Brooklyn BC

Saturday's $150,000 Brooklyn Breeders' Cup H. (G2) didn't draw a strong

field. None of the seven horses are exiting a win, and only two of them hit the

board last time out. WANDERIN BOY (Seeking the Gold) finished sixth in the

Whitney H. (G1) most recently, but he's our top pick this time around. The Grade

3 winner looks like the controlling speed.

Trained by Nick Zito, Wanderin Boy recorded a visually impressive 5

1/4-length triumph in April's Ben Ali S. (G3), earning a 113 BRIS Speed rating

for the wire-to-wire decision, and he finished a creditable second next time out

to Invasor (Arg) (Candy Stripes) in the Pimlico Special H. (G1), leading most of

the way until being collared in midstretch. Reappearing in late June, Wanderin

Boy captured an allowance/optional claiming event by seven lengths over a sloppy

Belmont track, a real plus since he could face wet conditions on Saturday, and

he didn't run poorly in the Whitney. The five-year-old made the lead between

calls early but couldn't sustain his speed against pressure. Wanderin Boy won't

have that problem in the Brooklyn, and he'll lead wire to wire.

WE CAN SEEK (Chi) (Seeker's Reward) offered a decent late rally for fourth in

the Whitney last time, and the five-year-old owns more tactical speed than he

displayed that afternoon. He also owns very commendable Speed numbers,

registering a 108 and a pair of 105s in his last four outings. We Can Seek

turned in a very solid effort in his last appearance at Belmont, rallying off a

slow pace to just miss by a nose, and his late kick makes him a

serious threat for the win if the speed falters.

GOOD REWARD (Storm Cat) can't be ignored off his runner-up finish in the

Pacific Classic (G1), but we aren't excited about his chances at short odds on

Saturday. Trainer Shug McGaughey said the five-year-old liked the hard track at

Del Mar, and Good Reward will likely face a deep surface here given all the

recent rain. The late runner probably gained some confidence last time and must

be respected here given that classy performance against Lava Man (Slew City

Slew), but we'll tab Good Reward for a minor award.

REVERBERATE (Thunder Gulch) ran a couple of nice races at Belmont last year,

winning an allowance and finishing second in the Peter Pan S. (G2), but his two

starts this season are difficult to get excited about. We wouldn't be shocked to

see him continue to improve in his third start off the layoff, but the Sal Russo

charge faces a class check. Consider for part.

FUNNY CIDE (Distorted Humor) will have to prove himself to us off a dull

eighth in the Woodward S. (G1) two weeks ago. We'd love to see the six-year-old

gelding recapture his previous form, but his recent Speed ratings are too low

for us to recommend his chances. AWESOME TWIST (Awesome Again) is a late-running

sprinter in a field with little speed. The four-year-old is

eligible to stretch out effectively with his pedigree, but we'll just watch for

now. TAKE THE BLUFF (Pine Bluff) captured an entry level allowance three starts

back over an off track at Belmont, but he struggled in his last two attempts

against "two other than" allowance company and would be a big surprise in this

spot.