Bet this race at Top pick: #1 (Swiss Skydiver) (5-2) - Swiss Skydiver is the 2020 Champion three-year-old filly with six first and two second-place finishes in her last 10 races, all on dirt. She comes off a third-place finish at Oaklawn Park bothered by a hind leg infection that has since been cured. That was 1 1/6 miles, the same as this one, finishing first in all three previous races at this distance. The prep workouts for this race have all been excellent so expect a terrific showing.
2nd pick: #3 (Letruska) (9-5) - Letruska just won the Apple Blossom Handicap in April. In the last four races, this horse has three first-place finishes and one second-place, all at this 1 1/16 distance. After dominating in Mexico, Letruska has continued running at a high level in the U.S. with stakes victories in the Added Elegance at Gulfstream and the Shuvee at Saratoga. She has experience on this track running here in October and has the most victories (13) of any horse in this race.
3rd pick: #2 (Valiance) (4-1) - Valiance has run three straight races on dirt between 1 1/16 and 1 1/8, finishing first twice and second once. She comes off an impressive second-place at Keenland in the 1 1/8-mile Breeders' Cup Distaff. Monomoy Girl won the race as the even-money favorite, but Valiance at 14-to-1 made a late challenge to claim second. Her Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher knows what it takes on this course, too, with three Ogden Phipps wins.