Opening Day plays @Gulfstream Park

[Bogey]

Opening day plays at Gulfstream. Scavs, I'm pretty sure I should of posted this on Hickory's thread, but the headline is a little misleading. Anyways, this is my favorite meet of the year and I disagree with the Big A being compared in the same breath to this years GP meet. How many 6f NY bred races can they run. They are brutal and nearly impossible to decipher. I love the turf so I might be a little bias. I looking forward to what looks like an outstanding meet with division leaders everywhere and of course the best 3yr old prospects in the land. Please check track conditions before taking the plunge.

Race 5 - #4 Beaufort - Big drop after failing as the favorite at HAW in his last when (GPK's pal JC Ferrer) he faltered late. He should handle this field in spite of Ferrer being on board.

Late Pick 3 - Race 6 is close to impossible to play with any conviction, so we'll just stay away or the heavy hitters can press the all button to start the PK4

Leg 1 - Race 7

#1 Holiday Trip - Two nice 2nd place finishes on the lawn at SAR before not caring much for the slop in his last.

# 3 Western Bluff - Only turf start was more than impressive because he closed into some slow fractions.

#6 Storming Marine - Has been improving and makes important 3rd start off a layoff for turf debut.

#7 Vanquisher - Leave a Mott turfer off your tickets at your own risk. 1st time lasix as well.

#10 Surely Sent - Has been knocking on the door and Jara might get him over the hump.

AE #15 - Glitterboy - If he gets in, the rest are probably running for 2nd.

Leg 2 - Race 8

#4 Abbey Light - Should sit in a nice stalking position in this one turn event.

#6 My Golden Quest - The Centaur home bred should enjoy the cut back and experience versus better should help the cause.

Leg 3 - Race 9

#11 DARBY'S PAL - Decent maiden score, but then ran into a few toughies (Soldier's Dancer - Trop Park Derby winner) in the Appleton across town. Also, he lost all chance in the Appleton when he hit the gate. Desormeaux is more than formidable on the lawn. At 10-1 this is an aggressive single and if for some odd reason the ticket falls apart in one of the 1st two legs a win bet would be required.

The Play - PK3 - 1 3 6 7 10 15 with 4 6 with 11 = $12 for a buck play

Good Racing Luck

[Scav]

All the below could be used in Exacta Boxes or bomber pick 3 tickets.

Race 7: One of those races that EVERYONE just loves to bet at Gulfstream. Newly turned 3 year olds, some have tried turf and some haven't.

#4 Duveen (15/1ML): Impossible for me to leave off any ticket. Should RELISH the lawn and the breeding is pretty solid. Romans been working on the lawn and from the looks of it, it seems like he has been trying to get on the lawn for a long time. Castro+Lawn = Bomb

#12 Masterofthehouse (20/1ML): This horse wants NO PART of anything 1 mile or shorter and it shows with horrible showing in his first two starts. Look for improvement today with Cornhelio aboard

Race 9:

#9 Break Even(15/1 ML): This horse is bred for the lawn and this is only his 2nd time on it. You get the impression that Casse wouldn't mind him getting claimed but given the breeding and the partial talent he has showed in his 2nd/3rd start, he is playable at anything near 15/1. Two good works while at Gulfstream also.

Major bet against of the day:
Race 3:
#4 Barcola (9/5 ML, 4/5 post): Monster race last time that was 100% aided by a speed bias rail. if you were an inch from the rail you weren't gaining on anyone. Throw that into the mix and the fact that he beat rats in the race and you have a horse that is probably going to run a struggling 3rd here. The #3 Welcome Again(4/1ML) at probably 5/2 is extremely playable to me in this race

[2MinsToPost]

Scavs -

One of the VERY FIRST lessons I learned at the track was from a 6-7 day a week regular, still to this day. matter of fact I will be sitting with him and a couple other of my track pals today as I only got one day off work this week, and am seriously juiced for some Gulfstream action.

The lesson - Eddie Castro on a horse in a turf race = CASH

I can't tell you HOW MANY times I had a bad day and then just said come on Eddie and he would bring me back to life at great odds on the grass. Truer words have not been spoken.

