How to Bet President's Day Racing

Gulfstream Park Turf Racing (Coglianese Photos)

Dick Powell helps us plan our President's Day tickets

President’s Day will be celebrated around the country on Monday and Gulfstream Park has their usual 12-race card with 96 horses entered in the bodies of the race. Six races are scheduled to be run on the turf and the feature race is the $200,000 Royal Delta Stakes G3 for fillies and mares going a one-turn mile on the dirt.

Some of the field sizes at the start of the card are on the short side so we will allocate our resources with that in mind. I like to get things going with an early Pick 5 and with the low takeout and new IRS rules, it’s more attractive than ever. Don’t forget, they pay 4 out of 5 in the Pick 5s at Gulfstream so don’t throw any tickets away. But, I don’t have to remind you since you are already betting using twinspires.com.

HANSON: How do I bet a pick 4?

The weather looks like it will not be a problem and I am assuming the Rainbow Pick 6 will not be hit and still have a substantial carryover.

 

Early Pick 5

The first leg is a five-furlong turf sprint with the rail out at 115 feet. SMART DUDE weakened two starts back but then beat this claiming level going gate to wire from post nine with Jose Ortiz. They come back against similar company and he will be hard to run down. Underneath I like STONE HEART and DIAMOND MINT.

Leg 1: 6, 4, 7

Leg two is a 6-furlong main track sprint for high-priced maiden claimers. It looks like a two-horse race with GOLD SHOT coming in off a long layoff and class dropdown for new trainer Jane Cibelli and MR ATILA, who drops down in class after showing good speed going a one-turn mile.

Leg 2: 6, 2

Leg three has a field of seven allowance/optional claiming fillies and mare going six furlongs on the main track and this race is very wide open. I want to save money for the Rainbow 6 so I am only going three-deep in here. FIRST TOMOE went gate to wire two starts back in her lone turf start here last August then did nothing on the turf last out. He has been training steadily for this and Armando De La Cerda wins 27% with this surface switch. ASCERTAIN beat state-bred allowance foes three starts back then just missed against this level as the odds-on favorite at Laurel. Off for 184 days, the daughter of BLAME returns for Todd Pletcher and has been training bullets. QUEEN ROLLER is a horse for the course that fits with these off a good third two starts back in good time.

Leg 3: 7, 3, 1

Leg four is a nine-furlong maiden turf event and has only drawn six 3yo fillies. Shug McGaughey’s ROMANTIC MOMENT tries turf for the first time but she has plenty of pedigree behind her and Shug shows a flat-bet profit the last 53 times he has tried this. TOUCH OF GRACE is a first-time starter from Chad Brown that has been training up at Payson Park and is a half-sister to three stakes winners.

Leg 4: 2, 4

We will complete our early Pick 5 with two horses in leg five. GIO DUDE could be a single if you are so inclined. He added blinkers two starts back but reacted poorly to the equipment change and bolted on the first turn. He came back and was a good second here on the dirt and now tries turf for Mike Maker who wins 19% with this move. I will also use FINISHED who has shown high speed in the past and drops down to maiden claimers for the first time.

Our early Pick 5 will be (in order of preference):

6, 4, 7

6, 2

7, 3, 1

2, 4

6, 1

Total $36 for a fifty-cent wager.

 

Rainbow Pick 6

Scaling down our Pick 5 enables us to have some bullets for the Rainbow Pick 6 as long as the jackpot carryover is still alive. If it does get hit on Saturday or Sunday, drop the first leg and just play the last five legs as a late Pick 5.

Beginning in race seven, we will kick off the first leg with four horses. BAYLOR could be a single with four close finishes in her last five starts but that can be viewed as a negative since she always runs well but doesn’t win. She was victimized by post 11 two starts back then just missed here last out with Jose Ortiz. NICKY’S WARRIOR added blinkers two starts back and showed new-found speed. She just missed holding on last out and David Fawkes has been red-hot lately. MOMENTA KAT is a one-dimensional closer that could be a stretch threat and MICHELLE’Z LAUGH could sneak in with Irad Ortiz, Jr. back in the irons.

Leg 1: 2, 10, 5, 8

The second leg is a bottom-level claimer going a one-turn mile for fillies and mares. INDIAN CHASER should get a perfect stalking trip from post 10 in her second start off the claim by Jorge Navarro. HOLIDAY LAUGHTER drops down a notch in class shipping in from Tampa Bay Downs and VENTINA is a need-to-lead type that Aby Medina has won on before.

Leg 2: 10, 1, 3

Leg three is a maiden special weight event for 3yo fillies going 5 ½ furlongs on the main track. CHEEKY CHERUB has run well in both, well-bet career tries and gets Jose Ortiz who will hustle her early. UMETUKA showed high speed before weakening in her career debut for Ralph Nicks who improves to 20% second time out and SHANGHAI SHUFFLE is a firster from Todd Pletcher that cannot be ignored.

Leg 3: 3, 2, 9

Leg four is a $16K claimer on the turf going a mile. SHEZAPRADO is an all-or-nothing type that has four wins in 12 tries but no placings in the money. She won her last start here at course and distance and draws the rail today. SMART ROMANCE lost all chance two starts back with a poor start and subsequent bad trip in her first start in seven months then improved some last out. FEED ME CARATS beat this claiming level two starts back then was outrun in her first start off the claim when moved way up in class.

Leg 4: 1, 7, 4

Leg five is the Royal Delta. LEWIS BAY and CURLIN’S APPROVAL have a decided class advantage over these but I will also use UNBRIDLED MO who returns off a long layoff and back-to-back grade three stakes wins for Todd Pletcher.

Leg 5: 2, 8, 7

The final leg of the Rainbow Pick 6 is the typical 7 ½-furlong turf race run here for $16K conditioned claimers. ONE OF A KIND drew post eleven and loses Luis Saez but he has a big turn of foot and can pick these up in the lane after drawing post one in his last two starts here.

Our Rainbow Pick 6:

2, 10, 5, ,8

10, 1, 3

3, 2, 9

1, 7, 4

2, 8, 7

11

Total $64.80