Top pick: #3 (SOUPER SPEEDY) (5-2) - Lightly-raced "Live Oak Plantation" home-bred enters in career best form and is racing at his favorite distance (4-3-1-0). Colt by "Indian Charlie" was an easy winner at Belmont over weaker May 23rd at this trip, then came back just 15 days later to win the $150K "Jaipur" stakes when he missed by a "head" but was placed first after being "forced out" in the final furlong. Four-year-old gets a slight edge in a very competitive G3 stakes.
2nd pick: #9 (Strapping Groom) (4-1) - Well-bred enters off a career best when he was an impressive winner at Belmont going 6.5 furlongs on June 26th to win the $100K "Lion Cavern" stakes. Win came first off a Dave Jacobson claim and he just set a record for wins (45) by a trainer at the spring/summer Belmont meet, eclipsing the old mark (40) held by Todd Pletcher. This 6-year-old draws a fine outside slot and I almost made him the top pick.
3rd pick: #4 (Sage Valley) (5-1) - Colt has a fine overall record (9-5-0-3), and was a sharp winner of the "Maryland Sprint Hdcp." (G3) which was part of the "Preakness" day under-card at Pimlico on May 18th. Four-year-old followed that up with an even effort in the (G2) "True North Hdcp." on Belmont Stakes day (June 8th) and has been freshened up since. Dangerous with his best.
4th pick: #7 (Right to Vote) (12-1) - He became a stakes winner on June 29th at Churchill Downs when he "blitzed" a small field in the $60K "Kelly's Landing" stakes. Gelding covered the 7-furlong distance in 1:22.40 and that fits with what these can do on their best day.
5th pick: #6 (Jaguar Paw) (6-1) - Son of "Giant's Causeway" has improved dramatically since switching to the barn of Chad Brown in early Jan. and was an easy winner of a small stakes at Belmont on June 14th going 9 furlongs. He cuts way back in distance today and will have to come from far back. A minor award may be his ceiling.