The 3rd Annual Pegasus is set for January 26, 2019 at Gulfstream Park! The day of racing has never been bigger, with the addition of the brand new Pegasus Turf Stakes, along with the Pegasus World Cup. The Racing Dudes have you covered with the most comprehensive Pegasus World Cup Guide EVER. This Inside Track to the Pegasus World Cup is a combination of some of the best handicapping forces in the country. The Racing Dudes have been at it for years, offering handicapping picks and analysis daily for over 7 years. This year, all hands are on deck. Racing Dudes Aaron and Jared have scoured over these fields for weeks, while Mike "Saratoga Slim" Spector and Mike Somich have also been busy at work. Mike Somich is known for his massive multi-race scores. He is fairly new to the team, but is already making many fans, with his analysis and picks. Saratoga Slim is the master at crushing major tickets on big days. This year, he has cashed in HUGE at the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. In addition to his handicapping skills, Saratoga Slim is also an award-winning writer. Last year, we nailed the Pegasus! Gun Runner drew post #12, which scared off many, but not us as we told you to POUND HIM if his odds were even money or better. That is exactly what happened and that s exactly what we did! We also nailed the Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta. So far, we are 2 for 2 in the Pegasus, as we also had Arrogate to win in the inaugural running of the race. Who will we pick this year? IN THIS ALL-INCLUSIVE INSIDE TRACK TO THE PEGASUS WORLD CUP YOU CAN FIND: 4Exclusive Exotics Wagers and pace analysis from award-winning handicapper Mike "Saratoga Slim" Spector 4Multi-Race Wager plays and strategies from handicapping expert Mike Somich 4Top 4 choices for all stakes races from all handicappers at racingdudes.com 4Race by Race analysis of all stakes races on the card including: - Overview of the Race - Race Shape and Pace Analysis - Top Selections - Major threats - Longshots to Use -Exclusive Picks and Plays for each race which include: Win bet, place or show bet, long shot across the board play, exacta, trifecta, Superfecta, horses to use in multi-race wagers, what to play on a small budget, and what to play on a large budget. Each win, place, show, or across the board selection comes with a confidence rating, so you can see how strongly we feel about each pick. Finally, always remember to wager responsibly and never wager more than you can afford. Good luck today!
by Mike Saratoga Slim Spector The Pegasus World Cup Invitational should be re-named The Swan Song Invitational. The Stronach Group probably isn t going to replace the huge Pegasus statue outside of Gulfstream Park with a huge swan, though, but for the third year in a row, the Pegasus will serve as the final race for some of the most well-known and adored horses of our time before they head off to the breeding shed to start their second careers. In 2017 s inaugural running of the Pegasus, the recentlycrowned Horse of the Year California Chrome, finished his fan-favorite career with a dull ninth-place finish after his heart was crushed by the surging phenomenon that was Arrogate. Last year, the new Horse of the Year, Gun Runner, fared much better, throttling his competition to cap off five straight Grade 1 wins. This year, two Breeders Cup winners, #5 Accelerate and #3 City of Light, will make the Pegasus their final race before heading off to make babies. As they are the most likely winners, betting in the top slot starts and ends with them. I won t beat around the bush here: trying to beat either one to Win, or on top in exotic wagers, is probably a foolish proposition. That doesn t mean you can t still make money in this race! Accelerate is coming off of a gritty win in the BC Classic after a 2018 campaign featuring four straight Grade 1 wins that has many pundits calling him the Horse of the Year over the Triple Crown-winning Justify. The last time that Accelerate lost was at this same 1 1/8-mile distance, though, in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap, way back in April 2018. And just guess who Accelerate lost to by a neck in that race? That s right, City of Light! Entering off of a dominant front-end win in the BC Dirt Mile, City of Light is working lights out at Santa Anita for up-and-coming trainer Mike McCarthy. Accelerate is also blazing up the southern California track for trainer John Sadler, so it s pretty safe to say that these two are on a collision course for a showdown in the Pegasus stretch - if they both bring their best to Gulfstream Park. breakdown to predict how the race will unfold and who may be the key horses to play underneath in the trifecta and superfecta. PACE BREAKDOWN Both City of Light and Accelerate have good early speed, but they aren t need-the-lead types, even though City of Light went gate-to-wire in his Breeders Cup Dirt Mile win. Both would like to sit off of a pacesetter, and they should have the perfect target: #12 Patternrecognition brings the speed and class needed to race to the early lead. Leaving from the far outside post may be an issue for Patternrecognition s attempt to take the lead, but he is the most likely pacesetter. Exiting a pair of gate-to-wire wins in the Grade 2 Kelso and the Grade 1 Cigar Mile, Patternrecognition will want the lead, but he is stretching out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time in his career. Sired by sprinter Adios Charlie, Patternrecognition has a history of shorter races, so he probably doesn t want that last furlong. It s likely that the Chad Brown trainee will lead to the top of the stretch, then Accelerate and City of Light will take over and duel for the final furlong. Trying to determine how fast Patternrecognition will go is what will allow us to determine if off-the-pace and closing horses have a chance to win. It should be noted that, for years, this race was run as the Grade 1 Donn Handicap before it was re-branded, but the Donn recently had smaller fields than the Pegasus dozen. We ll use a limited sample of the last two Pegasus races to make that determination: Building out the exotic plays with these two in the top slot is the objective here, so we ll start with a pace
The times above are eerily similar! The pace has been more than honest in the race s short history and the winner basically had the same trip both years. Arrogate sat in third early, 1-2 lengths off of Noble Bird s early pace in 2017, while Gun Runner did the same thing last year, sitting a 1/2-length back in second behind Collected. In both cases, the pacesetters faded. Noble Bird crossed the wire in sixth, while Collected finished seventh. With 1/2-mile times of :46.14 and :46.61 in those two races, it s likely that Patternrecognition will set similar fractions and meet the same demise as his predecessors. Patternrecognition ran :46.83 and :45.68 fractions in his past two wins at deeper tracks Belmont and Aqueduct, so he is more than capable of repeating those over a sure-to-be-souped-up Gulfstream main strip. What is curious is that, in the past two runnings, the superfectas consisted of an even mix of horses that were near the early pace and closers that were way far back. The chart below shows the top four finishers for each event, with each runner s place at that point in the race and how many lengths they were behind in parentheses: Of the eight above, four were near the early, hot pace (1/2 to 2 lengths from the lead). All four had shown in previous Grade 1 races that they could sit near a fast pace and finish at the distance, so that class factor is the main delineator. Accelerate and City of Light are the most likely horses to be able to fill these roles. Other mid-pack horses, like #6 Tom s d Etat, #7 True Timber, and #9 Kukulkan, don t have the back class like the horses that were able to hold on in past runnings of the Pegasus The one mid-pack stalking horse with class and proven grit is #1 Bravazo. He made it up to place in the Preakness and the Grade 1 Clark Handicap and also hit the board in the BC