Horse Betting World

Gulfstream Park Feature Race – January 13, 2011

By Joey Adams

Handicappers were greeted with beautiful weather and competitive racing during opening week at Gulfstream Park, and everyone is hoping the momentum will carry on through the remainder of the meet.

Betting favorites are winning at a meager 25% clip so far, a number that could have been much smaller had favorites not gone 5-for-10 on Sunday’s card. Thursday’s feature appears to hold another vulnerable program pick.

Race 8 (post time 4:23 ET) is a six-furlong allowance affair for three-year-old fillies. It has drawn a solid cast of ten, with Todd Pletcher’s TAP FOR LUCK the early 5/2 favorite. So far, there have been 12 races at this distance, with nine winners racing on the lead, or within 0.50 lengths of the lead, at the second call. No winner has rallied from more than 2.5 lengths back at the second call, and TAP FOR LUCK certainly hasn’t shown the same early speed as others in here – and she is cutting back from a nine-furlong route race. Vulnerable?

Here is a closer look at the entire field:

1-PRIZE INFORMANT … (20/1) … Has early speed but breaks from the inside post, which has yet to produce a sprint winner at the meet. Her only win came two-back when she secured a clear lead and was all-out to hold on against maiden claimers.

2-EXPO GOLD … (6/1) … Impressive debut winner at Churchill Downs in mid-November. She was one of only two winners on the card to win while holding the half-mile lead, and her winning time was faster than older fillies and mares earlier that day. She shows five works since arriving in south Florida and heads over for a hot barn.

3-NICEY NICE … (8/1) … Displayed talent when second to unbeaten Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies-G1 champ AWESOME FEATHER in her debut. Last time out she added blinkers and was an easy winner across town at Calder. Another step forward could put her right there.

4-WILD ABOUT SONNY … (5/1) … Won her June debut at Monmouth Park despite having to duel from the half-mile pole to the wire. Have to wonder why she was laid off so long following that promising start, but she has been working well in preparation for her return.

5-ONE STAR … (8/1) … Only poor effort on her resume came in a Grade III race on polytrack. Handled conventional dirt just fine last time at Calder, yet was unable to beat what was likely a softer field. Her late-running style goes against the track profile we have seen so far.

6-TELLME ALL ABOUT IT … (12/1) … Stablemate of ONE STAR comes off back-to-back efforts at Mountaineer Park where she flashed speed but was unable at to win at 3/5 and 1/5 odds. Current track profile gives her a chance to be competitive, but she probably needs some of the other speed to misfire.

7-SUMMIT WIND … (10/1) … Speedy filly finally shook free at Calder and crushed $32,000 maidens by 11 lengths. Claimed from that race by Giuseppe Iadisernia, and while it’s never easy to move one up off the claim from Wesley Ward, this new trainer has already sent out a pair of winners at this meet.

8-BECAUSE I LIKE IT … (4/1) … Making her first start since August when she was soundly beaten in the Adirondack-G2 at Saratoga. Her previous efforts in south Florida were solid, including a half-length defeat at the hands of AWESOME FEATHER. Comes in with bullet works and gets reunited with a familiar face in Juan Leyva.

9-TAP FOR LUCK … (5/2) … Steady diet of graded company since her impressive debut win at Saratoga. She was beaten a combined 27 lengths in three tries against stakes company, so either she wasn’t ready for that level or she wanted no part of running long. She did fire big and win her career debut at a sprint distance, so it’s possible she can fire again today. On the downside she is going to take heavy betting action, her running style is not a great fit, and Pletcher hasn’t exactly come out smoking at this meet (12-2-5-2).

10-COFACHIQUI … (15/1) … Overcame some trouble to easily defeat maidens at Philadelphia Park (Parx Racing) last time out. Her Beyer Speed Figures hint that she’s way overmatched in this spot, yet these young fillies can often improve leaps-and-bounds overnight. She has solid connections in her corner and she is one of only three in this race to have worked over the track.

>> SELECTIONS … 2-Expo Gold, 3-Nicey Nice, 9-Tap for Luck, 8-Because I Like It