by Jerry Shottenkirk
December 30, 2017
Chad Brown has an opportunity to see stakes-winning status to another of his pupils Saturday when Galileo’s Song looms as the favorite in the Via Borghese Stakes, a true route race and the 3rd leg of the late Pick 4 Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
The Irish-bred Galileo filly became added graded stakes placing when she was 2nd in the Grade 3 Long Island Handicap at Aqueduct. Galileo’s Song is getting more and more opportunities to stretch out her legs and is now on a steady diet of long races. The Via Borghese is a $75,000 turf race at 1 3-16th miles and Galileo’s Song stands out over most. The Long Island was at 1 1-2 miles, so she’s actually turning back in distance. Prior to that race she was 2nd in the Boiling Springs at Monmouth at 1 1-8 miles and overall is 2 of 9 with 5 2nd-place finishes. The $475,000 Keeneland purchase by Dell Ridge Farm isn’t yet halfway to her purchase price as she’s bankrolled $219,600
Galileo’s Song is a must-use on the Pick 4 ticket, but Beauty also is a threat and is being used here. The Brendan Walsh-trained daughter of Sea the Stars was a closing 4th in the Grade I Flower Bowl. She was better than 50-1 and closed to 4th, just a neck to Brown trainee and heavy favorite Grand Jete, who was 3rd. War Flag captured the 1 1-4-mile grass race.
The final race has two in play on the ticket in Small Bear and Funtastic, while the 8th and 9th races are wide open and each is represented by five runners.
The 8th starts it off with Disco Man, Roccia d’Oro, Pure, Second Street and Woodburn. Roccia d’Oro is the favorite on a big class drop but this one could any of several ways.
The 9th also has five with Lido, Taperge, Team of Teams, I’m Betty G and Speighgal. Taperge, another Brown trainee, is the lukewarm 4-1 morning line in the wide-open event but has a lot of closely rated competition.
Here’s the suggested Pick 4 ticket:
Race 8: #4 Disco Man, #7 Roccia d’Oro, #10 Prue, #11 Second Street, #12 Woodburn.
Race 9: #1 Lido, #2 Taperge, #5 Team of Teams, #7 I’m Betty G, #10 Speighgal.
Race 10: #3 Galileo’s Song, #9 Beauty.
Race 11: #12 Small Bear, #13 Funtastic.
50-cent Pick 4: 4-7-10-11-12 with 1-2-5-7-10 with 3-9 with 12-13 ($50).