Handicapping Articles

“PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date  3/7/2024      Featured track  Gulfstream Park      Race number  7      Race overview  A solid 25k N2L for 3up going 7Fs on the main track.        Pace  There’s not a ton here, which suggests a compact group, especially since 7Fs may be stretching the rubber band of a few of these thin.      Trends  The main track, especially sprinting, usually caters to speed, though at this 7F trip, things can be a mire fairer to the stalker/closers.       Best Play  #3 Good Rapport (7-2): Turf-to-dirt runner goes off-the-claim for Tharrenos (12%),…

  “PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date  3/6/2024      Featured track  Gulfstream Park      Race number  7      Race overview  A solid AOC for 3yos sprinting 5Fs on the turf, and one that seems a key race in the making.       Pace  There’s plenty here, especially towards the inside, so expect things to be hot and contested early.      Trends  Speed plays on turf, especially when it’s firm, as closers struggle to make up significant ground, so you need the ability to be close early.       Best Play  #5 Refuel (9-5) (turf only): Pletcher charge wasn’t really…

“PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date  3/3/2024      Featured track  Gulfstream Park      Race number  6      Race overview  A very competitive AOC for f/ms going 1-mile on the turf.       Pace  There’s enough here to suggest a stalker could trip out, as the pace players could cancel themselves out.      Trends  Speed plays on turf, especially when it’s firm, as closers struggle to make up significant ground, so you need the ability to be close early.       Best Play  #8 Party On Girl (5-2) (turf only): Brown runner looked like a short horse last time off…

“PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date  3/2/2024      Featured track  Gulfstream Park      Race number  2      Race overview  A loaded MSW and potentially key race in the making for 3yos going 7Fs on the main.       Pace  It figures honest, though there are no confirmed burners on paper, so this could be a tighter group than one might expect.      Trends  You need to be close sprinting on the main going short, though a 7F race can play a bit more fair, but on these big days, expect the track to be lightning fast and playing more…

Happy Fountain of Youth Day!  Gulfstream has monster card with eight graded stakes today. The winner of the Fountain of Youth will receive fifty Kentucky Derby points and that should be sufficient to earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby field, especially with the Baffert trainees unable to Run for the Roses.  Trivia question: Who is the only three year old filly to win the Kentucky Oaks, the Black Eyed Susan, and then sweep the Acorn, the Mother Goose, and the Coaching Club American Oaks?    Gulfstream Park Race 9  – The Davona Dale – Grade II  One Mile on the Dirt for Three Year Old Fillies   Miss…

“PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date  3/1/2024      Featured track  Gulfstream Park      Race number  2      Race overview  A modest group of 25k 2yof MCL’ers going 1 1/16 miles on the turf.       Pace  There’s not much here, which means #3 BANANA SPLIT (2-1) should be loose on the stretchout and MSW drop.      Trends  Speed plays on turf, especially when it’s firm, as closers struggle to make up significant ground.       Best Play  #3 BANANA SPLIT (2-1): Speedster and MSW dropper stretches out and is bred to and bottom for the trip, and with no…

“PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date  2/29/2024      Featured track  Gulfstream Park      Race number  5      Race overview  A competitive 16k claimer for 3yos at 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta.       Pace  There’s not much here, so expect a tight group, with a sprint to the finish off the far turn      Trends  The Tapeta routes tend to be a bit more fair than the sprints, with stalker/closers having a fair chance (unless it rains, and then things can really tighten up).       Best Play  #4 DESIGNATED HITTER (3-1): Recent MCL winner added blinkers and stretched…

“PLAY of te DAY” by Brian Nadeau Date 2/28/2024 Featured track Gulfstream Park Race number 2   Race overview A solid group-of-9 4up 12.5k N3Ls going 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta.   Pace There’s not much here, so expect a tight group, with a sprint to the finish off the far turn Trends The Tapeta routes tend to be a bit more fair than the sprints, with stalker/closers having a fair chance (unless it rains, and then things can really tighten up).   Best Play #8 KARTANO (2-1): Stiff class dropper had a troubled trip on the turf and now is back on Tapeta, where he’s best, and…

“PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date  2/25/2024      Featured track  Gulfstream Park      Race number  9      Race overview  A deep and competitive group of 35k N2L for 4up going 1 1/16 miles on the turf.       Pace  There’s not much here, so you better have some tactical speed to be close early on.      Trends  Tactical speed, at the very least, plays, as it’s tough to make up significant group on a firm turf course       Best Play  #10 PALACE VIEW (4-1) (turf only): Stalker has the speed to trip out, drops in class, and had…

“PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date  2/24/2024      Featured track  Gulfstream Park      Race number  4      Race overview  A very strong MSW for 3yos going 1 1/8 miles on the main track.       Pace  Expect things to be tepid early, as the entire field-of-7 tries this distance for the first time, including a few who have no arly speed at all, which means the ability to lay close early will be big.      Trends  Dirt routes are rare in these parts, but you won’t see them won from the back, so you have to be close early. …