Thoughts on Saturday's Late Pick 5 at Gulfstream

A plethora of stakes, graded and otherwise (how about that Sand Springs, which has two Grade 1 winners), make Saturday's marathon 13-race Fountain of Youth Day card at Gulfstream Park attractive on a lot of fronts. The all-stakes Late Pick 5, especially, is an interesting wagering proposition.

I've gone on record with Practical Joke (#6, 3-1) as my Fountain of Youth (G2) selection in the last leg (Race 13) of the 50-cent Pick 5, but also feel the likely favorite Irish War Cry (#8, 5-2) is worth including on the ticket as well. Here are thoughts on the four earlier legs:

Race 9 (Palm Beach [G3]) = The victory by Cowboy Culture (#1, 3-1) in the $50,000 Keith Gee Memorial at Fair Grounds look a lot better after runner-up Girvin won last week's Risen Star (G2). Snap Decision (#5, 8-1) is a half to Grade 1 turf Mr Speaker and might be hitting his best stride off a recent maiden win, while Pagliacci (#7, 12-1) might fly a tad under the radar off a recent dirt allowance beat despite picking up Castellano. Finally, I can't dismiss Ticonderoga (#9, 7-2) in this contentious race off his good juvenile form, which included a near-impossible task in the Breeders' Cup from post 14.

Race 10 (Davona Dale [G2]) = Perhaps unwisely, will only go two-deep in this field of 14. Eloquent Riddle (#9, 9-2) showed progress form at two and didn't get proper pace setups in either of her two stakes attempts. Aspen Hilltop (#11, 10-1) edged two other daughters of Bernardini in her only race last season at Saratoga, and both went on to narrowly miss against Miss Sky Warrior (#7, 5-2) in the Tempted (G3) and Demoiselle (G2). In other words, the form of that maiden has turned out pretty good.

Race 11 (Canadian Turf [G3]) = Thinking the Ft. Lauderdale (G2) was not only a way tougher spot but an aberration in Gulfstream form for Heart to Heart (#3, 2-1), I'll key the morning line favorite to defend his title in this long-time track fixture.

Race 12 (Mac Diarmida [G2]) = Charming Kitten (#5, 8-1) might have been in need of race after a flat fifth in the W.L. McKnight H. (G3), and he has a long history of productive form over this course. Mr Maybe (#6, 10-1) is much better than his last race would suggest, and this marks the first time in more than a year he'll string two races together without a serious gap in between. Irad Ortiz Jr. and he have had a lot success together. Can't knock the current marathon form of either Bigger Picture (#7, 4-1) or Taghleeb (#9, 5-1).

Here's the 50-cent ticket: 1/5/7/9 - 9/11 - 3 - 5/6/7/9 - 6/8 = $32.

 

 

Get in on TwinSpires.com's Saturday bet challenge to earn your share of $2,500 while betting the stakes races from Gulfstream and Aqueduct!

*Opt in.
*Bet at least $200 between Aqueduct and Gulfstream races Saturday
*Bet at least 10 total races split between the Aqueduct and Gulfstream cards
*Use each bet type: Win, Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, and Daily Double at least one time
*Get a split of the cash back into your account on Monday!
*Only the 5 named bet types will count towards your bet total in this contest