Daily Racing Form expert handicapper and analyst Mike Welsch handicaps the Sunday, January 18 racing card at Gulfstream Park, including his projected 1-2-3 finishers. His best bet of the day comes from Race 7.
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
BEST BET: Oh Darlin (7th race)
Seventh Race
1. Oh Darlin
2. Foggy Note
3. Nana’s Corn Muffin
OH DARLIN well spotted for this tag, a five time winner in N3L conditioned spot and finally back on surface which has produced all five career victories. Should sit a nice stalking trip out in better footing from this post. FOGGY NOTE another well drawn outside and getting significant jockey switch from the double bug to meet’s top rider. NANA’S CORN MUFFIN was in peak form when stopped late last spring. Limited work tab for return. A question mark off the bench but obviously a key player at her best.
Here are Mike’s thoughts on the other nine races on Sunday’s Gulfstream Park card.
First Race
1. Smitten
2. Copycat
3. Sails Up
Lots of options in opener, assuming all races on the turf today. SMITTEN will have to overcome a tough post but also figures to offer some value adding blinkers off a tough trip in her inner course debut. Held own in the a.m. on dirt with super impressive debut maiden winner Chief Wallabee prepping for this. COPYCAT ran well from tough post in debut when not badly beaten by Cox’s 6 -5 Kentucky Belle. Need only move forward to prove major player in local bow. SAILS UP one of several new faces to add to the mystery in this one. Has not missed a beat in the a.m. prepping for debut and like the factor Saez sees fit to take the call. Tab board for further clues to this one.
Second Race
1. Game Changer Jolie
2. Starship Aspen
3. La Cyber
GAME CHANGER JOLIE has had a dozen chances to break maiden, the majority at this level, with no success but suddenly working lights out over the Tapeta. Might wake up in the p.m. with stretch around two turns and with Irad taking the call. STARSHIP ASPEN makes second start off a long hiatus while getting some class relief to boot. The logical choice. LA CYBER disappointed at 6-5 with same kind last month but deserves one more chance at the level in current form.
Third Race
1. Game Energy
2. Likely Perspective
3. Perfect Shances
GAME ENERGY looking to become the fourth member of the field from 3rd race on 12/11 to come back and win her next start. Chased pace, faded late stages in that one, getting some class relief dropping to bottom for 4yo debut. LIKELY PERSPECTIVE stunned at 2-5 after race long duel plunging for this tag last month, switches to the bug rider, again looms one to beat for this tag. PERFECT SHANCES the likely favorite on the drop to $8K company off a relatively well graded 2nd place finish in her last start. But that outing came 10 months earlier so perhaps she will be vulnerable at the short price in her return.
Fourth Race
1. Tut’s Revenge
2. Blue Slide Park
3. Brother Brad
TUT’S REVENGE just turned 10 years old and coming off a winless 9-year-old campaign but taking significant class plunge to get the new season started. Back to the dirt, a surface he’s handled well enough in the past and with the advantage of an outside post over a surface that has favored horses running well off the rail. BLUE SLIDE PARK dominated same kind two back, hard to ignore although must avoid getting bogged down too long on the fence from his inside draw. BROTHER BRAD BROTHER BRAD no match for Blue Slide in their previous encounter but hard to leave out of the equation for this price.
Fifth Race
1. Meyer
2. Anamnestic
3. Mendelssohns March
Extremely wide open turf or Tapeta. Will try the old pro MEYER a 6 time winner entered in an N3L lifetime spot from a barn that has heated up of late. Has run well over the course and gets Irad for the assignment. ANAMNESTIC back on turf and facing far and away his easiest competition in quite a while over the surface. Could return quick dividends in this spot off the claim. MENDELSSOHNS MARCH winless in quite some time but another returning to perhaps his favorite surface after last three starts on dirt and synthetic.
Sixth Race
1. Princess Summer
2. Equitas
3. Annie Goodbody
PRINCESS SUMMER comes off best yet on graduation day in New York and comes off nice local drill on main prepping for this. Might just handle the class hike to winner’s ranks with yet another improved effort. EQUITAS like-wise exiting solid maiden win. Lightly raced filly another who could have her best races in front of her at this point in career. ANNIE GOODBODY back on what appears her favorite surface after trying turf in last couple of starts. Appears to be facing weakest competition since graduation day
Eighth Race
1. Malleymoo
2. Expensive Queen
3. Vixen
MALLEYMOO gets tepid nod in another head scratch-er on turf. A hanging sort in all recent races but coming off perhaps her best to date when narrowly defeated by her stable mate, the graded stakes caliber Oversubscribed, in the Forever Together in N Y finale. Expect to see her sitting off, not contesting pace, this time around. EXPENSIVE QUEEN earned high marks in U S bow, held own against G1 company in only other U.S. appearance. Been away but a late running sort who should catch ample pace to run at here. VIXEN looks to be the more dangerous of the two Casse runners in the main event. A two time stakes winner over the course getting Lasix for first time.
Ninth Race
1. Blueberry Hill
2. Her Town
3. Cooey
BLUEBERRY HILL a major disappointment in last pair after launching career in such promising fashion here a year earlier. Appears to be working extremely well for her return while shedding the shades after a futile one race experiment with the equipment chance during the spring. Should get nice trip racing out in better footing from this draw. HER TOWN a proven closer in field loaded with speed. Held own in the a.m. recent with Solitude Dude, a SW who has captured only two previous starts by a combined 17 1/2 lengths. COOEY continues to cycle back to top form and another who should take advantage of the outside drawn on the main.
Tenth Race
1. Munnings Talks
2. Devilish Grin
3. Celebrity Warrior
Ton of options to pick from in the finale. MUNNINGS TALKS could offer some value at second asking with Saez taking the call and after being victimized by a rough trip while not badly beaten in her bow. DEVILISH GRIN back to more suitable spot after being over-matched in 2-year-old finale. Already finished first in a maiden race only to lose the purse money in most recent surface try. CELEBRITY WARRIOR a well traveled sort who figures to be over-bet coming out of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and with Ortiz taking the call. Still hard to ignore especially off that solid second place effort in the Selima behind BC Juvenile Turf favorite Ultimate Love.t 2. Win or lose, ‘DUELLO will keep the pace honest.with that trip against that race flow; will look to steal it and she could well be successful if she’s allowed to set her own pace on an unpressured lead.
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