Gulfstream Park stakes spot plays for Dec. 26

Picks and plays for three stakes races on Saturday’s action-packed, post-Christmas card at Gulfstream Park.

Race 6: H. Allen Jerkens S. (2 miles on turf, 2:38 p.m. ET)

Gulfstream’s perennial leading trainer, Todd Pletcher, excels when he saddles horses in races at 1 3/4 miles or longer. Pletcher won the first two editions of the H. Allen Jerkens with Unitarian (2015) and Charming Kitten (2016).

With this in mind, we’ll take a shot outside the box with Pletcher’s #8 Cowtown. Although this former claimer hasn’t shown a lot of spark in shorter turf tests, he is a son of Tonalist, out of a Medaglia d’Oro mare, so he is bred top and bottom to thrive running long.

Cowtown will race without blinkers Saturday, and I’m optimistic he’ll show improvement at a big price on the stretch out in distance.

We’ll bet Cowtown to win and key him under “ALL” in a small exacta.

$10 to win on #8 Cowtown
$1 exacta: ALL with 8 ($10)
Total: $20

Race 8: Tropical Park Derby (1 1/16 miles on turf, 3:40 p.m. ET)

Pletcher has another live contender in #6 Colonel Liam, the fast-finishing winner of a 1 1/16-mile allowance at Saratoga during the summer.

When last seen, in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Derby, Colonel Liam endured a troubled start and a traffic-filled trip, then rallied gamely to finish fourth. He was beaten less than a length by future Grade 1 winners Domestic Spending and Gufo.

Colonal Liam has trained forwardly for his return from a four-month layoff and will pick up top jockey Irad Ortiz, a 47% winner when he teams up with Pletcher.

With a clean break, Colonel Liam can assume a more forward position than in the Saratoga Derby and beat his Gulfstream rivals to the finish line.

$15 to win on #6 Colonel Liam
$5 exacta: 6 with 2,5,9 ($15)
Total: $30

Race 10: Tropical Park Oaks (1 1/16 miles on turf, 4:42 p.m. ET)

#2 Stunning Sky has competed against much tougher competition, most notably when she rallied to win the 1 1/16-mile Valley View (G3) at Keeneland two starts back.

She weakened to finish fourth in an off-the-turf renewal of the Mrs. Revere (G2) last month, but a return to turf can trigger a rebound.

The draw in post 2 affords Stunning Sky an opportunity to secure a ground-saving trip under Ortiz, so win and exacta wagers are definitely in order.

$24 to win on #2 Stunning Sky
$3 exacta: 2 with 4,6 ($6)
Total: $30

Good luck!