Saturday’s card at Gulfstream Park not only features an early Pick 5 that kicks off with Race 1 and a late Pick 5 that starts in Race 7, but also includes a middle Pick 5 that gets rolling in Race 3. The wager is relatively new and is attractive to many horseplayers, not only due to the 15% takeout, but also because it is for retail players only (no CAW accounts permitted).


Grade Descriptions: Grade A=Highest degree of confidence; Grade B=Solid Play. Grade C=Least preferred or pass; Grade X=probable winner but likely at odds too short to play.


Race 3:
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 4 Ain’t No Lady; 6 Dubawi Wowie; 2 Evanora
Backups: None

Forecast: The sequence gets started with a non-winners of two, two-turn event over the all-weather where I am not overly creative.

The pace should be honest, which should bode well for 2-1-morning line favorite #6 Dubawi Wowie. The Jorge Abreu trainee moves from the turf to the all-weather after an even fourth against better. The all-weather is a question mark, but she should get a favorable voyage under jockey Paco Lopez. #4 Ain’t No Lady should also benefit from the probable race shape. The Palace Malice filly has never competed over the all-weather in Hallandale Beach, but has been at her best over synthetic surfaces at other venues. Junior Alvarado should have her in a good spot throughout. I will also include #2 Evanora. There are certainly questions for the Girvin filly still to answer, but the blinkers come off and the price is right to include.


Race 4:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 2 First Shot Fired
Backups: 6 Lookin for Roses

Forecast: An $8k claimer for non-winners of two is up next where the pace should be hot given the presence of #3 Crypto Man, #10 Tiz the Coast, and #12 Little Steven. Hopefully #2 First Shot Fired can take advantage. The Florida-bred took 16 starts to break through for his first lifetime score, but has hit the board in 6 of 12 over this surface. Hopefully, the light bulb came on and he makes it back-to-back wins from off the pace. Lightly raced 3-1-morning line favorite #6 Lookin for Roses also aims to make it two straight wins after getting the job done as the 9-5-favorite on January 18 for Saffie Joseph Jr. Clearly, the Ken Ramsey owned gelding has soundness issues, but he also should appreciate the likely tempo.



Race 5: Silks Run
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 1 Coppola
Backups: 6 Capture the Lion

Forecast: The first of two stakes races on Saturday’s card is up next and it is a 5-furlong dash over the Gulfstream lawn where #1 Coppola was made the even-money favorite by oddsmaker Brian Nadeau. The Dale Romans trainee has been dominant this winter at Gulfstream Park speed burning two solid fields of turf sprinters. He draws the inside and is the obvious horse to beat.

If you choose to not go all in on a common single, #6 Capture the Lion is the likeliest to run the favorite down. The son of Uncaptured was claimed with his own $62,500 by trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. in January. He was no match for Coppola in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint, but did put forth a career best effort. He could have another move forward in him on Saturday.



Race 6:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 4 Speight’spercomete; 10 Nerves of Steel; 5 Honesto; 11 Belly of Jelly
Backups: None

Forecast: #7 Lord of War aims to make it two in a row at the open $10k claimer level after breaking sharp and wiring out a field of 9 in late December. The Sky Mesa gelding was claimed out of the race by trainer Jose D’Angelo, but was vet scratched once prior to this afternoon’s entry. He makes as much sense as anyone, but I am not sure there is as much separation between he and his rivals as the morning line suggests. I will hope the 7YO takes some heat in the early stages.

If he does, #4 Speight’spercomete could take advantage. The son of Speightstown makes his first start off the claim for trainer Angel Quiroz after being caught five-wide into the first turn in his most recent start. He has hit the board in 7 of 15 over this surface, including 3 wins and should be a good price. #5 Honesto also is capable of springing the upset. The Bobby Dibona has been gelded since his last start, attracts Paco Lopez, and is one of those that should be involved early along with the chalk. I will also include #10 Nerves of Steel and #11 Belly of Jelly. Nerves of Steel was the favorite in the race Speight’spercomete exits. He was caught even wider as the 9-5-favorite. He should rebound here. Belly of Jelly gets some class relief for trainer Herbert Miller. All 3 of his career victories have come over this course.



Race 7:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 4 Broderie; 1 Cruise to Catalina; 3 Into Amore; 6 Silver Moonlight
Backups: None

Forecast: I struggled in the final leg where I can easily poke holes in all 6 entered in this first-level allowance event at one-mile over the main track. In the end, I opted to fade the two morning line favorites.

#2 Here’s the Kicker is the 2-1-morning line choice. She has burnt a ton of money already and comes off an underwhelming fourth at 8-5 in Tampa. Given her connections she is likely to take a ton of public support once again. 3-1-second choice #5 Big Pond could move forward in her second start off the bench after a dull fourth when against the flow in a similar spot last month, but I think we have already seen this Cal-bred’s best. She did very little running last out. Let’s catch a price to close things out!


Good luck!