Watchmaker: How I'd play Gulfstream on Saturday, March 19
Saturday’s card at Gulfstream Park is a quality one with several interesting betting races. Unfortunately, weather might get in the way.
As of this writing on Friday, the National Weather Service is calling for a chance of showers Saturday in Hallandale Beach, Fla. With that in mind, I’ll focus on the three main-track races that interest me the most.
Race 9
Heckuvashot is the 3-1 morning-line favorite in this straight maiden route, and I’ll be playing against him. Despite trouble in his only start, Heckuvashot’s fourth-place finish was nondescript. Moreover, he was let go at 13-1 in that debut, which is absolute ice for a Todd Pletcher-trained first-time starter, especially at Gulfstream, and indicative that this horse might not be that good.
Singleton and Happy Match are the ones I like here. Singleton stretches out off two extended one-turn outings, showed much-improved early speed most recently, and looks primed for a big effort. Happy Match didn’t show much in his debut, but he took a little bit of action at the windows, and that race was won in blowout fashion by a real runner. Happy Match might improve quickly off the stretch-out.
Race 10
Top Billing and Toasting Master are the two I’ll be using strongest in this second-level optional claimer.
I suppose it’s possible that Top Billing, who I made a future-book Kentucky Derby bet on in Las Vegas two years ago, might never realize the huge potential he once showed. However, this race is the easiest dirt assignment he’s had in a long time, and his nose loss last spring to Noble Bird, who won the Grade 1 Stephen Foster soon after, says that there still is talent there.
Toasting Master had a less-than-ideal trip in his return last month from a 10-month absence and might benefit greatly from that outing. He has some intriguing back form and is a price horse worth taking a shot with.
Race 12, the Inside Information Stakes
This race was one of the three stakes I used in my Weekend Warrior column.
The lure of this race is the prospect of betting against a favorite in Stonetastic who is a big question mark at the seven-furlong distance. Stonetastic is good and very fast early, but she is 0 for 4 in her career going this far. Unless she catches a biased surface that carries her, something you always have to keep an eye out for, I’m betting she gets late late.
Kiss to Remember was my Warrior pick. I’m not crazy about the four-month layoff she brings to this spot, but she’s a true seven-furlong horse, as evidenced by her better-than-it-looks second in the Grade 1 Ballerina last summer.