At the Gate - Wednesday
By Mike Dempsey
We start off the week with a 11-race card at Gulfstream Park this afternoon, with quite a few wide open races starting with the opener which is a $16,000 maiden claimer on turf.
The early Pick 5 is going to be tough to hit, with no logical singles in the five race sequence and we should see a handsome payoff if we are lucky enough to come up with enough winners.
We have a huge Saturday coming up, but we lost one star as Dortmund is not ready for the $500,000 San Antonio (G2) at Santa Anita according to his trainer Bob Baffert.
Dortmund has won eight of his 10 career starts, his most recent outing a victory in the Native Diver (G3) at Del Mar on Nov. 28. He figures to be a major player in the handicap division when he does get back on track.
His seasonal debut was supposed to come in the San Pasqual (G2) on Jan. 9 but a quartercrack knocked him out of that race. That race was won by California Chrome, who is now pointing toward the $10 million Dubai World Cup (G1) next month.
We have eight graded stakes on tap on Saturday including one Road to the Kentucky Derby points race-the $150,000 Robert B. Lewis S (G3) at Santa Anita.
Four of the graded stakes on Saturday are at Santa Anita. At Gulfstream Park there are four including the $500,000 Donn Handicap (G1) for older runners.
There are a pair of $100,000 ungraded stakes at Aqueduct- the Fred "Cappy" Capossela and the Gander.
Looks as if I am going to be very busy this week.
Here is today’s opener from Gulfstream Park to get the day off to a good start:
GP Race 1 Md $16,000 (12:35 ET)
#3 Congrats U 7-2
#1 True Diplomacy 5-2
#9 Abandon Ship 8-1
#10 Imperial Ben 8-1
Analysis: Congrats U was bumped coming out of the gate and not a threat in a seventh place finish off a two month break against $35,000 foes. The gelding drops into the softest spot of his seven race career here in for $16,000. He has five sibs that are winners including a pair of turf winners, top earner stakes winner Courtesan ($216,906).
True Diplomacy drops out of maiden special weight company and is tagged for just the second time in his career. Last October he was a decent third and ran second versus tougher twice last spring. He makes his third start of his current form cycle and fits with the class relief. He is out of the stakes winner Ting a Folie ($82,784) who has dropped two winners including one turf winner.
Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 1,3 / 1,3,9,10
TRI: 1,3 / 1,3,9,10 / 1,3,8,9,10
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Gulfstream Park:
GP Race 9 Md $35,000 (4:35 ET)
#8 Beaukati 7-2
#1 Star Charlie 4-1
#2 Homespun Hero 3-1
#5 Mr Changue 6-1
Analysis: Beaukati prompted the early pace and could not catch the gate to wire winner last out in a runner up finish in his first go for a tag. The third place finisher in the race was He's Cotton, who came back to beat $25,000 maiden sin his next start on Jan. 16 here. The class drop woke this guy up and he fits well here. He is out of a stakes placed Mr. Prospector mare that has dropped five winners.
Star Charlie stalked the early pace, came with a five wide run and finished evenly in a fourth place finish last out in his debut, sent off at 6-1 in a field of eight in the slop. The gelding figures to move forward off that effort for the Plesa barn that is 33% winners (with a +ROI) with second out maidens. He has three sibs that are winners.
Wagering
WIN: #8 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 1,8 / 1,2,5,8
TRI: 1,8 / 1,2,5,8 / 1,2,4,5,8
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: #9 Abandon Ship 8-1
R1: #10 Imperial Ben 8-1
R2: #5 Rock All Day 10-1
R3: #1 Trapnall Hall 8-1
R7: #10 Coty Section 10-1
R8: #6 Biamonte 10-1
R10: #2 Songoficeandfire 8-1
R11: #11 Twinkling 15-1
Good luck today!
By Mike Dempsey
We start off the week with a 11-race card at Gulfstream Park this afternoon, with quite a few wide open races starting with the opener which is a $16,000 maiden claimer on turf.
The early Pick 5 is going to be tough to hit, with no logical singles in the five race sequence and we should see a handsome payoff if we are lucky enough to come up with enough winners.
We have a huge Saturday coming up, but we lost one star as Dortmund is not ready for the $500,000 San Antonio (G2) at Santa Anita according to his trainer Bob Baffert.
Dortmund has won eight of his 10 career starts, his most recent outing a victory in the Native Diver (G3) at Del Mar on Nov. 28. He figures to be a major player in the handicap division when he does get back on track.
His seasonal debut was supposed to come in the San Pasqual (G2) on Jan. 9 but a quartercrack knocked him out of that race. That race was won by California Chrome, who is now pointing toward the $10 million Dubai World Cup (G1) next month.
We have eight graded stakes on tap on Saturday including one Road to the Kentucky Derby points race-the $150,000 Robert B. Lewis S (G3) at Santa Anita.
Four of the graded stakes on Saturday are at Santa Anita. At Gulfstream Park there are four including the $500,000 Donn Handicap (G1) for older runners.
There are a pair of $100,000 ungraded stakes at Aqueduct- the Fred "Cappy" Capossela and the Gander.
Looks as if I am going to be very busy this week.
Here is today’s opener from Gulfstream Park to get the day off to a good start:
GP Race 1 Md $16,000 (12:35 ET)
#3 Congrats U 7-2
#1 True Diplomacy 5-2
#9 Abandon Ship 8-1
#10 Imperial Ben 8-1
Analysis: Congrats U was bumped coming out of the gate and not a threat in a seventh place finish off a two month break against $35,000 foes. The gelding drops into the softest spot of his seven race career here in for $16,000. He has five sibs that are winners including a pair of turf winners, top earner stakes winner Courtesan ($216,906).
True Diplomacy drops out of maiden special weight company and is tagged for just the second time in his career. Last October he was a decent third and ran second versus tougher twice last spring. He makes his third start of his current form cycle and fits with the class relief. He is out of the stakes winner Ting a Folie ($82,784) who has dropped two winners including one turf winner.
Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 1,3 / 1,3,9,10
TRI: 1,3 / 1,3,9,10 / 1,3,8,9,10
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Gulfstream Park:
GP Race 9 Md $35,000 (4:35 ET)
#8 Beaukati 7-2
#1 Star Charlie 4-1
#2 Homespun Hero 3-1
#5 Mr Changue 6-1
Analysis: Beaukati prompted the early pace and could not catch the gate to wire winner last out in a runner up finish in his first go for a tag. The third place finisher in the race was He's Cotton, who came back to beat $25,000 maiden sin his next start on Jan. 16 here. The class drop woke this guy up and he fits well here. He is out of a stakes placed Mr. Prospector mare that has dropped five winners.
Star Charlie stalked the early pace, came with a five wide run and finished evenly in a fourth place finish last out in his debut, sent off at 6-1 in a field of eight in the slop. The gelding figures to move forward off that effort for the Plesa barn that is 33% winners (with a +ROI) with second out maidens. He has three sibs that are winners.
Wagering
WIN: #8 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 1,8 / 1,2,5,8
TRI: 1,8 / 1,2,5,8 / 1,2,4,5,8
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: #9 Abandon Ship 8-1
R1: #10 Imperial Ben 8-1
R2: #5 Rock All Day 10-1
R3: #1 Trapnall Hall 8-1
R7: #10 Coty Section 10-1
R8: #6 Biamonte 10-1
R10: #2 Songoficeandfire 8-1
R11: #11 Twinkling 15-1
Good luck today!
