Top pick: #7 (MAVERICK MAN) - Claimed three starts back by Alec Fehr for $23,500, gelding drops under the purchase price today after a pair of efforts facing much tougher off the claim. Gelding by "El Prado" will drop from a special weight contest goiin 11 furlongs on the turf to a $19K claimer travelling 8.5 furlongs on the main track. The horse to beat.
2nd pick: #1 (Well Read) - Lightly-raced gelding finished second at this level on July 30, then ran evenly facing special weights Aug. 21. Drops back down, has the rail, and leading rider Contreras is back aboard after a one race absence.
3rd pick: #6 (Justice is Served) - He's run poorly in three starts dating back to early Dec., but before that he had a series of efforts that would probably win this. On the sidelines since July 2, he takes a big plunge in price and moves from the grass to the "poly". His latest pair of works are encouraging.