Daily Racing Form expert handicapper and analyst Mike Welsch handicaps the Saturday, January 31 racing card at Gulfstream Park, including his projected 1-2-3 finishers. His best bet of the day comes from Race 4.
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
BEST BET: Pike (4th race)
Fourth Race
1. Pike
2. Maykomotion
3. Simo At the Big A
PIKE stuck in second gear to launch career but does exit best yet from a Beyer standpoint when switched to the main, should be legged up to sustain his late bid on turn back from a mile. MAYKOMOTION showed early foot, faded late launching career at tricky seven panels and winner came back to flatter the race with a one-sided and well graded allowance win at next asking. Expect big improvement if not bogging down some on what could be a deep rail. SIMO AT THE BIG A holding form well and likely to sit a nice outside, stalkers trip here.
Here are Mike’s thoughts on the other 11 races on Saturday’s Gulfstream Park card.
First Race
1. Striking Finale
2. Blazing Bridgette
3. Dirty Diana
Toss a blanket over the field in Saturday opener. STRIKING FINALE gets shaky not after looming boldly then forced to check from tight quarters on rail while potentially best of same bunch on New Year’s Day. BLAZING BRIDGETTE out-finished preferred choice while earning career best Beyer in pair’s previous encounter, came back with a solid main track work subsequent to the race. DIRTY DIANA could be worth a look at big price despite being poorly posted on extreme outside. Comes up tagged after losing best chance when rider lost an iron after the start in her debut. Another with some good a.m. activity to recommend her chances with these.
Second Race
1. Change At Jamaica
2. Mr. Colossal
3. Message of Hope
CHANGE AT JAMAICA coming off inexplicably dull one last time on grass now drops to bottom while returning to the synthetic for just the second time and a closer in a field loaded with speed. Might just spring the surprise if things get too hot up front. MR. COLOSSAL returns to preferred surface and another who should benefit from prospective pace scenario in his local debut. MESSAGE OF HOPE logical taking big plunge and with Irad taking a return call after being hard used on the front end as 8-5 choice with much better last time.
Third Race
1. Awesome Beast
2. Noble J
3. Roar Ready
AWESOME BEAST and NOBLE J look like the best two in this spot although hopefully won’t be compromised by what has been an outside-biased main track of late. Former adds blinkers, worked well with the new equipment despite stumbling at the break in recent a.m. gate trial. Taken to stalk or even out-foot N J to the lead with the equipment change. The latter made perhaps a bit of a premature run to the lead before faltering last time under similar conditions but looms a bit of a question mark at seven panels and loses regular rider Bravo to preferred choice here. ROAR READY no match for top two in their last encounter but did lose best chance, perhaps when a bit tardy at the start.
Fifth Race
1. Khozalite
2. Alpyland
3. Thousandsticks
KHOZALITE returns to what may turn out to be his preferred surface, having won lone try on grass in impressive fashion during the summer meet. Easily handled Strategic Risk two back on dirt, the latter now one of the top-ranked members of his division after cruising to easy win in the Smarty Jones earlier this month. Add Irad to the equation and may ultimately prove the one to catch. ALPYLAND the logical choice in his current form. Continues to improve since gelded after his maiden win at Keeneland. THOUSANDSTICKS another who continues to improve with every start. Another who figures forwardly placed throughout.
Sixth Race
1. Vladislav
2. If Not for Luck
3. Readier
Taking a flyer on VLADISLAV at a big price turning back in distance in a race loaded with pace. Working well over PM main for this. IF NOT FOR LUCK the logical choice and another who would benefit from all the early action expected in here. Continues to flourish at this level. READIER READIER changed leads a bit late, could not quite hold if If Not For Luck in their previous encounter but another who rarely runs a poor one for this tag.
Seventh Race
1. Dirand
2. Gun Barrel City
3. Concord Green
Biggest question mark the distance in yet another turf toughee. DIRAND probably best in last at Aqueduct when blocked quarter to eighth pole in 2025 finale. Made lead between calls at mid-stretch ut could not fend off the winner while holding second money over 3/5, Group 2 Euro placed Space Legend despite the trouble. Should be forwardly placed throughout on stretch to 11 furlongs in a race lacking a lot in early speed. GUN BARREL CITY comes off what appears to be a much-needed outing and like the fact Irad takes the call. Won at a mile and three sixteenths on graduation day, should handle the added ground. CONCORD GREEN in a bit tight trying to make final run along the rail when returning locally for the first time in nearly a year. Holding form well from a Beyer level at this time.
Eighth Race
1. Solitude Dude
2. Class President
3. Epic Summer
SOLITUDE DUDE has run off the screen in both previous starts, gets the shaky nod over CLASS PRESIDENT with Irad up and what could prove advantageous outside post. The latter extremely impressive winning debut and holding own in the a.m. of late with likely HOly Bull fave Nearly. Main caveat the inside draw. EPIC SUMMER was used up contesting pace from deeper going near the inside in the Mucho Macho man after well graded maiden tally which came at the expense of talented Chad Brown trainee Schoolyardsuperman. Might prove the beneficiary if top pair get too involved early on.
Ninth Race
1. Talbingo
2. Mary’s Lad
3. Multiverse
TALBINGO looking to rebound after bit of a dull one last time on dirt. Switches to grass for the first time, bred to handle the surface out of G3 turf winning mare Northern Passion while working extremely well on the sod throughout the month of January. Should offer some value in this pretty wide pen spot. MARY’S LAD out-finished by promising Bill Mott trainee Pass the Hat while a strong second in local bow and posted a bullet work subsequent to that out with, one assumes, blinkers on. Taken to improve with the blinkers change. MULTIVERSE holding form extremely well at this time but on the dirt. Looms a quesiton mark on the stretch out and switch to grass.
Tenth Race
1. On Time Girl
2. Mythical
3. Tessellate
ON TIME GIRL has yet to run poorly in four starts and exiting far and away her best yet from a Figure standpoint in 2yo finale. Well posted outside the other speed in here. MYTHICAL has been dominant in all five previous wins and proved she didn’t need the lead when dominating softer in the Susan’s Girl. Facing toughest test yet aside from the Spinaway last summer at the Spa. TESSELLATE another in peak form but wheels back a bit quick, in just three weeks, off easy tally vs. lesser in the Gasparilla. Did look good blowing out for this earlier in the week.
Eleventh Race
1. Storm’s Wake
2. Sister Troienne
3. Aggressive Lime
STORM’S WAKE no match for SISTER TROIENNE in the Ginger Brew but did get shuffled back early before coming on best of all late stages and galloping out in front of the field. All of which suggests the added ground could be a plus in the rematch. Held own in the with that mate over PM turf on 1/25. S T the obvious choice in her current form. Earned career best Beyer mark in the Ginger Brew and already proven at a mile and one sixteenth. AGGRESSIVE LIME has won two of three, suffered a rough trip in that lone loss in the Jessamine. Irad stays. Hard to ignore.
Twelfth Race
1. Nearly
2. Global Aviator
3. Cannoneer
NEARLY won’t offer much value but hard to look past even at a short price off that last effort when easily defeating a talented-looking Confessional and doing so despite getting roughed about at the break. Working smartly for stakes bow. GLOBAL AVIATOR overcame poor start, wide trip to win debut in impressive fashion and training like a horse who wants the added ground. Lack of experience the main caveat. CANNONEER obviously a speed sort but gives the impression he might not have a problem carrying that speed around two turns. May not look back.
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