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
Second week in a row we got a bit lucky when Minute Madness, which might have been another gimmick Pick if we’d known Mr Louise would be scratched (again!), went wire-to-wire to post a $63 upset. Our top Pick, Adulator (who went off the surprising choice) hesitated at the start and lost all chance, finishing fifth. Tab him back at a distance. Eight other BreezeFigs maidens came home on top last week, including two at Aqueduct and Santa Anita, and solos at Golden Gate, Parx, Tampa Bay and Turfway.
GENUINE HAPPINESS
Trainer: Michelle Nevin
Last race: March 11, 6th
Finish: 2nd by 7 1/4
Beyer: 44
This debuting daughter of Uncle Mo awaited room in the vicinity of the quarter pole, steadied a bit in upper stretch, and was along late for second behind a favored winner in a $40,000 maiden sprint.
COMMENT: Salutos Amigos shipped west for a couple outings and did quite well, running second in the Grade 3 Midnight Lute and Grade 2 Palos Verdes. He returned home for this, a race he won easily last year, and had no trouble defending his title. He sat well back early, as is often his tact, remained well back going into the far turn, swung very, very wide into the lane, and powered home to roll past his rivals and clear late. Last year after winning this, he went to Dubai.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Three recommendations Sunday at Santa Anita include two overlays and one favorite who could have a big season in the female sprint division.
Race 3
Dressed in Hermes is the class of the field in the $75,000 Pasadena Stakes, a one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds. A Grade 3 winner last year and the most probable winner of the Pasadena, he is the 4-5 program favorite. That is an underlay.
Keying two horses in the ninth race Sunday at Gulfstream – Muntji and Unbridled Juan – along with spreading in the final two races is my strategy for the late pick four. Below is an analysis of the four races that make up the sequence, with the capitalized horses ranked either as ‘A’ or ‘B’ runners based on their chances of winning.
Race 9
As noted, MUNTJI (9) and UNBRIDLED JUAN (1) appear best based on speed figures, class, and consistency, and they are well suited to racing a one-turn mile. Both go down as ‘A’ runners.
The 79th edition of the Santa Anita Handicap is the featured event on a tremendous card Saturday at Santa Anita, and there will be plenty of strong wagering opportunities to be had during the course of the day. Here are a few of the plays I’ll be looking to key in on:
Race 6 – Kilroe Mile
Saturday’s card at Gulfstream, topped by two turf-sprint stakes, is light on quality early and punctuated late by the odd placement in race 10 of a straight maiden sprint that has nine first-time starters. While this race is not hidden for late pick four purposes – it is the second leg of that sequence – it is buried in the late pick five – it’s the third leg of that sequence – which is, frankly, disappointing.
Take what you can get, one supposes. While our upset Pick, Fielding Gold, looked like he couldn’t be bothered, or logical key Pick, Joy Drive, managed to outlast another BreezeFigs maiden, Ussery’s Alley, whom we didn’t like, for a $15 BreezeFigs exacta. Our Bonus Pick, Picco Uno, ran steadily enough to complete a $28 trifecta two races later. Five other BreezeFigs maidens won last week in addition to Joy Drive: anoth