King: Gulfstream Park pick four for Saturday, Dec. 31

A number of wide-open turf contests make many of the multirace wagers at Gulfstream attractive on Saturday, and in the end, I settled on a pick four that begins with the eighth race. What follows is an analysis of the sequence and a TicketMaker play.

Race 8

A first-level allowance, this race appears to be closely matched, and the suggestion is to go deep. I advise using three horses as preferred plays, being “A” runners in TicketMaker, and two backup “B” plays that offer value. The “A” horses, in order of preference, are Camaria (5), Just Talkin (8), and Shiawassee (4), and longshots Akron Gold (3) and Melody Gold (7) are the two “B” runners.

Race 9, the Via Borghese

Although I like Happyness (12) to win, with her not having raced since May and being untested in stakes company, I prefer using multiple runners with her in the gimmicks. Happyness obviously goes as an “A,” along with Desiree Clary (4) and the much-improved Dad’s Princess (10). Plus, I will toss in Trophee (7) and Bitty Kitty (3) as “B” runners since they run quickly from time to time.

Race 10, the Allen Jerkens

Taghleeb (3) stands out on Beyer Speed Figures and as the recent class, though the two-mile distance adds an element of uncertainty. Budget-minded players who want to reduce cost may consider singling him, but I opted to use four horses as backup “B” runners given the unique distance. In preferential order, those alternatives are Generous Kitten (10), Montclair (11), Quiet Force (4), and Top Striker (1).

Race 11, the Tropical Park Oaks

Last up is the Tropical Park Oaks for 3-year-old fillies, where Azaelia (10), Try Your Luck (2), and Island Reward (11) lead the way as “A’ runners, backed up by Instant Erma (7) and Welcoming (3) as “B” horses.

The TicketMaker Play

Plugging the horses mentioned above into Ticketmaker, for $328.50 a bet can be made using all “A” runners for $1.50, three “A” runners with one “B” for $1, and two “A” horses and two “B” runners for $0.50.

This wager exceeds my usual pick-four budget, but with many of these horses offering blow-up potential, the potential reward offsets the larger monetary risk.