Top pick: #6 (BEACH FEVER) (5-2) - He's one of two entered by leading Bob Diodoro and the pair race uncoupled. Gelding is stretching out in distance and moving from dirt to turf. Speedy sort will be racing on grass for the first time and is bred to like the new surface. He gets a slight edge.
2nd pick: #5 (Itsaboutjazz) (3-1) - The second of the Diodoro maidens, he's lightly raced, improving, and has finished fourth here on the grass in his last pair. They came off a 5 1/2 month layoff and he completes a strong hand from the barn.
3rd pick: #4 (Argentine) (8-1) - Longshot is working fast locally for his first start at Turf Paradise and first overall since Sept. 18. He has races in the first half of 2014 that could win this if repeatable.
4th pick: #2 (Canopus) (5-1) - No-speed type has rallied strongly in his last pair to finish second and third locally. In shape and well bred, he'll be finishing fastest. Grey gelding would love a fast and/or contested pace to develop to help his late running style out.