Mike Dempsey
To keep us busy on a snowy afternoon, let’s take a quick trip to Gulfstream Park and play the two races making up the late daily double:
Gulfstream Park Race 8 OClm $62,000N2X (4:43 ET)
#5 Warrior’s Reward 7/2
#4 Presto Chango O 5/1
#2 Imperial Council 4/1
#11 Break Water Edison 12/1
#5 Warrior’s Reward is returning off nearly a three month break for the Wilkes barn that is 14% winners with horses coming back off a 61-180 day layoff. The colt was last seen at Churchill Downs in a good runner up finish at this condition in a highly graded race. Four came out of the race to win next out including the winner Flavor, who has won two of three starts since including the Forego Stakes at Turfway Park in his most recent outing. The colt mixed it up in stakes company last year and got a couple of questionable rides form Borel. I like the jock switch here to Leparoux.
#4 Presto Change O was off a step slow, tracked the early pace, and finished evenly last out in a third place finish in the Mr. Prospector (G3), which was his first go off nearly a three month break. The Tony Dutrow colt has come back with a couple of quick works since that outing and look for him to break more alertly here. This guy popped a 101 Beyer over the surface here last year in just his second career start.
Wagering:
WIN: #5 to win at 5/2 or better.
EX: 4,5 / 2,4,5,11
TRI: 4,5 / 2,4,5,11 / 2,4,5,9,11
Gulfstream Park Race 9 Md Sp Wt (5:14 ET)
#12 Great Belief 12/1
#3 Forgotten Dynasty 6/1
#5 Istishaary 6/1
#9 Smart Miller 12/1
#12 Great Belief gets the call in the nightcap despite the tough post. The colt made a good late run to finish in the runner up spot last out at Tampa Bay Downs, a race that produced three next out winners. The colt is in good hands with the Motion barn and he has four sibs that are grass winners, top earner He Loves Me Not ($199K).
#3 Forgotten Dynasty is returning off a year layoff for the Benzel barn that is showing a 1 for 7 mark with horses coming back off a +180 day layoff. The colt made a good late run to finish third in his debut here last year. The colt has a nice pedigree, by Dynaformer out of a mare that has dropped three turf winners including stakes winner Remain Silent ($364K0, who won 8 of 13 on turf in his career.
Wagering
WIN: #12 to win at 6/1 or better.
EX: 3,12 / 3,5,9,12
TRI: 3,12 / 3,5,9,12 / 3,4,5,8,9,12
Good luck today!