Betting With, and Against, Nic’s Style in the Filly and Mare Sprint Stakes

The Bill Mott-conditioned #5 Nic’s Style (6-5) is the morning-line choice for Saturday’s $100,000 Filly and Mare Sprint S. for Florida-bred runners at Gulfstream Park. One of six black-type races on the card featuring Sunshine State runners, the 6 1/2-furlong heat on the dirt attracted eight, with a pair of runners likely to attract the lion’s share of the attention at the windows. 

Nic’s Style – With

• $30 exacta 5 with 3 ($30)
• $5 trifecta key 5 with 2,3 ($10)

Nic’s Style – Against

• $20 exacta 3 with 5 ($20)
• $10 trifecta key 3 with 2,5 ($20)

By Uncaptured, the relatively lightly raced Nic’s Style has finished first or second in 12 of 13 career runs to date and was a daylight stakes victress the last time that she ran with Florida-bred company. The six-year-old dons a nifty 6-3-3-0 mark on the surface and has checked in second in two races as of late behind a fine pair of subsequent winners. Junior Alvarado will guide the dangerous bay and have her forwardly placed from the opening stages of the race.

The $1.5 million earner #3 Mystic Lake (7-5) is the logical main threat to the favorite. Trained by Saffie Joseph, the dark bay daughter of Mo Town is a fine 13-for-24 in her lifetime with five additional placings, and she is two-for-four with a second on this course, as well. She has won six of her last eight races overall, and even though she was outrun in the deep Madison (G1) at Keeneland last time out, the five-year-old takes a massive class drop from that encounter and will be very difficult to upend on this day with her best effort. Micah Husbands has the assignment. 

#2 Poiema (15-1) is mostly an all-or-nothing proposition in the dash but worth a look for sure at a healthy number. The Neolithic mare owns six career wins on the oval and will appreciate the class relief after facing a smart allowance group at Tampa Bay Downs last time out. The Jose Castro pupil has been working swiftly as of late, led by a bullet three panels at Palm Meadows on April 17, and she could be the pacesetter in the field if she runs to her recent morning move. The Florida-bred seven-year-old will need a lifetime best effort to beat this cast, but she could be dangerous if she assumes command in the early going with Edgar Perez in the stirrups.