1 HELSINKI

Jockey Trainer Morning Line Odds
Julien Leparoux Nicholas Zito 20–1

Helsinki’s coming into this race off of an underwhelming finish in the Lemon Drop Kid Stakes at Saratoga. He’s managed to get on the board in half of his starts, but his two wins were his March 18 maiden at Pimlico and a non-winners-of-1 allowance at Delaware. Typically, this is when one would write that he’s in over his head in Grade 1 company, but that doesn’t really apply to this race. Still, he’d have to take a big big step to get anywhere near the front.

2 C P WEST

Cornelio Velasquez Nicholas Zito 5–1

It has been a long time since C P West won a race — though when he did win one, it was at Saratoga. You’ve got to love Nick Zito and Robert LaPenta for running him back in marquee events. He put in a good race last time out and finished in front of Sightseeing, and behind Street Sense. Naturally, that’s the expected trifecta tomorrow, as well. But it’s worth looking at the fact that C P West keeps getting better, the question is how much better?

3 FOR YOU REPPO

Garrett Gomez Helen Pitts 20–1

When you see a horse moved to the turf, it’s the trainer trying something out. They are searching for a solution, and they think it might be a surface switch. On the grass last out he made a late bid to get up to third, but they must not have liked what they saw, because here he is again. Perhaps they are thinking that the horse feels insulted by all the small purses he’s been chasing, so they thought they’d try something new and race him in a Grade 1.

4 STREET SENSE

Calvin Borel Carl Nafzger 3–5

By all rights he should slaughter this field. His win in the Jim Dandy showed that he can run at Saratoga, which erased the idea that he preferred Churchill Downs. The chink in the armor: He’s not big on winning two in a row, and certainly not over the same track. He notched back-to-back victories as a 2-year-old, but not since. Other horses are improving, so he can’t afford to regress.

5 GRASSHOPPER

Robby Albarado Neil Howard 8-1

He’s lightly raced colt, coming off a six-length victory over 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga. If he runs that race again, close to, or on the pace from the start he’ll stand a real chance. I think he’s the surprise.

6 LOOSE LEAF

Kent Desormeaux Kenneth McPeek 21–1

Coming off of a good finish in the Lemon Drop Kid, he’s a wildcard here. He’s lost a lot of races, and he had throat surgery in February, after which he’s run better. Watch for him to move with Street Sense and Sightseeing, coming on to close on the stretch. I can’t see it happening, he’s too inconsistent for me.

7 SIGHTSEEING

Edgar Prado Claude McGaughey III 6–1

A very respectable horse. Shug, his trainer, has been making noise that this is the race the horse has been pointed to, and that’s something to think about. He’s been knocking on the door, picking up a couple of good wins along the way. Shug is the real thing, and he’s not one to boast. If he says this is the race he wanted Sightseeing to win, then he means it. How he gets past Street Sense, after failing to do so last out in the Jim Dandy, is another thing.