Top pick: #5 (BRAINWASH) - Lightly-raced and improving, $250K son of "Lemon Drop Kid" was an impressive maiden winner at Monmouth on July 27th and last out missed by a neck to a hard-hitter in his first facing winners. Working fine in Jersey and the horse to beat in his local debut.
2nd pick: #8 (Empire on Fire) - Home-bred son of "Empire Maker" was no match for "Brainwash" two back, but returned to get his own maiden win and has a bullet 5-furlong work on Sept. 13. Lightly raced, improving, and a win candidate.
3rd pick: #2 (Majestic Hope) - New York invader ships from Saratoga where he tired badly in an entry-level allowance on Aug. 12. He'd been competitive in all his starts dating back to last fall and he's (3-1-1-0) in the past on this surface.