Top pick: #4 (WILD TONY) (7-2) - Gelding raced very wide before tiring badly when debuting at Hollywood Park on Dec. 15 racing for a $30K tag. Claimed that day by Doug O'Neill (26% first off the buy), he's worked him twice, both at 6 furlongs and brings him back at the purchase price and will be switching him to conventional dirt. This field is weak on paper and I like his chances.
2nd pick: #9 (J J Be Chillin) (5-2) - The Jeff Mullin's barn has been very quiet and "cold" since the action shifted here from Hollywood, but he's too good to hold down for long and he's had this debuting gelding in steady training on this surface since late Oct. Looks set first out.
3rd pick: #7 (One for Nothing) (4-1) - The field's most experirnced maide, he comes off an even effort here facing Cal-bred $40K foes and drops back down a bit and moves in with "open" company. He missed by a 1/2 length on this surface, at this price and trip on Oct. 28, and a repeat of that effort makes him a strong contender in this group.