Off the low draw Ichibansan should lead at a genuine tempo. ZESTIMAN (3) hasn’t been able to land a blow against stronger company recently, but the drop in grade brings him right into contention. He’s unbeaten over this track and trip (1/1) and doesn’t need to find much to be winning. GEORGIEGINA (6) was too bad to be true last start, but her prior form was strong and the races around her have stacked up superbly. With a good draw and a forgiving mindset, she can rebound sharply. MIDNIGHT RULER (5) showed real grit here last time, leading throughout and fending off all challengers. He’ll roll forward again and, if left alone, is capable of going back-to-back. LAVA LAD (2) strung four wins together earlier in the prep and while not quite as sharp in his past two, is still going well. Needs a clever ride from the wide gate, but with even luck he can feature. ORIEDOS (10) has mixed his form this campaign but has gone close twice. Peaking now and gets a genuine chance to snap a long run of outs. SUGGESTED PLAY: Siding with Zestiman to win.