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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Saturday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
6 minute read
Mother Nature knocked out another card at Aqueduct on Friday with rain, snow and heavy winds and we could see wind approaching 40 miles per hour on Saturday.

After wasting five hours handicapping Friday’s card, I am sticking to sunny Florida on Saturday, with my full card report for Gulfstream Park and my Best Plays which will include races from Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs.

You can purchase both reports for one price by clicking here.

The Gulfstream Park card is a doozy, 14 races with post time for the opener coming at 11:30 ET. There are eight stakes on the card including the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2), a key Road to the Kentucky Derby points race.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Good Magic makes his three-year-old debut in the Fountain of Youth and is 7-5 morning line favorite.

The Chad Brown trainee won the Juvenile as a maiden at 11-1 and is currently the second choice in early Kentucky Derby wagering at [...] at +750 along with McKinzie. Bolt d’Oro is the favorite at +650 and that could change after the race.

By all reports Good Magic has been working strongly for his return here off a four-month layoff. The Fountain of Youth serves as a prep for the Florida Derby (G1), but Brown has stated he likely would use either the Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland or the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct as the final Derby prep for Good Magic.

We might have to settle for a short price on the champ, and he is going to be very tough to beat. However, the card featured plenty of wide open field and competitive races on what is the best betting card so far at the meeting.

My Best Plays Multi Track Report for Saturday includes my nine strongest plays from Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park.

To purchase my Gulfstream Park and Best Plays Reports for Saturday click here .

Here is the opening race from Gulfstream Park to get the day off to a good start:

GP Race 1 Clm $30,000N2L (11:30 ET)
#4 Wishfully 3-1
#7 High End Lady 8-1
#5 Helen Virginia 7-2
#6 Loran Holiday 4-1

Analysis: Wishfully drops in for a tag here and switches back to the main track after a fifth last out against Alw-1 optional claimers going five furlongs on turf. She graduated on turf two back for a $35,000 tag and her lone go on dirt came three back where she pressed the early pace, opened up a clear lead and weakened to finish fourth over a wet track at GP West. The Fawkes barn is 28% winners (with a +ROI) moving runners from turf to dirt. Pedigree wise this gal seems better suited for dirt and she still looks as if she has some upside compared to most of these.

High End Lady was off a beat slow, stalked the early pace and finished evenly in a third-place finish last out at this level in her first start against winners. She graduated two back for a $25,000 tag at GP West in her seventh career start. Her speed figs are coming up on the light side it looks like the extra half furlong will come in handy and she should end up a decent price in this spot.

Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 4,7 / 4,5,6,7
TRI: 4,7 / 4,5,6,7 / 1,4,5,6,7

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Tampa Bay Downs:

TAM Race 6 Clm $16,000 (3:17 ET)
#4 High Side 7-2
#6 Game Lad 5-2
#2 Irish Major 4-1
#8 Steamboat Bill 8-1

Analysis: High Side stalked the early pace and did not have enough punch left late in a third place finish for this tag last out. The winner Crimson Hayes, who beat $16,000 starter handicap foes in his next outing on Feb. 24. He was claimed out of the race by the Ferraro barn that is showing a 1 for 11 mark (with a +ROI) first off the claim and the capable barn is having a tough meeting just 2 for 41 with seven seconds. This gelding won for this tag two back and looks capable in this spot and picks up Morales.

Game Lad tracked the early pace and finished gamely to beat $25,000 non-winners of three last out in his first start off a 7 1/2 month layoff. He now has landed in the exacta in all six of his trips on turf and has won here twice. He faces open company here but does not need to move forward much off his last effort to win right back.

Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 4,6 / 2,4,6,8
TRI: 4,6 / 2,4,6,8 / 2,4,6,8,9

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Gulfstream Park:

GP Race 13 The Mac Diarmida G2 (5:34 ET)
#4 Muqtaser 4-1
#8 Patterson Cross 8-1
#1 Sadler's Joy 7-2
#12 Oscar Nominated 5-1

Analysis: Muqtaser stalked the early pace and finished up well in a runner up finish behind Blacktype in the Knickerbocker (G2) at Belmont Park going 1 1/8 miles. He was a close up third two back in the Kentucky Turf Cup in his stakes debut, beaten a half length by Oscar Nominated. He won back to back races at the Spa last summer at today's 1 3/8 mile distance. The McLaughlin barn is 16% winners with runners coming back off a 61-180 day layoff. He has worked well at Palm Meadows and fits well in this spot if he can run back to his last effort here.

Patterson Cross is making his first start since last April where he was third beaten just a head and a neck in the Pan American (G2). He made a good late rally to just miss winning this race last year by a head to wake Forest. Mott hits at a 18% clip with runners coming back off a +180 day layoff. Three straight triple digit Beyers over the turf here last year and he has been working sharply at Payson for his return for the Hall of fame barn. Looks as if this guy is going to be a decent price in this spot.

Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 4-1 or better.
EX: 4,8 / 1,4,8,12
TRI: 4,8 / 1,4,8,12 / 1,4,7,8,12

Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.

Gulfstream Park
R1: #7 High End Lady 8-1
R2: #6 Beach Treasure 15-1
R3: #3 Coxswain 15-1
R6: #7 Hawkish 8-1
R8: #1 Sultry 8-1
R9: #8 Creaky Cricket 10-1
R11: #3 Hofburg 15-1
R12: #7 Noholdingback Bear 10-1
R12: #5 Ricard the Great 15-1
R13: #8 Patterson Cross 8-1
R14: #8 Marconi 8-1

Good luck today!

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