As the race approaches, I've gone back and forth a couple of times. I love Lion Heart as my previous post has shown. The main reason why is because I do not think anyone close to him can overcome his speed and then run by him and the rest will have too much to do in a large field.

That being said, I believe two horse have displayed the kind of lick and # power to pounce on the Lion and keep going.
Read The Footnotes and Smarty Jones.
The most interesting of the two is Smarty. For many of the reasons you mentioned. A lot have been made of his negative 3, but for a horse who ran three 0's in a row, one at 2, that may have not knocked him out. The back up to the negative 1, may just be a leveling of point, for a super fast and talented horse. We may be witnessing greatness today.

So I'll play the above three and throw in the Cliff's Edge and splash in some homeruns in the 3rd and 4th spot with Minister Eric, Pro Prado and Pollards Vision

Good Luck