Joe Drape: He won here as a 2-year-old, and McPeek knows how to point them at big races. My pick.
Melissa Hoppert: He turned heads during his 2-year-old season, but he has finished second in two starts this year. A real question mark.
Hoppert: This winner of four of six races, including three preps in Louisiana, has a lot going for him: a versatile running style, a top jockey and a Hall of Fame trainer who is long overdue in adding the Run for the Roses to his résumé.
Drape: Here’s your likely post-time favorite, and I cannot blame anyone who bets on him.