Bet this race at Diamond SportsTop pick: #4 (POLE SETTER) (5-1) - He's moving up in class after winning by a 'nose' sprinting 6.5 furlongs on the Keeneland dirt April 7 facing optional-$75K claimers/n1x foes. The hot barn of Brad Cox switches him to the grass for this attempt and this $220K purchase has won on the turf in the past. I give him a slight edge at a square price.
2nd pick: #2 (Fog of War) (8-5) - He returns today following 8.5 months on the sidelines. A $400K son of 'War Front', he won his debuting sprinting on the Saratoga turf Aug. 13, then won a G1 stakes going a mile at Woodbine Sept. 16. In training this winter at the Palm Meadows Center, he's breezed three times here since arriving from Florida. Chad Brown (29% off of long layoffs) is probably prepping this colt for the $1,000,000 Belmont Derby (G1) later in this meet and he's a strong win candidate at a short price.
3rd pick: #7 (Mucho) (3-1) - The main speed, he's racing on the grass for the first time. Home bred has gone 5-2-2-0 in dirt sprints, is bred to handle the turf, and he enters off a pair of fine breezes on the local lawn.
4th pick: #8 (Uncapped) (6-1) - He rallied strongly to miss by just under a length in a $125K grass sprint April 27 at Churchill Downs. Competitive without wining in all three attempts on turf, he has a fine outside post and John Velazquez is aboard for the first time.