Dirt Mile. He is a true warrior for legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas, so mixing him into the trifecta and superfecta is a good idea, since you know he s going to put all his heart into your wagering dollar. FINDING THE CLOSERS Going back to the table above, the other four horses to hit the superfecta were far back (6 1/2 to 11 1/2 lengths) early. Therefore, our next step is to find this year s closers. Using class to separate the contenders from the pretenders, Shaman Ghost, Gunnevera, and Keen Ice entered the Pegasus as proven graded stakes winners that could hit the board in major races. Fear the Cowboy didn t really fit that trend and blew up the $1 superfecta at 74/1 odds for a payout of $1,114 last year, so a random longshot closer in the fourth slot should be considered. Before we get to our longshot, we ll look at sensible closers to use, beginning with a horse that has already proven that he can hit the board in the Pegasus: #8 Gunnevera. The Antonio Sano trainee is another gritty runner that you can feel confident will always put his best hoof forward. Coming off of a late-charging runner-up finish in the BC Classic behind Accelerate, Gunnevera has every right to stay at that level here. Gulfstream is Gunnevera s base of operations and his home-field advantage cannot be underestimated: 4 wins, 2 places, and 2 shows in 9 lifetime starts at his Florida residence. The other closer that has shown an affinity for Gulfstream is the 2018 Florida Derby winner #10 Audible. After running third in the Kentucky Derby, Audible wasn t training up to par and needed time off. His return win going 7 furlongs in the $200,000 Cherokee Run Stakes at Churchill Downs was eye-opening, so trainer Todd Pletcher slated another Pegasus prep, the Grade 3 Harlan s Holiday Stakes, next. Audible s performance in that race (second as the 1/9 favorite) needs to be totally dismissed because the track was an absolute mess following a downpour. Say it was sealed, floated, or whatever; it was a damn quagmire and that should not be held against him. Others will hold, though, which will only help boost the New York-bred s price in the exotics. Of the remaining horses, who might be this year s Fear the Cowboy that can get up for fourth in for a nice score? #4 Seeking the Soul is always an interesting horse and finished fifth in the Pegasus last year, missing fourth by 1/4 of a length. His runner-up finish in the BC Dirt Mile was followed by a ho-hum third in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap, but he needs to be at least used in
the very bottom of the superfecta. Of the remaining closers, #2 Something Awesome just doesn t seem to have the class to compete at this level, and #11 Imperative was a last-minute addition to the field who has seen better days in his long career. EXOTIC TICKET CONSTRUCTION Now that we have made sense of the pace scenario and chosen some horses to play this year based on these trends, constructing tickets to maximize these opinions is the next important step. The focus will only be on trifecta and superfecta wagers this year, since if an exacta of Accelerate and City of Light happens, it will pay very little. We re looking for a good return on investment using the opinion that one of those two horses will win the Pegasus, and even if they do finish 1-2, we ll play the trifecta and superfecta for larger denominations in order to have it for a bigger payout. our money back, if not make a profit. Therefore, in Ticket #3, we ll slot Accelerate and City of Light in third place and put Audible, Gunnevera, and Bravazo in second for a $2 trifecta base wager. In our final scenario, we ll continue to bet that either Accelerate or City of Light will win the race, but play that one of them doesn t hit the board. It s a possibility that only one shows up with his top race, but it s very difficult to predict who. Therefore, in Ticket #4, we ll put both in the win slot, but put Audible, Gunnevera and Bravazo in the second and third slots for a $1 trifecta base wager. Next, the same scenarios above will be bet in the superfecta while looking for a larger score. The $1 superfecta paid $464 in 2017 thanks in part to California Chrome running off the board at even money. There was an average of $1.5 million bet each year in the Pegasus superfecta pool alone, so it s likely going to be a place for value again. Starting with the trifectas, we ll play four tickets for a total of $60. Ticket #1 will press our strongest opinion that Audible will run a big race in third under the top two choices for a $6 straight trifecta. Next, we ll come back again and add Gunnevera and Bravazo in the third-place slot with Audible for a $4 straight trifecta. Therefore, if Audible comes in third under the top two choices, then we ll have it for a $10 straight trifecta. Those are the two heavy-up plays so we ll play backup tickets for two additional scenarios. What if Accelerate and City of Light don t run 1-2? The payouts would be larger, and we want some of that action to at least get We ll play four superfecta tickets for another $60. Ticket #5 plays off of the notion that Audible will run third behind the big two and that either Gunnevera, Bravazo, or Seeking the Soul will run fourth. We will play that ticket for a $2 superfecta base wager while looking to leverage our strongest opinion. Ticket #6 adds Bravazo and Gunnevera to third and Audible to fourth for more combinations underneath, with the big two running first and second, while playing for a $1 superfecta base wager. With Tickets #5 and #6
combined, if the order is the big two running 1-2, then Audible in third over either Gunnevera, Bravazo, or Seeking the Soul in fourth, then we would have the superfecta for $3. Add that to having the trifecta for $10 and we should be able to clear the $120 total investment in these tickets handsomely, even with playing the two favorites in the top two slots. The above should give you a guideline to build likely scenarios with the top two choices. In the end, I may even heavy-up more with City of Light in the top slot and play Accelerate more defensively. This is the fun of betting into big pools and working out how to structure your wagers based on your opinions. Best of luck betting the 2019 Pegasus! Again, those are the two heavy-up plays, so we ll use backup superfecta tickets to play the two additional scenarios that were discussed in the trifecta bets. Ticket #7 puts Accelerate and City of Light in the third spot while elevating Audible, Gunnevera, and Bravazo to second place, then keeps the fourth-place finishers the same as Ticket #6. This one is played again for a $1 base wager. Ticket #8 finishes up our bets with either City of Light or Accelerate winning the race and the other running fourth. This is an extension of Ticket #4 where one of the big two wins but the other is off the board. In this scenario, only Audible, Gunnevera, and Bravazo are used in second and third for this $1 base wager. In every superfecta ticket, Seeking the Soul is used only in fourth. Our total exotic tickets add up to a a$120 investment. CONCLUSION To blow up the tote, someone other than Accelerate or City of Light would need to win this race. It s very likely that one of them wins this race; scenarios to beat both of them is difficult to imagine. Another way to cash is to sneak a big longshot into the top four finishers. These longshots just don t seem appealing, though, as warhorses like Gunnevera and Bravazo always seem to hit the board in big races like this, and Audible is a likely candidate to run well. I must admit that the bets above aren t going to make you a huge score, but playing the likely scenarios in a calculated manner should return a nice profit. Feel free to scale these back to the base wagers ($0.50 for trifectas and $0.10 for superfectas) to fit your budget, but the heavy-up bet scenario is a good one to play at the values shown above. If you personally like Bravazo or Gunnevera in the key slot where I used Audible above, then feel free to substitute them in your final wager construction.
