Bet this race at Diamond SportsTop pick: #2 (YOSHIDA) (3-1) - Hard hitting and rare Japanese bred import, he moves back to the grass following a pair of excellent races on the dirt. A G1 winner on the turf, 5yo has worked a half-dozen times at Payson Park for his first since a close-up finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs Nov 3. He'll be tough with his 'A' game.
2nd pick: #7 (Bricks and Mortar) (9-2) - A very lightly raced 5yo, he's won 5 of 7 starts, all on the grass and has never been beaten by more than 1.5 lengths in any of those attempts. A three-time stakes winner during 2017, he was injured and on the sidelines for 14.5 months before winning here against weaker in his return Dec 22. From the barn of Chad Brown, he's working very fast at the Palm Meadows Center and is a win candidate.
3rd pick: #8 (Delta Prince) (15-1) - Longshot won a G2 on the Woodbine turf June 30 in his first race in almost 11 months. Very sharp in his next pair, the stalker has a fine local record 3-2-1-0 and this lightly raced Stronach home bred must be left in the mix at a big price.
4th pick: #1 (Magic Wand) (8-1) - She's one of two fillies facing males and she enters off a close up finish in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs Nov 3. She has a lot of quality to her, is from the world-class barn of Aidan O'Brien, and this daughter of 'Galileo' has a ground-saving post.
5th pick: #9 (Catapult) (7-2) - A hard-hitting 6yo son of 'Kitten's Joy', he went 4-2-2-0 last year and just missed in the Breeders' Cup Turf Mile (G1) Nov 3 at Churchill Downs. He's a stretch threat if able to avoid a wide trip.