CATHOLIC BOY (12) and INSPECTOR LYNLEY (11) are obvious when you look at the PPs for the upcoming Dixie Stakes. Catholic Boy was a grade one winner on both dirt and turf as a three-year-old, but he's been gone for some time following a dull effort in the Breeders' Cup Classic last November. It seems obvious, but if Catholic Boy runs his 'A' race, everyone else is likely running for second.

Inspector Lynley is in career form for Shug McGaughey, and he may be a prime example of Shug's turf runners continuing to improve with age. A winner at Aqueduct most recently, Inspector Lynley has races on his page that make him a deserving alternative to Catholic Boy.

If you're like me and want to look outside the two obvious contenders, why not the eight-year-old gelding PHLASH PHELPS (8)? Trained by Rodney Jenkins, Phlash Phelps finished fifth in a field of seven on April 20, winding up behind three common opponents he'll face again this afternoon. The reasons I'm intrigued by Phlash Phelps are as follows:

- The TimeformUS rating he earned in the Henry S. Clark isn't way off the top contenders in today's Dixie
- It was his first start since last October
- His final two quarter-mile fractions in the Clark were :22.67 and :22.43
- He's historically moved forward in a big way when making his second start off the bench
- His career record over the Pimlico turf (3-2-0-1)

He's not nearly as likely a winner as Catholic Boy or Inspector Lynley, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Phlash Phelps fire one last big shot in this year's Dixie; he's currently 25-1 with 24 MTP.