Top pick: #1 (Letruska) (6-5) - Letruska is a veteran mare that still has great speed and is paced out while picking the right spots. She hasn't raced since April 23, winning the Apple Blossom Stakes at this same 1 1/16 distance with a Beyer Speed Figure of 103. The time was the fastest for an Apple Blossom winner since 2011. In fact, in Letruska's last seven at this distance, she has six first-place finishes and a second. That includes a victory in last year's Ogden Phipps, winning by 2 3/4-lengths in 1:41.25. The lesser workload is paying dividends, winning her only two races in 2022. That's 19 first-place finishes in 25 all-time races, and the No. 1 post position has won this race in three of the last five years.
2nd pick: #3 (Malathaat) (5-2) - Malathaat has finished first in eight of 10 races, including two straight at this 1 1/6-mile distance, both at 1:44.58. This four-year old will be in the running, though its best time at this distance was 1:42.94 at the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes last year, just a shade behind Letruska's Ogden Phipps win last year (1:41.25) and her Apple Blossom Stakes (1:42.22) triumph five weeks ago.
3rd pick: #4 (Clairiere) (3-1) - Clairiere has done well in two races in 2022, winning an Allowance while finishing second to Letruska and April's Apple Blossom Stakes. In seven races over the last calendar year, Clairiere has finished first twice, second twice, and third twice.