Top pick: #6 (ROCK ME BABY) (4-1) - Consistent speed/stalker moves back to the all-weather after a pair of sharp efforts on the local grass. In his previous start, he was beaten a 1/2 length on this surface in the $125k "Tiznow" stakes, and he gets a slight edge in a very competitive contest.
2nd pick: #4 (Half Strike) (4-1) - Nicely-bred runner has been freshened-up since a nice looking win here over weaker on May 10th. Trainer Rick Mandella has him working both fast & frequently for his return, and "ridgling" by "Smart Strike" should be involved from start-to-finish.
3rd pick: #2 (Golden Itez) (5-2) - Son of "Tiznow' was a winner here at this level on June 13th, and that ran his local record to (9-4-0-2). He counted "Sermon" as one of his victims that afternoon, and has worked above average since.
4th pick: #7 (Rousing Sermon) (3-1) - His outside post and lack of any early speed make his task difficult, and he's usually over-bet. However, there is a chance that the pace could be fast and/or contested, and that would help his chances out.