Two accomplished trainers(Chad Brown & Mark Casse) are bringing in the favorites, #1 Balance The Books(7-2) & #3 Uncaptured(3-1). The first is coming off a 20 week layoff, and the second has been on the shelf for 17 weeks. Balance The Books is trying a surface other than turf, for the first time. Uncaptured has done all that's been asked, with the exception of one race, winning 5 of 6 times. Still, I am not one who can back a horse off a long layoff.
Todd Pletcher comes into this race with #12 Capo Bastone(9-2). Pletcher's 2013 campaign had numerous prospects for the Derby, but he's not fared too well, thus far. This colt did win his first race of the year @ Gulfstream, in the slop, and, JV is coming in to honor the mount. He should be tough, but I will go against this one, due to breaking from the extreme outside.
My selection will be #5 My Name Is Michael(10-1), trained by William Mott. He has synthetic experience, having his first four races at Woodbine. His last two races were stretch-outs to a mile and a sixteenth. And he does show an affinity for closing, which would be quite complimentary for the 1 1/8 mile distance. The play will also include Kelly Breen's #9 Black Onyx(10-1), who is coming off a turf win & Anthony Dutrow's #10 Giant Finish(15-1), who had barely missed at first asking over this track, after having won two-of-three @ Aqueduct.
The play will be 5-10-20 WPS on #5, and a $3 exacta box on 5-9-10.