Spot plays for the Claiming Crown at Gulfstream Park

The first Saturday of the 2020-2021 Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park features the Claiming Crown, a series of nine stakes restricted to runners who have competed in claiming events.

The Claiming Crown is always a competitive day of racing, with tons of options for handicappers to consider.

I'm going to focus my attention on two events in the middle of the card, where a pair of standout favorites will compete in back-to-back races, which sets the stage for a straightforward double wager.

Let’s dig in!

Race 5: Claiming Crown Distaff Dash S. (2 p.m. ET)

Speed is dominant in 5-furlong turf sprints at Gulfstream. Horses with Brisnet “E” (Early) and “E/P” (Early/Presser) running styles win 75% of races at the distance.

While there are several frontrunning types entered in the Claiming Crown Distaff Dash, I’m confident #10 Jakarta is the “speed of the speed.”

Trained by Mike Maker, Jakarta has been competing against much tougher company, most notably when she finished third in the 5 1/2-furlong Buffalo Trace Franklin County (G3) at Keeneland two starts back.

A pure frontrunner, Jakarta dominated a 5-furlong turf allowance at Gulfstream last winter and will be tough to catch if she breaks alertly under Luis Saez.

We’ll bet Jakarta to win and single her to start the double.

$25 to win on #10 Jakarta
$30 double: 10 with 2

Race 6: Claiming Crown Jewel S. (2:33 p.m. ET)

#2 Jesus’ Team will take an even bigger step down the class ladder, which should be the recipe for an easy victory.

The improving son of Tapiture has cracked the trifecta in three straight graded stakes. He finished third in the Jim Dandy (G2) and Preakness (G1), then fired off a career-best effort to finish second in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

Racing 1 1/8 miles against easier competition should suit Jesus’s Team just fine. He ran well at Gulfstream last winter, when he cracked the trifecta in four of his five dirt runs (including two wins), so returning to familiar winter quarters is a bonus.

We’ll single Jesus’s Team to conclude our double, then bet him on top of an exacta, with #1 Storm Runner and #7 Dack Janiel’s underneath.

$10 exacta: 2 with 1,7 ($20)

Good luck!