by Mike Somich These big days can yield big-time payouts in the multirace wagers. Both the early and the late Pick 5 sequences have loads of value from all of the dead money put in by small tickets that are very unlikely to hit. I ve put together a couple of tickets with the idea to get the most value out of each sequence. EARLY PICK 5 RACE 1 We are going to spread like crazy here in this wideopen MSW on the turf. The logical second-time-out horses we will use include #1 Olympic Runner and #2 Kitten s Spa. Both are likely to improve off of their first efforts and have the connections and breeding to make some noise. Four first-time starters caught my eye in here, with #4 Broadway d Oro leading the way as a $700k yearling purchased running out of the Mark Casse barn. We ll also use #6 Value Engineering, #11 Friary (from the red-hot Jorge Duarte barn), and #12 Midnight Oasis in each of their debuts. Let s round it out with a live longshot coming from longtime Chad Brown assistant Cherie DeVaux s barn, #9 Traveling. After debuting on the turf in an even effort, he showed a large improvement second time out while adding blinkers, despite his race being rained off of the turf. Expect a large improvement on the turf and for him to be on the lead heading for home. RACE 2 Let s try to get back-to-back prices with #1 Wildcat s Legacy. This will be his first non-stakes race since breaking his maiden here at Gulfstream Park. This $12k statebred optional claiming race is a huge drop, it s his second time out for trainer Todd Pletcher, and top local rider Luis Saez picks up the mount. Last time out, he lost to top-class sprinter World of Trouble (see Race 3) in the slop at Tampa Bay Downs, so this is more of a class plummet then a class drop. I will use #4 Fire Mission and #9 Souper Wish, who are both logical in this spot, as well. We will round it out with #8 Polar Jet, whose best days may be behind him, but I m optimistic that moving over to the Saffie Joseph, Jr., barn may turn the lightbulb back on. Any of his races in early 2018 (all $45k allowances or better) would win this going away, and Joseph is 30% with first-timers. That plus the added furlong should keep him closer to the early pace. RACE 3 My favorite style in these big days is to single and spread, so that s what I am going to do in this sequence. I love #4 World of Trouble, I really do, but he s only faced older horses once before (in the Breeders Cup Turf Sprint), and he lost. He ran his eyeballs out that day, so it was nothing to be ashamed of, but he has to reface the horse that beat him. #3 Stormy Liberal is going to be my single. Just like in the Breeders Cup, he s going to have the race shape advantage, with World of Trouble likely to face pace pressure. Picking up Joel Rosario should fit him perfectly (see: Accelerate) from a style perspective, and it s icing on the cake that he s likely to be the second choice here instead of the favorite. If you want to play a more expensive ticket, I wouldn t stop anyone from playing World of Trouble or #1 Singandcryindubai. RACE 4 Who need past performances? Let s go four-deep and use only one horse that s ever raced! I love me some Violence as a sire, but rarely do you see his offspring sell for a hefty $725k tag, yet that s what it took to own #6 Samaronti, who debuts from the Chad Brown barn. We ll use his stablemate #10 High Amplitude at first asking as well, since he s by Bernardini, a nice win-
early sire. The other two that I m playing will be out of the finally-red-hot Pletcher barn. #13 Ranger Up adds blinkers in his second career start after showing a dislike for going into and coming out of the gate. If the blinkers help him get over his issues, then he could be very tough in here with John Velazquez picking up the mount. #5 Bye Bye Man s first asking will include the rare Flavien Prat/Todd Pletcher combo, which scores at 25% of the time. Union Rags offspring continue to impress, as did his 48-and-change last work out of the gate. RACE 5 Trainer Peter Miller ships in two fillies from California, and I am going to use them both. Let s start with the longer-priced #1 Surrender Now, who s both 2-for-2 on the turf and at this 5-furlong distance. I m expecting another step forward from this newly-turned 4-year-old and almost used her as my single in the sequence. #3 Painting Corners has improved in every start since adding blinkers and gets Flavien Prat back aboard in this one. She s an absolute burner (just see her 20 4/5-second opening 1/4-mile in the Grade 3 Senator Maddy Stakes, where she ultimately finished second), and she should make the lead in this field full of speed. Trainer Jason Servis #10 Blue Bahia rounds out the ticket. She s 9-for-15 at this distance and her best efforts from last year s Captiva Island Stakes or 2017 s Claiming Crown Distaff Dash (both 96 Beyers) can beat this field, plus both of those were 5-furlong turf sprints here at Gulfstream. Early $0.50 Pick 5 ticket - 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12 / 1, 4, 8, 9 / 3 / 5, 6, 10, 13 / 1, 3, 10 - $168 LATE PICK 5 RACE 8 Let s get frisky and kick this puppy off with a single right out of the gate. #9 Santa Monica wasn t at her best when we saw her last in the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf, but she gets a huge class relief here versus a field that she towers over when at her best. Trainer Chad Brown is the best turf trainer off of the bench and she gets Jose Ortiz up. She owns the highest and the second-highest Beyers in the field (100 and 98) and has tactical speed that should she keep her close to the pace and out of trouble. I ll be busting out my hammer Thorstyle if she goes off at her 7/2 morning line price. RACE 9 This was one of the easiest races to get though on the card. There are only three logical winners, so we will use them all and move on. #1 Coal Front has to be used off of his monster effort last time out in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector Stakes here while going 7 furlongs. There is no reason to think that this horse is done improving, either, since will be his second off of a layoff and his third off of a year-plus layoff. I wouldn t talk people out of singling him here, since a step forward would mean curtains for the rest of this group. Assuming that he does not make the leap, then his Todd Pletcher stablemate #8 Copper Town also makes sense. He s run some big races to beat future graded stakes winners Backyard Heaven and Patternrecognition. He s had issues out of the gate in his last two starts, so a clean break is key. #4 Breaking Lucky seemed to find his 2017 form last time out and has the back class to take this field on. RACE 10 Okay, time to get out that butter knife and spread like crazy. I love me some #4 Zulu Alpha in this spot. His races two and three back would be tough in this field, and he should be sitting right behind the speed before getting first run. #12 Village King is sneaky in this spot. Scratch out his two most recent starts, which came on the dirt, and focus on his race three back, where he was on the lead. He should be out front again with minimal pace pressure at a distance that he handled in a Group 1, $605k Argentinian stakes race. Watch out. #9 Hunter O Riley is a must-use at 20/1. Either of his 2017 Saratoga efforts against much better fields would win this easily with new jockey Flavien Prat. Additionally, he was gelded just this past December at age 5 while already a Grade 2 winner, which means that his connections think that he has a lot left in the tank. #1 Highland Sky has faced much better and can handle the distance, and we ll close it out with #7 Canessar and #8 Hunting Horn, both of whom are properly paced here.
