Christmas Eve Pick 3 play for Gulfstream Park

Happy Holidays! As Gulfstream Park hosts an interesting race card on Christmas Eve, John Mucciolo takes a look at one of the day's Pick 3 sequences.

Suggested Pick 3 wager:

1,5,6 with 5,8 with 4,5,6

Race 6 (2:03 p.m. ET)

A total of 11 juvenile fillies will go postward in the opening leg. Three youngsters will make the drop down from the special weight ranks, and having each on my ticket gives me a lot of confidence to commence the wager. #1 Stepping Forward (7-2), #5 Naval Wave (8-1), and #6 Infatuating (5-2) are the ones.

Race 7 (2:34 p.m. ET)

I will go two-deep in the middle leg. #5 Jabuticaba (5-2) is the top pick making a second start since arriving in the Antonucci shedrow. Stakes-placed City Zip filly doesn’t have great current form, and she is likely to face early pressure on Thursday, but the gray is the class of the field. The 4-year-old has been facing fine foes as of late, and she gets class relief with Irad back in the saddle.

#8 Lucy’s Town (5-1) made her first try on the turf in her 22nd career start, and it was quite a performance on the green. Delgado trainee made a big move to win going away at Tampa Bay Downs against $16,000 claimers, and I love that the Northern Afleet mare stays protected in her second on the sod.

Race 8 (3:05 p.m. ET)

Closing out my ticket is a tricky 7-furlong test for the boys, and I will omit the favorite. #4 Handsome Prince (5-1) has improved his Brisnet Speed figure in four straight outings and gets the nod from this corner. Dark bay gelding will be stalking the action in the early going.

I will also include two other contenders. #5 Taamer (3-1) and #6 Friendly Fella (4-1) will be controlling things from the break while establishing moderate early splits. Both are worth being on the slip.

Good luck and happy holidays!