I was fairly certain that Upstart was going to run really well in last Saturday’s Holy Bull Stakes. Any 2-year-old who can get a 102 Beyer Speed Figure in his third start and run well in all four starts on both coasts is dangerous.

SPRING INCLUDED
Trainer: Steve Hobby
Last race: Jan. 24, 8th
Finish: 2nd by 1/2
Beyer: 79

She was hooked for much of the $100,000 American Beauty and remained determined to the late stages, only to get caught on the wire by the Grade 3 winner Sugar Shock. The start was Spring Included’s first since November. She also has had success around two turns and on turf.

KEEP BUSTIN
Trainer: Bruce Levine
Last race: Jan. 23, 7th
Finish: 4th by 4 3/4
Beyer: 61
Veteran mare was a dozen lengths behind after the opening half-mile and finished well along the rail against second-level New York-bred optional-claiming sprinters in her first outing since June; multiple winner on the inner track.

GRANDIOSE TACTICS
Trainer: Ron Ellis
Last race: Jan. 23, 5th
Finish: 3rd by 2 1/2
Beyer: 75
A two-turn specialist making her California debut in a downhill sprint, this older mare finished willingly in a race that was dominated by speed. It was her first start in seven months and a sharp comeback. Expect improvement next time at a longer distance.

Gulfstream Park

Hutcheson (race 7)

COMMENT: Barbados, a $340,000 son of champion sprinter Speightstown, showed again he has a very bright future as a top sprinter. Coming off an easy win in the Spectacular Bid Jan. 3, he stalked in third as X Y jet set a solid pace. He moved up to challenge that rival into the lane, got the better of him and was edging away at the line. X Y Jet, coming off a second in a stakes at Tampa, ran very well in defeat.

ARCADIA, Calif. – It looks like a chalky start to the Sunday card at Santa Anita. I will not try to force otherwise.

Perhaps you’d have to be nuts to back a six-start maiden, but when Opsec gets back on turf in race 2, my money will be on the older maiden returning to preferred footing. Opsec is a 4-year-old, and by now, he should have won at least one race. But he was compromised by a brutal trip when finishing third in his most recent start on turf, followed by a creditable runner-up finish on dirt.

With a slew of well-matched, full fields in the later races Sunday at Gulfstream, we’ll try to get our arms around something a little less abstract by shooting for a pick four earlier on the card – and there’s still a potential bonanza with this one. Here’s the play:

Race 2 – 1, 5, 6, 9
Race 3 – 8
Race 4 – 2, 4, 7, 8, 11
Race 5 – 2, 5, 8, 9, 12, 14

50-cent ticket = $60

A threat of rain Saturday at Gulfstream should have handicappers paying close attention to the weather and, if at all possible, avoiding betting horses well in advance of post time.

In most of the stakes today, I simply don’t have strong opinions. That is, with one exception: I do expect CONSUMER CREDIT (7) to take race 8, the Sweetest Chant for 3-year-old fillies on the grass. Even as the morning-line favorite at 2-1, think she warrants a win play – that’s how confident I am of her chances.

Some full, competitive fields to close out the card give the late pick three (races 7-9) appeal. You’ll likely need to spread, but that may help you catch a price.

Race 7

EL VAQUERO (#8) faces winners for the first time, but these aren’t the most imposing winners. In fact, they’re all maiden winners only, so the class hike isn’t as big as it might otherwise be. He progressed nicely last summer, topped off by a smart maiden win on Los Alamitos dirt Jan. 14. He may be a solid ‘A’.

Let's take a look at Saturday’s 50-cent all-stakes pick five at Gulfstream.

Race 7

I like DOM THE BOMB (3) cutting back in distance for the Hutcheson Stakes. He earned some big numbers at 2 in Illinois and can stalk the early speeds.

BARBADOS (7) is the logical threat off his nice win in the Spectacular Bid Stakes.

Handicappers with deeper pockets could consider BRIDGET'S BIG LUVY (2), a recent maiden winner after chasing Frosted after his first two starts.

Caveman:3,7