Bet this race at Diamond SportsTop pick: #3 (BUCK DUANE) (2-1) - Gelding is racing first off a Steve Knapp claim and is moving up in price. Speed/stalker finished third going 6 furlongs at Del Mar Aug 24 for a $20K tag the day he changed barns. Three-year-old was racing off just under an 8-month layoff, has worked fast since, and gets a slim edge.
2nd pick: #6 (R Matineigh Idol) (5-1) - Debuting colt has worked five times at Del Mar over the past month including a sharp half-mile from the gate Sept. 10. He draws well and need not be anything special to factor first out against this field.
3rd pick: #2 (Lucky Mesquite) (9-5) - The morning line favorite, he's dropping in class for his first since July 26. He's shown early speed in both facing tougher and enters off a solid half-mile work Sept. 8 at Santa Anita. An obvious contender.