King: Gulfstream Park pick five for Saturday, Jan. 13

With two graded turf stakes in the sequence, here is my handicapping analysis and DRF TicketMaker wagering strategy for the late pick five Saturday at Gulfstream – a bet that can be played in 50-cent denominations and has only a 15 percent takeout.

Race 8

The first leg is a $16,000 claimer on the lawn going 7 1/2 furlongs – conditions under which outside-drawn horses are at a disadvantage with a short run to the first of two turns. It is partially for that reason that I prefer Sound Values (8) over Uncle B (10), though both horses rank as “A” runners in TicketMaker, meaning they are the most likely winners. They are too classy for the $16,000 nonwinners-of-three level and are consistent.

Knowing that conditioned claiming races often warrant spreading in multirace gimmicks, let’s also sprinkle three secondary “B” runners in the mix with Il Faraone (6), Abbot (8), and Classic Move (11).

Race 9

The first of two stakes is up next, the Marshua’s River, in which Gianna’s Dream (5) is my lone “A” play. And I will back her up with morning-line favorite Dream Dancing (8) as a “B.” The former has more tactical speed than the latter, who also happens to be facing older mares for the first time after racing against strictly 3-year-olds in 2017.

Race 10

A large field of $6,250 claimers goes to post, and I advise using a pair of “A” horses in Starship Apollo (14) and Amace (9), followed by a couple of “B” horses in Vinnardini (13) and Political Justice (11). They are either in good form or taking class drops that logically make them factors against low-end claiming company.

Race 11

We return to stakes action in the Fort Lauderdale, where millionaire Heart to Heart (3) looms the obvious class and is an “A” play. Still, he is a speedball, and with other speed in the race, he seems too risky to single for fear he could get pushed into a hot pace. So, let’s play the stalker All Included (6) as an “A” and Shining Copper, from the always-dangerous turf stable of trainer Mike Maker, as a “B” horse.

Race 12

This is a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds at 7 1/2 furlongs on the grass. Saud (2) and Maraud (4) hold obvious appeal and are “A” horses, with the former rallying to be third in a similar race earlier at this meet and the latter dropping in class from a pair of stakes. Storm Runner (10) also acts like a horse with potential, but stepping up from the maiden ranks and not drawing as well outside the top pair, he is relegated to “B” status.

The tickets

Plugging the horses above into TicketMaker with a budget of $156, an all-“A” ticket is emphasized three times for $1.50, combinations of four “A” horses and a “B” get played for $1, and tickets of three “A” horses with two “B” runners are backed at the 50-cent minimum.