Horse Racing Picks for Saturday, December 20
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Maiden Special Weight, Gulfstream Park, Race 7
Maiden races can be something of a head scratcher in some cases, but very profitable in others. I’m going to take a swing here with a price, #9 C J Star. He’s 10-1 on the morning line, but was a pricy colt selling for $450,000 to a stable that does not frivolously spend. He has a couple of very nice works on the synthetic before a spin around the turf last time out. Johnny V jumps aboard for Casse, who is solid first out and debuting at over a while. Let’s take a shot with the unknown against a beatable field.
#7 Hamunaptra is second out for Michael Maker off an eventful debut while breaking from the rail. He was forced to check and then swing three wide into the lane before just missing and running second, he’s very much live with a better trip.
#12 Epic d’Oro is another debuting runner who sold for a monster number, over 1.3 million, especially for a turf runner. Irad Ortiz jumps aboard for Todd Pletcher and, while the workouts do not jump off the page, they are all over the dirt, so turf may just be the right surface. The post does not help.
#3 Lemon’s Law ran very well at Churchill last time out and gets off the rail for the first time in three starts. He has enough early speed to be in the race and has experience over much of the field.
I should mention #11 Boss Henry, who heads to the post for the fourth time for Chad Brown. He’s been slow out of the blocks in every start, and this is not the course or post to break slowly from. He is worthwhile underneath, but will be hard-pressed to win.
Top 4: 9-7-12-3
The Bets – $50 Win #9
The Suwannee River, Gulfstream Park, Race #9
#2 Movin’ On Up enters off four tough races in a row, but I want to focus on the last two. She ran in the better version of the De La Rose at Saratoga before heading to a very productive Ladies Turf at Kentucky Downs. The waters get much shallower here, and she is two for two over the Gulfstream Park turf. The trip should be pretty darn good as well.
#7 Sirona consistently ran in Group company over in Europe before showing up in the Motion barn last year. The effort in the Waya was over before it started, so throw that one out. The Europe efforts are good enough to be relevant here, and Motion dropping her back in a stakes race after the last shows confidence.
#9 Feather Boa has a similar story from less competitive surroundings. She was a runner in South Africa before heading stateside to the Pletcher barn and taking some serious time off. She returned in October, running third in a stakes at Aqueduct. She is more than capable of stepping forward second off the long layoff.
#8 Public Defender switches from the Cibelli barn over to Joseph, who also sends out my top pick in Movin’ On Up. The price is right at 12-1, and Prat signs on.
Top 4: 2-7-9-8
The Bets – $50 Win #2