RACE 11 I considered going two-deep here before eventually adding a couple more to the ticket. #3 Channel Maker s 12/1 morning line is just wrong. He should go off as the favorite, so 12/1 is just nuts. Throw out his Breeders Cup Turf effort and he s the best horse in this race lacking a lot of foreign invaders. #7 Bricks and Mortar looked special in his return to the races after 14 months off, so it s logical that he ll take a step forward here. I could stop there, but let s add #2 Yoshida, who s returning to the turf after winning the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga and running well in the Breeders Cup Classic. #1 Magic Wand may actually be getting a class relief against the boys after facing Sistercharlie and other top female turfers last out. She s got every right to improve and beat the boys here in her second start stateside, and carrying 112 lbs. won t hurt her chances, either. Let s close this race out with #8 Delta Prince, who returns to the turf and takes the hood back off. The added distance is his main question mark, but if he can handle it, then there is a lot of value in his 15/1 morning line. RACE 12 I ve been on #3 City of Light for the last couple of weeks and I don t see any reason to change it now. He can get the distance, he is in great form, and he has beaten his main rival here. Speaking of which, I ll use #5 Accelerate as well. I don t expect to see his Breeders Cup Classic effort again here, but since Joel Rosario picked up the reins last August. he s run nothing but huge. Now, since about 90% of the tickets won t go any deeper, I am going to add a classic unknown horse to the ticket to see if we can get an insanely-huge ticket home. #12 Patternrecognition is going longer then he ever has and drew the 12 post, but he s the biggest speed presence, and he won t have to go 22 seconds in order to get the lead into the first turn. If he can carve out 24- and 48-second splits, I would not want to be chasing him home. Late $0.50 Pick 5 ticket - 9 / 1, 4, 8 / 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 12 / 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 / 3, 5, 12 - $135
by Mike Saratoga Slim Spector When it was first conceived, the inaugural running of the Grade 1, $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational was meant to be a global event, but besides drawing two fillies from Europe and Japan, the field of 10 is filled with familiar faces that we ve seen run in the United States this past year. This makes handicapping the race a bit more straightforward from a pace perspective, since we have become accustomed to these horses and their running styles. It ll also make it simpler to bet with a focused approach! We ll start with a pace projection for this brand-new race, which will be run at 1 3/16 miles over the Gulfstream grass. Based on the pace, we ll identify the most likely winners and exotic plays, then build out a few key exotic tickets to leverage our strongest opinions. PEGASUS TURF PACE PROJECTION How fast they go early will be determined by one filly and one filly only. Speedball #6 Fahan Mura knows only one way to run, and that s to get on the lead and see how far she can take them. It worked last time in the 1 1/8-mile Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes at Santa Anita to end December. She ll have to go another 1/16 of a mile here, but she will also be facing a much stiffer cast of characters. She s been known to open up by as much as 7-8 lengths on the rest of the field, so predicting the opening fractions is difficult. Fahan Mura may not be completely opening up on the field, though, if owner Ron Paolucci has his way with his recentlypurchased runner #10 Dubby Dubbie. In a Twitter post, Paolucci said, There will be no easy leads in the @Pegasus- WorldCup turf race (and) Paco Lopez will ride Dubby Dubbie with one instruction go down the road handicap accordingly. Now, Paolucci is one of the most outspoken owners in the game, and anything said on Twitter must be taken with a grain of salt, but it wouldn t be shocking to see Dubby Dubbie try to keep up with Fahan Mura early, which would spice up the early pace. Sitting at the front of the second-flight spot should be the Grade 1 winner #3 Channel Maker, who was very impressive throughout 2018 before running way too fast early in the Breeders Cup Turf and fading to a disappointing 11thplace finish. The Bill Mott trainee was totally burned up after siting second off of a hot pace, so he could rebound here by not joining the pacesetters early while still getting the jump on the closers as they turn for home. Joining Channel Maker in the second flight will likely be the field s European invader, the filly #1 Magic Wand, for worldrenowned trainer Aidan O Brien. She sat in second early in the BC Filly & Mare Turf before fading late to finish fourth. The other imported filly, #4 Aerolithe from Japan, may also look for forward position, further adding to a fast pace scenario. Both #8 Delta Prince and #9 Catapult should sit comfortably in mid-pack, waiting to get the jump on late closers #2 Yoshida, #5 Next Shares, and #7 Bricks and Mortar. The expected fast pace up front should set up for the deep closers to come running late, and this is how I ll bet the race: leaning on my favorite closers. MOST LIKELY WINNERS My two-year-old daughter listens to London Bridge Is Falling Down sometimes. The lyrics of this childhood song go, Build it up with Bricks and Mortar, Bricks and Mortar, Bricks and Mortar Build it up with Bricks and Mortar, my fair lady. I will take those lyrics to heart and build up my tickets with the very talented Chad Brown-trained Bricks and Mortar. Let s just hope that the next lyrics, Bricks and Mortar will not stay, are not true in this scenario! After battling injuries in most of 2018, Bricks and Mortar returned with a workmanlike allowance win over the Gulfstream turf on December 22 while going 1 mile. Stretching out to 1 3/16 miles is slightly concerning because he has never gone this far before, but being sired by Giant s Causeway means that he has the distance pedigree needed here. Before his injuries, Bricks and Mortar looked like a star in the making, having defeated Yoshida (among others) in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga to improve his record to a perfect 4-for-4. He then lost his next two starts with tough trips, but he still hit the board in both to end 2017. At his 5/1 morning line odds, he is a strong win bet in this race, and the expected hot pace is the key to set up his closing kick here. The aforementioned Yoshida must be played here, too. Yes, he is the 5/2 morning line favorite, but he is also a Grade 1 winner on both dirt and turf, and he exudes the most class in this field. Yoshida will make a big run late inside of Bricks and Mortar, and the only thing separating these two may be Bricks and Mortar getting a clearer path from the 7 post to make his final run. With Yoshida being ridden by Jose Ortiz and Bricks and
Mortar getting Irad Ortiz, Jr., the brothers may be dueling late, so playing a strong exacta with these two is the main one. The only other horse that I want to mix into my plays is the classy Channel Maker. His BC performance should not be used against him and he should come back fresh here. Sharing the same Hall of Fame trainer as Yoshida means getting both of them in the exacta or trifecta would be a feather in Bill Mott s cap. At his 12/1 morning line odds, Channel Maker is an awesome win bet proposition because he is one of the most likely runners to be able to excel at this distance. He won the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Stakes and was runner-up in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes while going 1 1/2 miles in both races. Of all the runners that may attend the hot pace, Channel Maker is the one that I want to bet to hold on and at least get a piece. PEGASUS TURF TICKET CONSTRUCTION I ll play $80 in win and exotic wagers on the Pegasus Turf Cup: I ll start with $20 to win on Bricks and Mortar, then put $10 to win on Channel Maker. If the morning line odds on these two hold up, then this bet would return somewhere around $120 for your $30 investment. I am usually not a proponent of placing multiple win wagers on one race (called Dutching ), but in this case and at these odds, it s a decent way to profit and cover your bets. My exacta will be boxed with Bricks and Mortar and Yoshida for a $8 base wager in Ticket #3, while in Ticket #4, I ll add Channel Maker to the exacta box for a $2 base wager. If the resulting exacta has both Bricks and Mortar and Yoshida in either order, then I ll have it for $10. For the trifecta plays, I ll box all three of my choices for $2 in Ticket #5. Finally, I ll go for a heavy $5 straight bet in Ticket #6 with Bricks and Mortar and Yoshida in the top two positions and Channel Maker in third. If the order of finish is my top two choices in first and second with Channel Maker in third, then I ll have the trifecta paid out to me for $7, plus I would ve also hit the exacta for $10, so it should be a handsome return. Betting Bill Mott and Chad Brown on the turf is never a bad idea, so let s cash big!
