RACE 12 (GP) - The Gulfstream Park Turf (Grade 1) - Nine Furlongs Turf
A’s
# 1 Mshawish (Morning Line 7-2)
# 4 Grand Tito (ML 15-1)
B's
# 3 Imagining (ML 3-1)
# 5 Manchurian High (ML 12-1)
# 6 War Correspondent (ML 8-1)
# 8 Lochte (ML 5-1)
C’s
None
Mshawish and Grand Tito ran one-two last month in the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale, with Mshawish beating Grand Tito to the wire by a neck. Both runners seem capable of repeating that effort today. Lochte and Imagining ran one-two in this event last year; both entrants have held their form well since.
Manchurian High was the clear winner of the Florida Sunshine Millions Turf last time out, and three starts back was the winner of Laurel Turf Cup. While today's contest is obviously a couple of steps up the class ladder from those two events, the hurdle is not insurmountable.
War Correspondent looks like a horse on the improve, having just missed by a neck last time out in the Grade 2 Autumn on the synthetic at Woodbine. War Correspondent has not finished more than a length in back of the winner in any of his six career tries.
RACE 13 (GP) - The Donn (Grade 1) - Nine Furlongs Dirt
A’s
# 4 Lea (ML 9-5)
B's
# 8 Protonico (ML 6-1)
C’s
None
# 7 Sloane Avenue (ML 15-1) has been scratched.
Lea, winner of this event last year (in which he also set the track record for this distance) prepped for this year's running the same way he entered last year's running: by winning the Grade 3 Hal's Hope. The last horse to win this event two years in a row was Cigar; who, like Lea, was trained by Bill Mott; and who, like Lea, made a mid-career switch from turf to dirt.
Protonico, one of three in this contest trained by Todd Pletcher, was just a half length behind Hoppertunity at the wire last time out in the Grade 1 Clark. The start prior to that Protonico was the clear winner of the Grade 3 Discovery. Protonico has won previously off the bench, and just may take another step forward today. Conversely, # 1 Constitution (ML 7-2) has been unable to find the Winner's Circle since he began competing against against older horses.
# 10 Prayer for Relief (ML 12-1) was just half a length behind Lea in the Hal's Hope last time out, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 106 in the process. So why isn't Prayer for Relief on our ticket? Because the previous three times that Prayer for Relief earned a Beyer of either 106 or 105, he took a step back in his next race (in most cases, several steps back). Maybe this time will be different; maybe today Prayer for Relief will finally break through that personal ceiling of the 106 Beyer Speed Figure; but I'm betting that he won't.
RACE 7 (SA) - The San Marcos (Grade 2) - Ten Furlongs Turf
A’s
# 1 Finnegans Wake (ML 5-2)
# 8 Dynamic Sky (ML 3-1)
B's
# 6 Diamond Bachelor (ML 20-1)
C’s
None
# 7 Quadrivium (No Line) has been scratched.
Finnegans Wake enters this contest with a two race winning streak, both Grade 2 events. Dynamic Sky won the Grade 3 Red Smith two starts back on the yielding Aqueduct turf; so Dynamic Sky's stock obviously goes up if the rains come down. Diamond Bachelor enters this contest after having just competed Sunday, and could take a big step forward in his first turf contest at a classic distance, as his breeding suggests that he will find the extra real estate to his liking.
RACE 8 (SA) - The San Antonio (Grade 2) - Nine Furlongs Dirt
A’s
# 5 Shared Belief (ML 7-5)
B's
# 1 Hoppertunity (ML 4-1)
# 8 California Chrome (ML 6-5)
C’s
None
Shared Belief probably isn't going to get mugged right out of the gate today. Hoppertunity enters this contest with a two race winning streak, and (as he showed in the Clark) he has no problem winning a Grade 1 contest starting from Post Position 1. California Chrome will be overbet and has yet to beat older horses; but a horse that missed winning the Breeders' Cup Classic two starts back by just a neck is not easily tossed.
OK, that's the analysis. Playing our tickets in the abbreviated Crist fashion, we get:
All A Entries
$1.00 P4: 1,4 with 4 with 1,8 with 5 $4.00
All A Entries with All B Entries
$0.50 P4: 1,3,4,5,6,8 with 4,8 with 1,6,8 with 1,5,8 $54.00
Total: $58.00
Post Time for Race 12 (GP) is 5:28 EST / 2:28 PST. Good luck to all.
Peace and Love,
Jimbo
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