It’s hard to imagine a better losing performance than the one by Standup in a Jan. 17 maiden race at Gulfstream Park.

Trainer Todd Pletcher thought enough of the effort that Standup faces stakes company in just his second start. Maidens occasionally win stakes events, and it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if this one got it done. Standup is the 3-1 on the Morning Line on Saturday in the Texas Glitter Stakes for 3-year-olds going five furlongs on the turf.

The Texas Glitter is the 3rd leg in the late Pick 4. The Grade 3 Hal’s Hope and goes as the 10th and the mile race on the main track is the one that will get the most attention.

Standup’s debut was catchy. Going five-eighths, he lacked a lot of interest for a half-mile and turned for home ninth, still 12 lengths out of it. He improved to seventh, 9.5 lengths out of it and then uncorked a wild finish as he was flying at Yes I Am Free and was runner-up, only by three-quarters of a length. Yes I Am Free is back, but Standup has a good chance to turn the tables.

Jackson is rapid and moves to the turf after never really becoming involved in the Grade 3 Swale in his latest. His only turf chance yielded a second to Bulletin, who came out of that and won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Jackson has only one bad start in six tries, and it was his last one. With the drop out of graded company, he can regain good form. Jackson joins Standup on this week’s suggested Pick 4 ticket.

A race earlier, an evenly matched group will decide the Hal’s Hope. Breaking Lucky, Quip and Prince Lucky are worthy of a having a presence on the ticket. You could go many different ways in this one, but you’d probably want to whittle it down due to the 10th race, a sprint that is the definition of “wide open.” The ALL button isn’t often represented here, but it is in this case.

Here’s the suggested ticket for the Pick 4 at Gulfstream Park:
Race 10) ALL (10 horses)
Race 11) #3 Breaking Lucky, #5 Quip, #9 Prince Lucky.
Race 12) #2 Jackson, #5 Standup.
Race 13) #6 Dearly Declared, #9 Comic City.
50-cent Pick 4: ALL (10) with 3-5-9 with 2-5 with 6-9 ($60).