Horse Racing Picks for Saturday, February 7
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Lady’s Turf Sprint, Gulfstream Park, Race #10
Eight horses are headed to the post in a fun turf sprint. Let’s look to #4 Without Cause, who comes out of a salty allowance up at Woodbine for trainer Mark Casse. She is one of two with some early foot here, but has run well going longer. That should help give her the extra pop to get to the wire here. She has run well off the bench in the past, and Casse has been on fire.
If the past is hot up front, #1 Flamingo Way should be able to benefit from off the pace. She likes the Gulfstream turf and is coming out of a race where she ran into a considerable amount of trouble.
#7 Moon Spun is your likely favorite and has won three in a row, including a career best last time out. If she gets loose, she will be tough, but there is enough pace in here to make that gate-to-wire trip difficult.
#8 Cart Girl Sam will benefit from the outside draw here and the pace that should materialize up front. She will need to improve to get her picture taken, but an underneath finish should be in the cards.
Top 4: 4-1-7-8
The Bets – $50 Win #4
Robert B Lewis, Santa Anita, Race #8
The derby trial swings into high gear in California with Bob Baffert well represented. He has three heading to the post, including the favorite #1 Desert Gate. He missed last time out in the American Pharoh at a mile and a sixteenth, but the cut back to a mile today should be helpful. His key to the race will be what #6 Robusta does early. If Desert Gate gets loose early, he will be tough.
#4 Intrepido won the American Pharoah before being the it horse in the Breeders’ Cup just to miss the break. Long term, he is probably the most talented horse in the field, but a mile may be too short without a ton of pace to run into. I do not like him on top here, but down the line, he is the most likely derby horse in the field.
#3 Cherokee Nation is a high-priced Baffert trainee who has yet to break his maiden. This is a tough spot to get his first win, but he is a very likely candidate to run third here.
#7 Secured Freedom will try two turns for the first time. His sire, Practical Joke, has not had the best of luck with children going long, but a mile should not be stretching it too much here when considering the rest of the field.
Top 4: 1-4-3-7
The Bets – $50 Exacta 1-4
