Top pick: #5 (DA BOSS) (2-1) - Veteran is racing third back off a lengthy absence and has finished close up in both despite breaking slowly. Almost all of his success has come locally 19-4-4-7 and he loves this distance 12-3-2-4. Can take this with an alert break.
2nd pick: #8 (Holy Buckets) (7-2) - Old timer ships in from Los Alamitos where he finished second in one of two starts going 4.5-furlongs. Stalker is working well since shipping and he's finished second in four of nine starts here in the past. Win candidate.
3rd pick: #3 (Teasing Bernie) (9-2) - He's another coming here by way of Los Alamitos. Gelding raced evenly there in both starts since returning from an 11 month layoff on Nov. 7. Trainer Carl O'Callaghan is enjoying a fine meet with similar invaders 7-3-1-2 and apprentice Van Dyke is aboard.
4th pick: #1 (King Gulch) (8-1) - Eleven-time winner has raced evenly here in three straight at this level. He moves to the rail and that should lead to a ground saving trip and a competitive effort at a square price.