by Jerry Shottenkirk
July 21, 2018
Gulfstream Park’s Late Pick 4 plays like a Pick 3 today as Awesome Mass looks worthy of playing the role of singleton.
The Stanley Gold-trained daughter of Brethren is the chalk in the 11th race, which is a six-furlong, $16,000 optional claiming race for fillies and mares. Awesome Mass makes her 2nd start of the year and certainly looks like she’s in for bigger and better things down the road. She had a 2nd and a 3rd in a pair of Florida-restricted races last year as a 2-year-old and was put away for the year after running 3rd in the My Dear Girl on Sept. 30.
Gold brought back Arindel’s filly on June 16 and she made short and easy work of a state-bred allowance group. With Jeffrey Sanchez (today’s pilot) up, Awesome Mass cruised to an open lead and had plenty left in the tank as she scored by five in 1:11.
The company gets better today, but anything close to that effort should earn her another victory.
If you’ve already handicapped, you are “recalculating,” as the old GPS voice might say. Several races were taken off the turf.
Awesome Mass is the only single on the Pick 4 ticket here, which is a small ticket at $21. The repeat button on computer can, of course, make it a $42 attempt, which is more in line with the normal investment from these quarters.
Cousin Newyork Fay is the one to beat in the 9th but White Beauty and Jenna Dawn seem capable in this spot. Cousin Newyork Fay is lightly raced and ran a bang-up 2nd last time, which was just her 3rd career start. That was a wake-up call and it looks like she could have this figured out.
Swapl heads a duo on the ticket in the 10th. She was stuck outside in recent efforts and most recently ran a decent 3rd. She starts from the rail this time and a ground-saving trip is possible in this go-round. Star Gala comes in off an easy win and has what it takes to be in the mix from the outset.
Massive defections turn the 12th in something altogether different than what it was. Michelle’z Laugh could benefit the most from the scratch of virtually all major contenders, but this one is anyone’s game. The ALL button takes in seven entrants and that’s the way it’s being played here.
Here’s the suggested ticket for the Late Pick 4 at Gulfstream Park:
9) #6 Cousin Newyork Fay, #7 White Beauty, #9 Jenna Dawn.
10) #1 Swapl, #10 Star Gala
11) #3 Awesome Mass.
12) ALL (7 horses)
50-cent Late Pick 4: 6-7-9 with 1-10 with 3 with ALL ($21).