Gierkink: Gulfstream Park late pick five for Sunday, March 10, 2019
The late pick five is an appealing sequence on this marathon 13-race card.
The ninth, a one-mile maiden special, contains a host of horses trying turf for the first time who are bred for it, including the favored first-timers Largent (1) and Militiaman (11). Both are from high-profile barns. Longshot Mass Appeal (2) showed nothing at first asking on dirt, but the son of the good turf sire Speightstown is a half-brother to a pair of grass winners, most notably Grade 2 stakes winner Ride a Comet.
The favored Passionate Hachi (1) looks like a standout in the 10th. The front-runner has a pace advantage, and he recently won an identical $12,500 route for trainer Aubrey Maragh, who has fared okay the second time off the claim.
The Todd Pletcher-trained favorite Clint Maroon (7) should be prominent in the 11th but is no cinch in this first-level allowance on grass. I will flesh out the ticket with longshots Shazier (3), Gearhead (4), and Shootin the Breeze (8).
The obvious protagonists in the 12th, a second-level allowance sprint, are Impact Player (1) and Timber Ghost (5), but 8-1 shot Cove Blue (6) is also in with a chance.
Off a narrow loss in another $12,500 maiden sprint, the favored Snell Flicka (2) sticks out in the nightcap. However, the stretch-out from 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 furlongs is a negative for the front-runner, so let’s throw in the inconsistent Do What It Takes (8), who’s picking up a fresh Paco Lopez.
Pick 5: 1,2,11 / 1 / 3,4,7,8 / 1,5,6 / 2,8


