Bet this race at Top pick: #1 (Silver State) (7-2) - In the last eight races, Silver State has finished 2nd and 3rd one time each, plus five 1st place finishes. He comes off of a 2nd place showing at the Parx Dirt Mile in a squeaker to Mind Control, who had the inside edge and needed it. Mind Control had the #1 post position while Silver State had #2. For this race, speedy Silver State has the #1 post. In 13 races, Silver State has been 1st or 2nd 10 times. And in four 1-mile races, Silver State finished 1st twice and 2nd twice.
2nd pick: #5 (Life Is Good) (4-5) - This 3-year old Colt comes with excellent stamina. He finished 1st and 2nd in his last two races after taking five months off while dealing with an ankle chip. He had the lead in the 7-furlong H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, but he finished 2nd when Jackie's Warrior edged him by a neck. This race will be a tad longer, and it will be just his fourth in 10 months. His recent speed figures are very good, so he should be in the running for one of the top three spots. Having the lightest jockey in the race, Irad Ortiz, Jr., is also another small plus.
3rd pick: #3 (Ginobili) (4-1) - Ginobili has three victories, and all three were here at Del Mar. This 4-year-old Gelding comes off two straight 1st place finishes, and the most recent was in August at the 7-furlong Pat O'Brien Handicap. He was at 5-to-1 odds in the No. 1 post position, beating out favored CZ Rocket and Flagstaff. Ginobili did poorly in his only race over 1 mile, so he's better suited for this distance, and he's comfortable at this track.