How to bet the 2019 Davona Dale Stakes

The Davona Dale Stakes (G2) will be run at Gulfstream Park on Saturday for three-year-old fillies going one mile on the dirt. It is the seasonal debut for last year’s champion two-year-old filly JAYWALK (#1) (2-5) and it looks like she lays over this field. Winner of her last four starts, she has shown an ability to win on any dirt surface going any distance. Once John Servis added Lasix in her second career start, she promptly broke her maiden going five furlongs on a muddy track. The gray miss came back and beat stakes foes at Delaware Park next out so Servis decided to go into the deep waters when he ran her in the Frizette Stakes (G1) at a mile at Belmont Park. It was a big step up in trip and class but Jaywalk handled it beautifully, drawing off to win by almost six lengths in time that was a tick faster than the juvenile males ran in the Champagne Stakes (G1) the day before. Four weeks later, Servis sent her to Churchill Downs for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) going two turns. There were still many non-believers and she was dismissed at 55-10. Joel Rosario sent her from the gate and the race was essentially over as she cruised to an easy 5 1/2-length win, clinching the divisional championship. Off since then, Jaywalk returns in this one-turn mile contest and a six-furlong workout at Palm Meadows in 1:12.40 indicates she’s ready. The betting question in this year’s Davona Dale is who is going to run second? Jaywalk is 2-5 on the morning line so the real value is a stone-cold exacta. I like BOLD SCRIPT (#6) (12-1) to fill out the exacta. She began her career at Woodbine and won going six furlongs on the turf. With that success on that surface, she was kept on it and was Grade 1-placed going this distance two races later. Last out, she switched to the Tapeta main track and beat Canadian-breds going 1 1/16 miles by over seven lengths. Now, Bold Script makes her dirt debut against Grade 2 foes but it is her pedigree that intrigues. The gray filly is a daughter of the great dirt sprinter Speightstown out of a stakes-winning dam by Malibu Moon, so she has plenty of pedigree for the dirt. She has been training well on the dirt at Palm Meadows and gets Jose Ortiz to ride for the first time. Not as fast as Jaywalk, Bold Script can stalk on the outside and, as long as Ortiz doesn’t do anything crazy, like try to win the race, she looks better than anyone else in here. At 12-1 on the morning line, a cold exacta of #1 with #6 in a seven runner field could pay as much as $16 since it would be odds-on choice over the fourth choice in the wagering. Exacta #1 with #6 PHOTO: Jaywalk is led into the winner's circle after winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Churchill Downs on November 2, 2018 (c) Coady Photography/Churchill Downs