OVERVIEW: The third annual Pegasus World Cup is set to go for another year. The race has tremendous past winners, with Arrogate winning the inaugural running and Gun Runner taking it last year. Another stellar field will line up for the 2019 edition, including the final starts for Accelerate and City of Light. Will Accelerate become the third horse to win the Pegasus World Cup after winning the Breeders Cup Classic? RACE SHAPE: THIS RACE LOOKS TO HAVE A FAIR SETUP: Pure Speed: City of Light, Patternrecognition Pressing Speed: Tom s d Etat, True Timber Stalkers: Bravazo, Accelerate, Imperative Closers: Something Awesome, Seeking the Soul, Gunnevera, Kukulkan, Audible With City of Light drawing inside of most of the speed, he will most likely find himself on top early. Pressure will come from his outside because Patternrecognition will move over from his far outside post as quickly as possible. This should ensure an honest pace; however, do not expect a complete meltdown up front. If a speed horse is good enough, he will last through to the finish. TOP CHOICE: #3 CITY OF LIGHT There is no question that Accelerate is the horse to beat in this race, yet we are leaning towards City of Light after his dominating Breeders Cup Dirt Mile win last time out. City of Light also defeated Accelerate last year in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap that was contested at this same distance. We look for him to pull off a slight upset. MAJOR THREATS: #5 ACCELERATE, #8 GUNNEVERA We know what Accelerate is all about and that he has history on his side. Even though this race is still in its infancy, it is important to note that its first two winners each won the Breeders Cup Classic one race prior. Accelerate could certainly make it three in a row. There is also Gunnevera, third in this race a year ago. This field isn t quite as tough, and that gives the local hero a better shot, but just hitting the board is what he does best. LONGSHOTS TO USE: #1 BRAVAZO, #4 SEEKING THE SOUL, #10 AUDIBLE Bravazo always shows up with an honest effort, which makes him attractive underneath to complete the trifecta and superfecta. Seeking the Soul is much the same. Audible has a lot of back class, including a big win in last year s Grade 1 Florida Derby, and is capable of running a big race. OTHERS: #2 SOMETHING AWESOME, #6 TOM S D E- TAT, #7 TRUE TIMBER, #9 KUKULKAN, #11 IMPERA- TIVE, #12 PATTERNRECOGNITION Out of this group, the one danger is Patternrecognition, who drew a terrible post position. He will need a lot of luck from post 12. The Mexican Triple Crown winner Kukulkan adds intrigue with a perfect 14-for-14 record; however, he must improve greatly from a speed figure standpoint. PICKS AND PLAYS: Bet to Win: #3 City of Light Confidence Level: 2.5 out of 5 Bet to Place or Show: #8 Gunnevera Confidence Level: 3.5 out of 5 Across the Board Longshot Play: #10 Audible Confidence Level: 1 out of 5 Exacta: 3,5/3,5,8 Trifecta: 3,5/3,5,8/1,3,5,8,10 Superfecta: 3,5/3,5,8/1,3,5,8/1,3,5,8,10 Horses to Use in Multi-Race Wagers: 3,5 Small Budget Wager: $20 to win on #3 City of Light Large Budget Wager: $50 to win on #3 City of Light
OVERVIEW: For the first time ever, there will be a Pegasus World Cup Turf. The inaugural running drew a solid field of 10 horses and has provided us with an exciting betting opportunity. A purse of $7,000,000 is always going to attract a great field, so look for this race to grow into something special over the years. RACE SHAPE: THE PACE SHOULD BE SWIFT: Pure Speed: Fahan Mura, Dubby Dubbie Pressing Speed: Catapult Stalkers: Channel Maker, Aerolithe, Next Shares Closers: Magic Wand, Yoshida, Brick and Mortar, Delta Prince Any time Fahan Mura is in a race, you can bet that there will be a fast pace. She knows one thing: go the front and take the field as far as she can. Dubby Dubbie entered with the idea of going to the front as well, so at least one horse will be flying up front. The closers should have no excuses in this spot. TOP CHOICE: #3 CHANNEL MAKER The other Bill Mott will try to pull an upset in this spot at a nice price. He is likely to sit the perfect inside stalking trip, saving ground every step of the way. He struggled in his last start, the Grade 1 Breeders Cup turf, on an overly soft turf course. However, this race looks like a more manageable spot, so let s take a shot with this longshot who runs well with a little give in the ground. MAJOR THREATS: #1 MAGIC WAND, #2 YOSHIDA, #5 NEXT SHARES, #7 BRICKS AND MORTAR, #9 CATAPULT It is very exciting to see Yoshida back on the turf, which I contend is his best surface. He should be very tough in this spot. The Chad Brown-trained Bricks and Mortar will play a major factor after winning off of a 14-month layoff last time out. Next Shares is another horse in great form, winning three of his last 4 starts. Magic Wand will make her second start in the United States which could lead to improvement, while Catapult is stretching out in distance after finishing second in the Breeders Cup Mile. LONGSHOTS TO USE: #4 AEROLITHE, #7 DELTA PRINCE Aerolithe is the race s mystery horse, shipping to Gulfstream Park from Japan to make her first start outside of her native land. She is a Group 1 winner with lofty earnings and a solid resume. There is no doubt that she is a major wildcard. Delta Prince won the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes in June at Woodbine and has only missed the board once in 11 career starts, six of which came in graded stakes. OTHERS: #6 FAHAN MURA, #10 DUBBY DUBBIE These two look like major pace players; however, it will be tough for them to stick around when the real running begins down the lane. Fahan Mura will likely get out in front by a couple of lengths before tiring late in the race. PICKS AND PLAYS: Bet to Win: #3 Channel Maker Confidence Level: 2 out of 5 Bet to Place or Show: #2 Yoshida Confidence Level: 3 out of 5 Across the Board Longshot Play: #5 Next Shares Confidence Level: 2.5 out of 5 Exacta: 2,3,7 BOX Trifecta: 2,3,5,7 BOX Superfecta: 2,3,5,7 BOX Horses to Use in Multi-Race Wagers: 1,2,3,4,5,7 Small Budget Wager: $.50 cent trifecta 2,3,5,7 BOX and $1 exacta 2,3,7 BOX Large Budget Wager: $2 trifecta 2,3,5,7 BOX and $5 exacta 2,3,7 BOX
