Playing the early Pick 3, Pick 4 on Pegasus World Cup Day

Saturday is Pegasus World Cup day at Gulfstream Park, and the action-packed afternoon is filled from start to finish with exciting stakes races.

Looking to build your bankroll for the feature events? Be sure to check out the first half of the card. The early Pick 4 beginning in Race 2, and the Pick 3 starting in Race 3, are both appealing sequences containing a blend of classy stakes events and competitive maiden races packed with lightly-raced 3-year-olds.

Race 2: Maiden Special Weight (11:59 a.m. ET)

#3 Candy Tycoon is the 9-5 favorite for trainer Todd Pletcher, but this son of Twirling Candy is 0-for-4 and seems to have hit a form ceiling. Perhaps he’ll step forward while stretching out around two turns, but we won’t count on it. Instead, we’ll back him up with the stoutly-bred #7 Elusive Ruler, the first-time starter #8 Holy Emperor, and the gradually improving #5 Tons of Gold, who is conditioned by high-percentage trainer Alexis Delgado.

Race 3: World of Trouble Turf Sprint S. (12:28 p.m.)

Trainer Jason Servis is striking at a 29% clip this winter and has #1 Shekky Shebaz in peak form for this 5-furlong dash. The son of Cape Blanco has made great strides since switching to grass, finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) before tracking a fast pace on his way to victory in the Claiming Crown Canterbury over this course and distance. With four straight triple-digit Brisnet Speed ratings under his belt, Shekky Shebaz towers over this field and has the tactical versatility to work out a perfect trip. He’s a single for multi-race wagers.

Race 4: Maiden Special Weight (12:57 p.m.)

With the exception of #9 Unconquered Lea, the experienced runners in this 7-furlong sprint don’t appear particularly formidable. Therefore, we’ll spread deep with the first-time starters #4 Sea Trident and #11 Precise Dancer (both trained by Jorge Navarro) and #10 Market Analysis (conditioned by Todd Pletcher.) Both Navarro and Pletcher send out a high percentage of debut winners, and they’ve enlisted top jockeys Javier Castellano, Irad Ortiz, and John Velazquez to ride.

Race 5: Ladies’ Turf Sprint S. (1:27 p.m.)

Early speed is deadly in 5-furlong sprints at Gulfstream, so we’ll side with #2 Girls Know Best and #5 Jean Elizabeth to conclude our tickets. These classy front-running mares bring an abundance of tactical speed to the equation and hold an edge over their rivals in terms of Brisnet Speed figures and overall accomplishments.