Horse Races Today: Saturday’s Gulfstream Park and OP Analysis & Odds

Horse Racing Action at TVG!
In yesterday’s featured race from Gulfstream Park our top pick Poseidon’s Passion went off at a generous 12-1, jumped to the front and turned for home with a clear lead.
 
Her gait was not exactly fluid, and my thought we she was going to get caught. Sure enough the favorite Shippy, my second choice came running and they hit the wire together.
 
I watched the replay twice and I have to say that finish line in turf races at Gulfstream Park is pretty much impossible to figure out. I thought for sure we had been nailed. 
 
The photo finish sign came down and somehow our top pick won by a nose, returning $26.60 with the exacta paying $91.60 and along with my third choice the trifecta paid $254.90 for $1.
 
I felt like a robbed a bank, I just don’t know how we won that photo.
 
We have a great 12-race card on tap at Gulfstream Park this afternoon, and a couple of graded stakes at Oaklawn Park. My Best Plays Report for Saturday includes my nine strongest plays from Oaklawn Park and Gulfstream Park.
 
There is no shortage of horse racing on national television this afternoon. Fox Sports 1 will be televising the action on Saturday from 1:30 to 7:00 ET and the NBC Sports Network will simulcast the TVG Network from 4:00 to 8:00 ET.
 
Horseplayers can also stream all the horse racing action using the Watch TVG App. The horse betting company based in the U.S. is offering a risk free bet up to $300 for new players. 
 
To purchase my Gulfstream Park and Best Plays Reports for Saturday click here .
 
Now is the perfect time to purchase my Monthly Package. It gives you a month of Gulfstream Park Reports daily and my Best Plays Report which will include all the major Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races.
 
Here is the opening race from Gulfstream Park to get the day off to a good start:
 
GP Race 1 Md $20,000 (12:45 ET)
#4 Capeline   15-1
#1 Truly   4-1
#7 Rasberry Ballet   7-2
#5 Funny Feather   8-1
 
Analysis: Capeline was not a threat after a wide trip in her debut going five furlongs on turf, checking in ninth while beaten 4 3/4 lengths. She stretches out to a mile here for her second career outing. She is out of the stakes winner Hatpin ($257,897) who has dropped four winners and three have won on turf and two are stakes winners, top earner Dannhauser ($313,487). Davis picks up the call here and this filly should end up a generous price in this spot.
 
Truly tracked the early pace, came with a wide bid and finished evenly in a third-place finish last out against $25,000 foes in the slop in a race taken off the turf. Two back on turf here she finished gamely in a runner up finish behind repeat winner Kitten By the Sea, who came back to beat $40,000 non-winners of two in her next outing on Feb. 14. The fourth-place finisher also came out of the race to win next out. She has landed din the money in five of her seven starts and has lost two photos for the win. She gets an upgrade in jocks to Zayas and catches a weaker group here. She is out of the stakes winner Nasty Rumor ($86,311) who has dropped two other foals to race, no winners to date.
 
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Gulfstream Park:
 
GP Race 9 OClm $62,500N2X (4:53 ET)
#9 Art of Almost   7-2
#3 Zarina 10-1
#4 Dark Artist   6-1
#5 Always Shopping   4-1
#7 Mintd   10-1
 
Analysis: Art of Almost is making her first start since last September for the Attfield barn that is 13% winners with runners coming back off a +180-day layoff dating back three years. She did not care for the footing or the distance last out in a seventh-place finish at Belmont Park in the Jockey Club Oaks at 1 3/8 miles. She was competitive in third place finishes two and three back in the Pucker Up (G3) at Arlington Park and the Dance Smartly (G2) at Woodbine. She has been working steadily at Payson for her return and finds a good spot here dropping in to face Alw-2 optional claimers.
 
Zarina was not a threat after an inside trip last out in an eighth-place finish at this condition at 26-1 off a 6 1/2-month layoff. The filly made a god late rally to finish third in the Miss Gracie two back here at 7 1/2 furlongs and she won the Martha Washington four back here. She should be tighter second off the bench her and she does not need to move forward much off her best to be in the mix here at a decent price.
 
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Oaklawn Park:
 
OP Race 10 The Apple Blossom Hcp G1 (5:16 CT)
#6 Street Band   15-1
#14 Ce Ce   7-2
#12 Go Google Yourself    12-1
#4 Come Dancing   3-1
#1 Ollie's Candy   12-1
 
Analysis: Street Band won the Cotillion (G1) at Philly last September at Philly as our top pick and returned $17.40, finally putting in that career top I had been waiting for from her. She did not get the best of rides in her previous start in the Alabama (G1) where she was third. She came up short in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), and then ran well in a close up third in the Houston Ladies Classic (G3) behind a couple of foes she faces again here. She regressed last out in her first trip over the main track in the Azeri (G2) but that was over a sloppy track. She makes her third start of her current for cycle and is going to get a sharp pace to run at. We need a ride from Doyle like we saw at Philly, getting her to relax but she is going to have to move earlier with the short stretch. She is better than her last and is going to be a generous price in this spot.
 
Ce Ce drew a tough post, but this filly has a ton of talent and still may have some upside. Her win in the Beholder Mile (G1) last out was impressive and it was her first start around two turns, drawing off to win by 3 ¼ lengths. Her other mile try in the Acorn (G1) was a one turn mile. She is bred to handle the extra ground, has enough tactical speed to overcome the outside draw, and should get a good trip sitting in just behind what looks likely to be a sharp early pace.
 
Go Google Yourself came off a 2 ½ month break with a game neck win in the Bayakoa (G3) over the main track here. She beat Alw-3 optional claimers in her other trip over the Oaklawn Park main track last March at a mile. She has now landed in the exacta in nine of her last 10 starts, five of those wins and she came out on the wrong ends of photos in three of those other outings. She usually sits second or third and may be a bit father back here, but she does have some late kick and in this spot looks as if she is going to be a generous price.
 
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: #4 Capeline   15-1
R1: #5 Funny Feather   8-1
R3: #2 Stated   8-1
R5: #1 Astronaut   20-1
R7: #11 Carmichael   20-1
R8: #3 Vincero   8-1
R9: #3 Zarina   10-1
R11: #4 Charmaine’s Mia   10-1
 
Good luck today!