OVERVIEW: A tremendous field of 14 horses, with two also-eligibles, is set to compete in this tremendous betting race. A classic box em up and call em home event, many horses have a realistic shot at winning. The pace of the race, as well as who gets the best trip, will determine the winner of this crazy contest. LONGSHOTS TO USE: #5 JOHNNY BEAR, #12 VIL- LAGE KING, #13 POSTULATION Out of these three, Village King is the most interesting because of the likely pace setup. He is the only runner capable of opening up a nice early lead. If he is able to do so, then he could steal this race at a nice price RACE SHAPE: THIS RACE LOOKS LIKE IT WILL HAVE A VERY SLOW PACE: Pure Speed: Village King, All Go Pressing Speed: Zulu Alpha, Hunting Horn Stalkers: Postulation, Hay Dakota, Sentry Closers: Highland Sky, Soglio, Winter Union, Johnny Bear, Can thelpbelieving, Canessar, Hunter O Riley, Nessy, Markitoff With not much speed signed on, Village King is likely to be on a lonely lead, unless All Go draws into the race. Hunting Horn and Zulu Alpha might press the pace; however, they are not true speed horses. Hunting Horn is more likely to be close to Village King, but both horses have a decent chance at stealing the race with the perfect trip. TOP CHOICE: #7 CANESSAR This race should set up to where everyone will be grouped together when turning for home, which will turn this marathon into a sprint to the finish. The best closer is Canessar who runs off of a six-month layoff. Normally, that would be a negative; however, trainer Arnaud Delacour is great when running horses off the bench. MAJOR THREATS: #1 HIGHLAND SKY, #2 SOGLIO, #4 ZULU ALPHA, #8 HUNTING HORN, #9 HUNTER O RILEY The wide-open scramble starts with Highland Sky, another very strong closer. Trainer Mike Maker s pair of Soglio and Zulu Alpha will also be formidable, while the Aidan O Brientrained Hunting Horn has plenty of experience racing in the United States. Finally, Hunter O Riley is running as a gelding for the first time, which could lead to an improved effort. OTHERS: #3 WINTER UNION, #6 CAN THELPBELIEV- ING, #10 NESSY, #11 MARKITOFF, #14 HAY DAKOTA, #15 SENTRY, #16 ALL GO Several horses in this group that have solid back class; however, we haven t seen the best of them in quite a while. They ll have to find their form quickly in this very competitive field. PICKS AND PLAYS: Bet to Win: #7 Canessar Confidence Level: 1 out of 5 Bet to Place or Show: #1 Highland Sky Confidence Level: 1 out of 5 Across the Board Longshot Play: #4 Zulu Alpha Confidence Level: 1 out of 5 Exacta: 1,4,7 BOX Trifecta: 1,4,7,8 BOX Superfecta: 1,4,7,8 BOX Horses to Use in Multi-Race Wagers: 1,4,7,8,9,12 Small Budget Wager: $.50 cent trifecta BOX 1,4,7,8 Large Budget Wager: $2 trifecta BOX 1,4,7,8
OVERVIEW: This race traditionally draws a tough field, and this year s running is no different. A solid field of 10 horses will contest the event, and several could be on their way to a big year. Overall, the Pegasus undercard is the best that it has ever been, and this race is a major reason why. RACE SHAPE: THIS RACE LOOKS LIKE IT WILL SET UP WELL FOR HORSE COMING FROM OFF THE PACE: Pure Speed: Coal Front, Conquest Big E, Breaking Lucky, Copper Town Pressing Speed: Storm Advisory, Aztec Sense Stalkers: Unbridled Juan, Mo Dont No Closers: Eye of a Jedi, Fellowship Several horses will look to go right to the lead out of the gate in this contest. As many as four could fight for top honors, and a couple of others won t want to be too far behind. However, the true closers in this field leave a lot to be desired, which could mean that the speed horse who can sit just off the lead will have the best chance at winning in this spot. TOP CHOICE: #6 AZTEC SENSE Picking a horse to win is nearly impossible in this race with so many solid candidates and a pace that could be a total meltdown. When in doubt, going with Jorge Navarro at Gulfstream Park is never a bad thing, especially when he s running a horse that has won eight in a row. This will be his toughest challenge yet; however, he looks like he is ready for it MAJOR THREATS: #1 COAL FRONT, #4 BREAKING LUCKY, #8 COPPER TOWN The Todd Pletcher-trained Copper Town and Coal Front are interesting win candidates; however, they have the same running styles, which will make their trips interesting. Both like to go to the front and use their dangerous early speed. Breaking Lucky comes into the race hot after dominating an allowance field at this track last time out. LONGSHOTS TO USE: #2 STORM ADVISORY, #9 UN- BRIDLED JUAN From a pace standpoint, Unbridled Juan makes sense because he can sit behind the speed and make one run at the end. He usually runs best when he has a target and also comes into the race hot, having won three of his last four starts. Storm Advisory is a hard-knocking horse who could hit the board at a price. OTHERS: #3 CONQUEST BIG E, #5 EYE OF A JEDI, #7 FELLOWSHIP, #10 MO DONT NO It s going to take an exceptional performance for anyone in this group to make an impact in this very difficult event. This bunch might not have that sort of talent. PICKS AND PLAYS: Bet to Win: #6 Aztec Sense Confidence Level: 1 out of 5 Bet to Place or Show: #4 Breaking Lucky Confidence Level: 2 out of 5 Across the Board Longshot Play: #9 Unbridled Juan Confidence Level: 1 out of 5 Exacta: 4,6,8 BOX Trifecta: 1,4,6,8 BOX Superfecta: 1,4,6,8 BOX Horses to Use in Multi-Race Wagers: 1,4,6,8 Small Budget Wager: $.50 cent trifecta BOX 1,4,6,8 Large Budget Wager: $2 trifecta BOX 1,4,6,8
OVERVIEW: This race has provided us with a full field and a great betting opportunity ever since the creation of the Pegasus World Cup undercard. This year, trainer Chad Brown leads the way with Santa Monica who is looking to rebound from a poor performance last time out in the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf. LONGSHOTS TO USE: #5 TRICKY ESCAPE, #6 LA MANTA GRIS, #11 TOP CATS Tricky Escape is always around in races like this and matches up well with this group. La Manta Gris is very similar to Tricky Escape in that regard, while Top Cats has a right to improve in her second career United States start. RACE SHAPE: THIS RACE WILL HAVE AN HONEST PACE: Pure Speed: Semper Sententiae, Rahway, Top Cats Pressing Speed: Beau Belle, Ickymasho Stalkers: Tricky Escape Closers: Holy Helena, A. A. Azula s Arch, English Affair, La Manta Gris, Si Que Es Buena, Santa Monica When going 1 1/2 miles, you never expect a blazing pace. However, this event has more speed signed on than usual, which should make the fractions a bit faster than normal. In the end, this one will still come down to a sprint down the lane, with the best closer winning the contest. OTHERS: #2 A. A. AZULA S ARCH, #3 ENGLISH AF- FIAR, #4 BEAU BELLE, #8 SEMPER SENTENTIAE, #10 RAHWAY, #12 ICKYMASHO These six will need to show solid improvement to compete for top honors. This race could be just a little too tough for them. TOP CHOICE: #9 SANTA MONICA Santa Monica is the class of this field and has the country s best turf trainer on her side. It is crazy to think how loaded Chad Brown was with turf fillies in 2018 when Santa Monica was probably his fourth-best. She has had trouble finishing the job at times, so she is not a single, but she is your most likely winner. MAJOR THREATS: #1 HOLY HELENA, #7 SI QUE ES BEUNA Holy Helena and our top choice traded victories last year and look like the clear top two choices in this spot. However, you must also respect Si Que Es Beuna after she beat Holy Helena last time out over this track. The horse is 1-for-2 since moving to the United States and certainly improved in her second start here. PICKS AND PLAYS: Bet to Win: #9 Santa Monica Confidence Level: 3 out of 5 Bet to Place or Show: #1 Holy Helena Confidence Level: 3 out of 5 Across the Board Longshot Play: #5 Tricky Escape Confidence Level: 2 out of 5 Exacta: 1,7,9 BOX Trifecta: 1,5,7,9 BOX Superfecta: 1,5,7,9 BOX Horses to Use in Multi-Race Wagers: 1,7,9 Small Budget Wager: $1 Exacta BOX 1,7,9, $.50 cent Trifecta BOX 1,5,7,9 Large Budget Wager: $2 trifecta BOX 1,5,7,9 and $40 to win on #9 Santa Monica
