Gulfstream Park West’s late Pick 4 on Saturday will probably come down to which runner can handle allowance opponents in the 8th race, the 3rd leg of the sequence.

Any of these could get it done in the seven-furlong free-for-all, but this week’s suggested $54 late Pick 4 whittles the race down to three – Gnarly, Empire Power and Zorb.

Gnarly buried a state-bred optional claiming group by four lengths just after running 2nd in a similar race. Talented apprentice Cristian Torres broke him to victory in June and gets the back aboard after a couple of starts away. The Shanghai Bobby gelding has speed to burn and if he runs back to his last one could shake loose in the stretch.

Empire Power was 3rd in an allowance last out and the Antonio Sano charge has been in good form all year. The Bodemeister colt has shown interest late in one-mile races and there’s a good chance he’ll finish well going seven furlongs.

Zorb doesn’t have the experience of others but has been a solid speed factor and most recently was 2nd in an allowance. The Orb gelding has the talent to run well against these rivals.

The suggested ticket uses a 3x4x3x3 approach and opens in the 6th race with Hollywood Overdogs, Soupery Dupery and Rising Storm rating the edge in a contentious sprint, and it’s even more wide-open in the 7th with Hire the Lady, Alpilles, Beating the Odds and Gilda F. on the ticket. It wraps up in the 9th with Trinni Sunshine, Infinitypowersiwin and Fury Song worthy of inclusion.

My Ticket

Race 6) #7 Hollywood Overdogs, #8 Soupery Dupery, #9 Rising Storm.

Race 7) #1 Hire the Lady, #4 Alpilles, #11 Beating the Odds, #12 Gilda F.

Race 8) #6 Gnarly, #7 Empire Power, #8 Zorb.

Race 9) #2 Trinni Sunshine, #3 Infinitypowersiwin, #4 Fury Song.

Total Ticket Cost) 7,8,9/1,4,11,12/6,7,8/2,3,4 = $54 for $0.50