Gulfstream Park - The Appleton Stakes, March 29, 2014
Gulfstream Park 11 | 5:00 pm ET
G3 Appleton for 4&Up going 1 mi (T)
The most important race on the Saturday card may not be the Florida Derby; instead, look to the Grade 3 Appleton, which is the third leg of the Rainbow 6, second leg of the pick-5 and the start of the late pick-4. The turf course looks like it could use a good watering and speed has been holding very well this past week. There is a chance of rain on Saturday, but the course profile helps the race favorite MR. ONLINE and long shots TETRADRACHM and FIVE IRON. MR. ONLINE has won three of his last four races and has been first or second in his last nine. He has yet to; however, win a graded stakes. TETRADRACHM set the pace in his last two, the Grade 1 Gulfstream Turf and the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale. Both of those race were long so the cut back in distance will help. FIVE IRON is 6-1 on the morning line, but could go off higher. He has not run since finishing third in the Grade 3 Hawthorne Derby in October and this will be his first start against older horses. In September he won the Grade 3 Saranac at Saratoga in wire-to-wire fashion. SALTO should be in the second flight and will get first run if the pace setters falter. MIDNIGHT CELLO is the threat from off the pace and rates a long shot look. In his 11 starts he has three wins, two seconds and three thirds. Perhaps best served in superfecta wagers.
The most important race on the Saturday card may not be the Florida Derby; instead, look to the Grade 3 Appleton, which is the third leg of the Rainbow 6, second leg of the pick-5 and the start of the late pick-4. The turf course looks like it could use a good watering and speed has been holding very well this past week. There is a chance of rain on Saturday, but the course profile helps the race favorite MR. ONLINE and long shots TETRADRACHM and FIVE IRON. MR. ONLINE has won three of his last four races and has been first or second in his last nine. He has yet to; however, win a graded stakes. TETRADRACHM set the pace in his last two, the Grade 1 Gulfstream Turf and the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale. Both of those race were long so the cut back in distance will help. FIVE IRON is 6-1 on the morning line, but could go off higher. He has not run since finishing third in the Grade 3 Hawthorne Derby in October and this will be his first start against older horses. In September he won the Grade 3 Saranac at Saratoga in wire-to-wire fashion. SALTO should be in the second flight and will get first run if the pace setters falter. MIDNIGHT CELLO is the threat from off the pace and rates a long shot look. In his 11 starts he has three wins, two seconds and three thirds. Perhaps best served in superfecta wagers.
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