McGee: Gulfstream pick four play for Jan. 20, 2018
Is it possible Gulfstream is now purposely carding races with heavy favorites at the end of a card (and in the Rainbow 6 sequence) so as to attempt to insure that a solo sweep of the huge jackpot is highly unlikely – and therefore render the Jan. 28 mandatory-payout date a true gambling extravaganza?
Unlikely as that may be, it sure seems like it. In any case, I’ll take a shot at a pick four to end the Saturday card by accepting Gulf’s invitation and singling an obvious favorite, X Y Jet, in the Sunshine Millions Sprint (race 11) as well as another favorite, Starship Jubilee, in the SM F-M Turf (race 10). I’ll bookend the bet with a shotgun approach, trying to catch one of the longer prices in races 9 and 12. (And of course you could always custom-make this into a Rainbow 6 play by starting in race 7.)
:: See Marty McGee’s pick four play in DRF TicketMaker and bet it with DRF Bets
Race 9: Lots of unknowns in this Florida-bred MSW sprint, but I’ll rely on the trainers who tend to do well with this kind (Nicks, Gold, Fawkes) while mixing in a few guesses amid a six-way scattershot.
Race 10: The Gulfstream morning line has Starship Jubilee a lukewarm 2-1 favorite over Daddy’s Boo (5-2), but I’d venture a guess that the gap will be wider between the two. With her six wins over the track and a pace scenario that’s very likely to hinder Daddy’s Boo and help a stalker such as Starship Jubilee, I’m comfortable with the single.
Race 11: I’ll rely on X Y Jet (1) going straight to the lead and remembering what a class edge he has on the others. Price won’t be much, but I’m just trying to get to the final leg.
Race 12: I’m thinking enough bases are covered by going five deep in the finale, with the gun-to-head selections being New Atlas (2) and Bernini (5).
This is the straight-A play:
R9 – 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10
R10 – 4
R11 – 1
R12 – 2, 3, 4, 5, 9
$1 ticket = $30