Race 6: Gio d’Oro (8) is a deserving favorite and a very likely winner of this race. I think we can safely lean on him in the first leg of this sequence, but I do want to include some backup options. Curlin’s Legacy (4) did not do much running in his debut, yet has a chance to improve with the stretch-out in distance. Lutheran Rags (6) is a bit slower than some of his rivals, but at least he ran reasonably well in his first attempt going today’s one-mile distance.

Race 7: I’m keying my play around Lover’s Leap (3), who receives significant trainer and rider upgrades for this race. He’s run well on a couple of prior occasions and should get a contested pace to close into. The other main players are Spectacular Kid (7), Looking Ready (8), and Flash Drive (9).

Race 8: This race requires the most coverage of any in this sequence. I’m tentatively leaning on Chilly Bon Bon (1), who should work out a good trip from this advantageous inside post position, but I still want to use plenty of alternatives. Zabaione (2) has run well enough to win this on a number of occasions and must be included. Becker’s Galaxy (5) and Danebury (7) are somewhat untrustworthy at shorter prices, but they are nevertheless dangerous here.

Race 9: Big Thicket (8) is the horse to beat off the claim by Linda Rice, but I’m not convinced that he’s really going to improve with added ground. I’ll use him defensively, but my top pick is This Cat Can Fly (1). I believe this runner really wants to run long, which is the explanation for his improvement on turf last time. His pedigree suggests that dirt should be his preferred surface.