The “Winter Powerhouse” is smacking the east coast of the U.S. with snow, with Laurel Park, Charles Town, Penn National, and Beulah Park announcing on Friday that there would be no racing on Saturday.
As of late Friday, the forecast was still up in the air on how much snow Aqueduct would receive. I read and heard reports ranging from one to nine inches.
If weathermen were horseplayers, they would go broke in a hurry.
I’m leaning toward the Big A not racing on Saturday, which sent me looking for warmer weather, and I found it in Hallandale, Fl. where there are three stakes races on tap at Gulfstream Park.
Let’s make our money today in (partly) sunny Florida:
GP Race 9 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1) 5:02 ET
#5 Take the Points 3/1
#3 Court Vision 8/5
#4 Never On Sunday 2/1
#1 Le Grand Cru 12/1
#5 Take the Points may have been ready for a regression last out where he stalked the pace and faded to finish seventh in the Hollywood Derby (G1). The winner of the race was The Usual Q.T., who returned to win the Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita in his next outing on Jan. 30. Our top pick went into his last race coming off back to back Grade 1 wins in hard fought efforts, winning each in a photo. He appears to have the tactical advantage here as the main speed in a small field. He figures to bounce back here for Pletcher. He won the Secretariat (G1) at Arlington Park over good ground and we may see some give in the ground today as well.
#3 Court Vision makes his first start since a close up fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), beaten 1 ½ lengths behind the winner Goldikova. The five year old was a good third in this race last year behind his stablemate Kip Deville. Two back the Dutrow runner won the Shadwell Mile (G1) at Keeneland over soft footing. He can handle the extra ground and has won at 1 ¼ miles, taking the Hollywood Derby (G1) IN ’08. A logical threat at a light price.
GP Race 10 Donn Handicap (G1) 5:31 ET
#6 Past the Point 10/1
#4 Quality Road 7/5
#10 Delightful Kiss 8/1
#8 Mambo Meister 6/1
#6 Past the Point prepped for today’s race with a good second behind a tough sprinter in Custom for Carlos in the Mr. Prospector (G3). The six year old set the early fractions, was taken on by the eventual winner on the turn and they battled into the stretch, ¾ of a length separating the duo at the wire. The McLaughlin trainee has done some of his best running at nine furlongs, earning a career top in the ’08 Woodward where he was able to set the early fractions before getting caught by two time Horse of the Year Curlin in the stretch. His best shot of beating the chalk here is if jockey Edgar Prado can shake loose early and set moderate early fractions. I’m willing to give that a shot if we catch most of his 10/1 morning line. He is getting nine pounds from the favorite.
#4 Quality Road has had a tough luck career. A foot problem knocked him out of last year’s Kentucky Derby just two weeks out, and he likely would have been the favorite. He looked like he had a shot in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, but acted up at the gate and eventually was scratched. The colt returned with a sharp win in the Hal’s Hope (G3) last month, his third win in four starts over the Gulfstream Park main track. He took the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Florida Derby (G1) here last year. It is tough to knock a guy that has earned triple digit Beyers in seven of his eight career starts and has run so well over the surface, but the 7/5 morning line is likely going to look more like 3/5 by the time they load them in the gate.
#10 Delightful Kiss made a mild late rally to finish third last out against Alw-3 optional claimers, which should serve as a good tune-up for today. This gelding won the Hal’s Hope (G3) over the main track here last year after a good second behind multiple Grade 1 winner Einstein in the Clark Handicap (G2) at Churchill Downs. He figures to move forward in his second start off nearly a year on the bench.
Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 5/1 or better.
EX: 4,6 / 4,6,8,10
TRI: 4,6 / 4,6,8,10 / 3,4,6,8,10
GP Race 11 Suwannee River S. (G3) 6:00 ET
#7 Indigo North 12/1
#12 Lady Shakespeare 8/1
#4 Long Approach 7/2
#6 Astrologie 4/1
#7 Indigo North is an intriguing longshot in here. She made her turf debut last out in her first start since shipping in from Canada and ran a good third versus Alw-3 optional claimers. The top two finishers in that race came back to win. The winner Tight Precision came back to win the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf on Jan. 30. The runner up Cherokee Queen beat Alw-3 optional claimers on Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park. The filly came back with a bullet work over the turf at Palm Meadows and has a decent enough turf pedigree, by Grand Slam out of a Kris S. mare. She still looks like she has plenty of upside potential and we should catch a generous price.
#12 Lady Shakespeare came up just a head short in the Marshua River last out, finishing second in a dead heat. The filly loved her time in Canada, winning four straight at Woodbine including the Colleen going a mile over ground labeled as good. The filly ahs won five of nine in her career and figures to move forward in her second start off a three-month break. She half bro is Grade 1 turf stakes winner Shakespeare. The outside post is tough, but her 8/1 morning line looks fair enough.
Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 6/1 or better.
EX: 7,12 / 4,6,7,12
TRI: 7,12 / 4,6,7,12 / 4,5,6,7,12
Good luck today!
