Top pick: #5 (NOBLE TUNE) (3-1) - He's one of two entered by trainer Chad Brown and the pair race uncoupled. Son of "Unbridled's Song" has won 4-of-6 on the grass including a pair of stakes and finished second last Nov. at Santa Anita in the "Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf" (G1). He didn't fire last out at Penn National in a $460K stakes, but wasn't beaten much in a race run in very fast time for the mile distance (1:33.80). I like his chances.
2nd pick: #3 (North Slope) (5-1) - Lightly-raced, beautifully-bred, and he comes off a very impressive win here over weaker at this trip on May 31st. Darley home-bred earned a lofty "figure" that day and he has more early speed than most. Win candidate.
3rd pick: #1 (Balance the Books) (7-2) - The second of the Chad Brown pair, he's 4-2-1-1 on the turf and was only a neck back of "Noble Tune" last fall at Santa Anita. Freshened up since April 13th, he moves back to the grass for the first time since the "Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf."
4th pick: #9 (Notacatbutallama) (4-1) - Hard-hitting New York-bred hasn't beaten open company many times in the past and did so here on June 15th in the (G3) "Hill Prince" stakes. Colt is 3-2-1-0 on this course and 5-2-2-0 at this distance.
5th pick: #7 (Joha) (15-1) - Longshot may be the early leader in this rather paceless field and could last for a share at a big price in his second back from almost a seven month layoff.