OVERVIEW: It s not every day that we get a Breeders Cup winner running in a Grade 3, $150,000 event. However, that is exactly what we get here when Shamrock Rose makes her 2019 debut after winning the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Sprint last time out. This will not be an easy task for her, though, as several capable foes are ready to give her a challenge. LONGSHOTS TO USE: #3 AWESTUCK This horse has a big shot to hit the board at a solid price. She will drop to the back before making one big run in the end, so a pace meltdown would do her a lot of good. That is not likely to happen, though, which is why she is more of an underneath play RACE SHAPE: THIS RACE LOOKS TO SET UP WELL FOR FRONT-RUNNERS: Pure Speed: Blamed, Dream Pauline Pressing Speed: Pacific Gale, Stormy Embrace Stalkers: Victory Rally, Awestruck, Shamrock Rose Closers: Ms Meshak It looks as though Blamed could be out to an early lead all by herself. If left alone, she will be very difficult to beat, as she can usually stretch out her speed around two turns. Dream Pauline and Stormy Embrace can also be dangerous on the front end. The pace scenario looks to set up well for those near the front. OTHERS: #1 VICTORY RALLY, #6 MS MESHAK, #7 PACIFIC GALE These three will need to show solid improvement in the speed figure department if they hope to compete for top honors. This class level could be something with which they struggle because they have not proven in the past that they can handle it. TOP CHOICE: #5 BLAMED Cutting back to 7 furlongs makes a ton of sense. She can stretch her speed out and win at two turns, which was proven last time out with a win in the Grade 3 Comely Stakes, but going one turn is when she is at her best. She will look to avenge her earlier loss in Keeneland s Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes to Shamrock Rose, who later won the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. MAJOR THREATS: #2 DREAM PAULINE, #4 SHAM- ROCK ROSE, #8 STORMY EMBRACE It is very exciting to have Breeders Cup winner Shamrock Rose in the race as she makes her 2019 debut. Stormy Embrace loves Gulfstream Park, while Dream Pauline won the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl Stakes here on December 15 last time out. PICKS AND PLAYS: Bet to Win: #5 Blamed Confidence Level: 2.5 out of 5 Bet to Place or Show: #4 Shamrock Rose Confidence Level: 2.5 out of 5 Across the Board Longshot Play: #3 Awestruck Confidence Level: 1.5 out of 5 Exacta: 4,5/4,5,8 Trifecta: 4,5/4,5,8/3,4,5,8 Superfecta: 3,4,5,8 BOX Horses to Use in Multi-Race Wagers: 4,5 Small Budget Wager: $2 exacta 4,5/4,5,8 and $10 to win on #5 Blamed Large Budget Wager: $10 exacta 4,5/4,5,8 and $40 to win on #5 Blamed
OVERVIEW: The South Beach kicks off the card s two-turn stakes action with a full field of 14 horses, as well as two also-eligibles. The headlining horse, Capla Temptress, showed her best turn of foot last time out when winning the Grade 3 My Charmer Stakes at 1 mile. She has a plethora of challengers here looking to take her down. RACE SHAPE: THIS RACE LOOKS TO SET UP WELL FOR CLOSERS Pure Speed: Everyonelovesjimmy, Conquest Hardcandy, Road to Victory Pressing Speed: Vendita, Youngest Daughter, Lover s Key, Corps de Ballet, Dolce Lili Stalkers: Fire Key, Fizzy Friday, Andina Del Sur, Fashionably Wild Closers: Miss O Hara, Piedi Bianchi, Capla Temptress, Peach of a Gal The pace will be swift, with several horses either wanting the lead or to at least be close to the pace. That could set up perfectly for deep closer Capla Temptress who showed a tremendous burst of speed down the lane in her last race to close for victory. TOP CHOICE: #13 CAPLA TEMPTRESS We ve never been a big fan of this horse in the past; however, her race last time out in the Grade 3 My Charmer Stakes is hard to ignore. That race was a cut-back in distance to 1 mile, which looked to make all the difference. With this race being contested at 7 1/2 furlongs and a solid projected pace her to chase, she should make it two in a row. MAJOR THREATS: #1 FIRE KEY, #9 DOLCE LILI, #12 ROAD TO VICTORY, #14 ANDINA DEL SUR Dolce Lili gets back to the turf, the surface that gives her the best chance of winning. Road to Victory was a highly-regarded horse last year before injuries forced her to miss most of the season. She is undefeated when running on the turf. Andina Del Sur should get a perfect pace setup, while Fire Key gets the services of Jose Ortiz. LONGSHOTS TO USE: #10 CONQUEST HARDCANDY, #7 FIZZY FRIDAY Conquest Hardcandy could be dangerous if left alone on the front end, while Fizzy Friday is a reasonable on-the-board candidate at a big price. Neither is a serious threat to win; however, they should not totally be forgotten in the exotics, either OTHERS: #2 VENDITA, #3 YOUNGEST DAUGHTER, #4 EVERYONELOVESJIMMY, #5 LOVER S KEY, #6 MISS O HARA, #8 CORPS DE BALLET, #11 PIEDI BIANCHI There solid favorites in this race will make it hard for this group to compete for top honors. They all must improve in order to have much of shot. PICKS AND PLAYS: Bet to Win: #13 Capla Temptress Confidence Level: 2.5 out of 5 Bet to Place or Show: #8 Dolce Lili Confidence Level: 2 out of 5 Across the Board Longshot Play: #12 Road to Victory Confidence Level: 2 out of 5 Exacta: 9,12,13 BOX Trifecta: 9,12,13,14 BOX Superfecta: 9,12,13,14 BOX Horses to Use in Multi-Race Wagers: 9,12,13,14 Small Budget Wager: $.50 cent trifecta BOX 9,12,13,14 Large Budget Wager: $2 trifecta box 9,12,13,14
OVERVIEW: The ladies will get their chance to sprint on the turf in what should be a mad dash from start to finish. These races are always exciting affairs, and unlike the male version of the race, this one is wide open. RACE SHAPE: THIS RACE WILL HAVE A BLAZING PACE Pure Speed: Surrender Now, Painting Corners, Cherry Lodge, Blue Bahia Pressing Speed: Morticia, Just Talkin, Smiling Causeway Stalkers: Miz Mayhem, Razorback Lady Closers: Pastime Practically every horse will fly out of the gate early looking for the lead, then try to hold on all the way to the wire. The horse that can sit just off of the early speed before pouncing on the turn will have the biggest advantage from a pace perspective. LONGSHOTS TO USE: #2 MIZ MAYHEM, #6 JUST TALKIN If you re looking for value, then Miz Mayhem is the logical candidate. She has won six out of her last eight races and picks up jockey Joel Rosario. Just Talkin will likely improve after making her first start in four months last time out and should be fit and ready to roll this time around. OTHERS: #4 CHERRY LODGE, #7 RAZORBACK LADY, #8 SMILING CAUSEWAY, #9 PASTIME It is always scary throwing out a Todd Pletcher horse at Gulfstream Park, but Cherry Lodge fits that bill because she looks overmatched. All of the horses in this group will have to