Gulfstream Park pick of the day for April 23

Gulfstream Park will have fast and firm conditions for Thursday’s 10-race program, and #8 Dermot is the pick of the day in Race 5.

A one-mile, conditional starter allowance on turf for older horses, the fifth race has plenty of pace signed on, with #2 Eight Ain’t Enough, #3 Tricky Magician, #5 Carbon Data, and #7 Valdolobo eligible to show speed in the eight-horse field.

Dermot will move to the far outside in the starting gate, after the colt broke from a tricky rail post in his last two starts, received less-than-favorable trips both times, and worked steadily in the 46-day interim since his last appearance.

Trainer Kathy Ritvo, who has won 19% of her starts at Gulfstream since late November (8-for-43), strikes at a 15% clip with horses returning from a brief freshening, and Dermot earned his first win in a maiden claiming race over Gulfstream’s turf when he came back from a similar rest in January.

After he established a three-wide stalking position from the break, the 4-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy finished boldly to win by a length. He was claimed for $32,000 by his current connections.

Dermot was caught inside and behind horses when he made his first start at this level two starts back. He angled out for running room in the stretch and closed ground to be beaten only two lengths. In his last start, Dermot never settled into a comfortable rhythm and wound up on the lead by default on a dawdling pace.

With a much better setup projected, and the potential for an ideal, outside, stalking trip, Dermot can arrive at the top of the stretch in position to pounce.

---

Make a winning wager today with BetAmerica horse racing!