a slight edge.
2nd pick: #2 (Shift Colors) (5-1) - From the same barn (Charlie Lopresti) as two-time Horse of the Year "Wise Dan," daughter of "Mizzen Mast" comes off a fine effort at Churchill Downs on June 1. Racing at this level and distance, filly "stumbled" at the break and rallied while seven-wide to miss by just under a length. Heavily bet that day and a win candidate this afternoon.
3rd pick: #4 (Sumba Sunset) (7-2) - Speedy sort is lightly raced, improving, and trainer Mike Matz will be adding Lasix. $385K daughter of "Street Cry" has missed by a "neck" in her last pair and has been working well locally. Win candidate.
4th pick: #8 (Place Card) (8-1) - Barn (Graham Motion) is off to a good start at this meet and sends out this 3yo daughter of "Lemon Drop Kid." She rallied to finish third sprinting on the Belmont dirt June 13 in her first since early Nov. Nice "prep," Motion stretches her out in distance, and moves her back to the grass.
5th pick: #9 (Mobilize) (4-1) - Filly by "War Front" has been competitive in three straight at this level and ships up from Monmouth where she finished third on June 29. She was just under a length back of "Sumba" that day and must be left in the mix. Others seem more likely to win this.