show solid improvement to pull off an upset. TOP CHOICE: #3 PAINTING CORNERS This horse has gotten hot lately with wins in two of her last four starts. You can draw a line through her last one because it was rained off of the turf. This will be her first start at 5 furlongs since winning an allowance race at Del Mar over the summer, but these connections are ultra-tough to beat in turf sprints. MAJOR THREATS: #1 SURRENDER NOW, #5 MORTICIA, #10 BLUE BAHIA Peter Miller has come to Gulfstream Park loaded for the turf sprint races. Painting Corners is our top choice, while Surrender Now has won two turf sprints in a row going this distance at Del Mar. Local horses Morticia and Blue Bahia will also be tough in this spot. Both of are hard-knocking sprinters who can be very difficult to beat, especially at Gulfstream Park. PICKS AND PLAYS: Bet to Win: #3 Painting Corners Confidence Level: 2.5 out of 5 Bet to Place or Show: #10 Blue Bahia Confidence Level: 2.5 out of 5 Across the Board Longshot Play: #1 Surrender Now Confidence Level: 2 out of 5 Exacta: 1,3,10 BOX Trifecta: 1,3,5,10 BOX Superfecta: 1,3,5,10 BOX Horses to Use in Multi-Race Wagers: 1,3,5,10 Small Budget Wager: $1 exacta BOX 1,3,10 and $.50 cent trifecta BOX 1,3,5,10 Large Budget Wager: $5 exacta BOX 1,3,10 and $2 trifecta box 1,3,5,10
OVERVIEW: The Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint kicks off the day s stakes action, and wow, is it some kind of race. It will serve as a rematch of the Breeders Cup Turf Sprint showdown between Stormy Liberal and World of Trouble. The two horses were separated by just a neck in their first matchup, one of the best races of the entire Breeders Cup. There is no doubting that it could be more of the same here for these two elite sprinters. RACE SHAPE: THIS RACE LOOKS TO HAVE A HOT PACE Pure Speed: World of Trouble, Pay Any Price, Recruiting Ready Pressing Speed: Stormy Liberal Stalkers: Singandcryindubai Closers: Oak Bluffs, Little Chesney, Belle Tapisserie When World of Trouble is in the race, you know that there will be solid fractions set up front. He will bust out of the gate looking for the lead, but Pay Any Price will not be far behind. The key to the pace setup will likely come from Recruiting Ready. He is a speed burner on the dirt, but this is his first turf start. If he shows the same early speed on this surface, then we can expect a very swift pace. TOP CHOICE: #4 WORLD OF TROUBLE This could be one of the top sprinters in the country, regardless of surface. He has proven throughout his career that he can win just as easily on turf or dirt and he should be ultratough to beat going this 5-furlong distance. At the Breeders Cup, he was caught very late, so this 1/2-furlong shorter distance could make the difference in what should be another throw-down. MAJOR THREATS: #3 STORMY LIBERAL, #6 PAY ANY PRICE There is no way that you can play tickets without Stormy Liberal, perhaps the best turf horse in the country last year despite being a sprinter. His consistency is off the charts, having finished first or second in eight of his last 10 starts. Pay Any Price, another solid sprinter with speed, won four in a row last season and should be tuned up and ready to run a big race. LONGSHOTS TO USE: #8 RECRUITING READY Recruiting Ready is the most interesting horse in the race. On the dirt, he is all speed; however, he has never started on the turf. If he can transfer that speed over to this surface, then he will be dangerous, and he should also excel at this 5-furlong distance. If anyone is going to pull off the upset, it will be him. OTHERS: #1 SINGANDCRYINDUBAI, #2 OAK BLUFFS, #5 LITTLE CHESNEY, #7 BELLE TAPISSERIE This race is very top-heavy with the two top turf sprinters in the country entered. That will make this an extremely tough spot for horses of this caliber and whose connections may have expected a softer field. PICKS AND PLAYS: Bet to Win: #4 World of Trouble Confidence Level: 4 out of 5 Bet to Place or Show: #3 Stormy Liberal Confidence Level: 4.5 out of 5 Across the Board Longshot Play: #8 Recruiting Ready Confidence Level: 1 out of 5 Exacta: 3,4/3,4,6 Trifecta: 3,4/3,4,6/3,4,6,8 Superfecta: 3,4,6,8 BOX Horses to Use in Multi-Race Wagers: 3,4 Small Budget Wager: $2 exacta 3,4/3,4,6 and $20 to win on #4 World of Trouble Large Budget Wager: $10 exacta 3,4/3,4,6 and $50 to win on #4 World of Trouble
Aaron Halterman Jared Welch Mike Saratoga Slim Spector Curtis Magic Kalleward Mike Somich Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint World of Trouble Stormy Liberal World of Trouble Stormy Liberal World of Trouble Stormy Liberal Stormy Liberal World of Trouble Stormy Liberal Singandcryindubai Pay Any Price Pay Any Price Pay Any Price Oak Bluffs World of Trouble Recruiting Ready Oak Bluffs Recruiting Ready Singandcryindubai Oak Bluffs Ladies' Turf Sprint Painting Corners Surrender Now Morticia Painting Corners Surrender Now Surrender Now Morticia Painting Corners Surrender Now Blue Bahia Morticia Painting Corners Just Talking Miz Mayhem Morticia Blue Bahia Blue Bahia Blue Bahia Morticia Smiling Causeway South Beach Stakes Capla Temptress Dolce Lili Road to Victory Andina Del Sur Capla Temptress Dolce Lili Road to Victory Andina Del Sur Capla Temptress Andina Del Sur Road to Victory Fire Key Capla Temptress Road to Victory Dolce Lili Everyonelovesjimmy Capla Temptress Dolce Lili Road to Victory Fire Key Fasig-Tipton Hurricane Bertie Blamed Shamrock Rose Shamrock Rose Blamed Blamed Shamrock Rose Dream Pauline Blamed Stormy Embrace Dream Pauline Stormy Embrace Dream Pauline Dream Pauline Shamrock Rose Blamed Awestruck Stormy Embrace Stormy Embrace Stormy Embrace Awestruck La Prevoyante Handicap Santa Monica Holy Helena Si Que Es Buena Santa Monica Santa Monica Si Que Es Buena Holy Helena Si Que Es Buena Santa Monica Tricky Escape Si Que Es Beuna Holy Helena Holy Helena Santa Monica Holy Helena Tricky Escape Tricky Escape Semper Sententiae Tricky Escape Si Que Es Buena Fred W. Hooper Aztec Sense Copper Town Coal Front Aztec Sense Breaking Lucky Coal Front Coal Front Aztec Sense Coal Front Coal Front Copper Town Aztec Sense Copper Town Breaking Lucky Copper Town Breaking Lucky Breaking Lucky Breaking Lucky Unbridled Juan Unbridled Juan W. L. McKnight Stakes Canessar Canessar Hunting Horn Canessar Zulu Alpha Highland Sky Soglio Soglio Zulu Alpha Hunter O'Riley Zulu Alpha Zulu Alpha Canessar Soglio Highland Sky Hunting Horn Hunting Horn Can thelpbelieving Hunting Horn Hunting Horn Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Channel Maker Yoshida Bricks and Mortar Channel Maker Bricks and Mortar Yoshida Channel Maker Bricks and Mortar Bricks and Mortar Magic Wand Bricks and Mortar Yoshida Channel Maker Catapult Channel Maker Next Shares Magic Wand Magic Wand Fahan Mura Yoshida Pegasus World Cup Invitational City of Light Accelerate City of Light Accelerate City of Light Accelerate City of Light Accelerate City of Light Patternrecognition Gunnevera Gunnevera Audible Gunnevera Accelerate Audible Audible Gunnevera Bravazo Bravazo