[rock1968]

Originally Posted by 2MinsToPost

Scavs -

One of the VERY FIRST lessons I learned at the track was from a 6-7 day a week regular, still to this day. matter of fact I will be sitting with him and a couple other of my track pals today as I only got one day off work this week, and am seriously juiced for some Gulfstream action.

The lesson - Eddie Castro on a horse in a turf race = CASH

I can't tell you HOW MANY times I had a bad day and then just said come on Eddie and he would bring me back to life at great odds on the grass. Truer words have not been spoken.

Not in the 5th however...

[Scav]

Castro/Wolfson is a much stronger angle then Castro/Lawn...That being said, Castro has turned into a great rider IMO

[rock1968]

Of that I have no doubt.. but he is having a rough time today
Lets go Holiday Trip.. I need to win some money back

Well so much for Holiday Trip.. but at least Castro got into the money this time

[Scav]

#4 Duveen (15/1ML): Impossible for me to leave off any ticket. Should RELISH the lawn and the breeding is pretty solid. Romans been working on the lawn and from the looks of it, it seems like he has been trying to get on the lawn for a long time. Castro+Lawn = Bomb (Ran his eye balls out to get NIPPED at the wire and all the value is now sucked out of him for his next two starts, at least. $15.20 Place. $90 Exa with usuable Mott horse)

#12 Masterofthehouse (20/1ML): This horse wants NO PART of anything 1 mile or shorter and it shows with horrible showing in his first two starts. Look for improvement today with Cornhelio aboard (Cornhelio rode a great race with the post he was given and for a horse that was 3W the whole race, he ran pretty big. Did look a little green and Cornhelio might have had to go for the lead a little earlier then he wants but that will come with time, next back a possible play with a better post)

Race 9:

#9 Break Even(15/1 ML): This horse is bred for the lawn and this is only his 2nd time on it. You get the impression that Casse wouldn't mind him getting claimed but given the breeding and the partial talent he has showed in his 2nd/3rd start, he is playable at anything near 15/1. Two good works while at Gulfstream also. (Got pounded on the board all the way down to 5/1, made a good middle move to only get the hole shut on him and then made ANOTHER run on the turn only to not find a hole, the 12 horse was causing all sorts of problems for the 9, definite play back for me)

Major bet against of the day:
Race 3:
#4 Barcola (9/5 ML, 4/5 post): Monster race last time that was 100% aided by a speed bias rail. if you were an inch from the rail you weren't gaining on anyone. Throw that into the mix and the fact that he beat rats in the race and you have a horse that is probably going to run a struggling 3rd here. The #3 Welcome Again(4/1ML) at probably 5/2 is extremely playable to me in this race (With the scratch of Welcome Again, Barcola SHOULD have been 3/5 or 4/5 and ended up at 7/5, that right there should have told you he was up against it today. Way too fast early by Barcola and it couldn't have set up any better for Fairbanks, this is the EXACT race where pick three players can make a killing. Just looking at the will pays, the 2 horse was LOWER in the Doubles)

[Bogey]

Scav, nice post race analysis of your selections. I'm a big believer if you do your homework, it will pay off in the long run.

Race 5 - #4 Beaufort - was unable to overcome the JC Ferrer factor and was empty turning for home.

Race 9 - #11 Darby's Pal - ML 10-1 hammered down to the post time favorite at 4-1. Dersormeaux got caught very wide in the 1st turn and he barely picked up a hoof the rest of the way. I figured I was in trouble when they bet him to favoritism.

Collmus did a very nice job and IMO Gulfstream has the 2nd best turf course in the country behind Arlington Park.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Bogey

you
Collmus did a very nice job and IMO Gulfstream has the 2nd best turf course in the country behind Arlington Park.

Thanks Gus, there is a reason you are awesome. (above)

I think the end result at Gulfstream will end up really positive, wasn't crazy about the graphic changes that I saw today(new color and didn't "GP" with the palm tree) but graphics don't make my horses run.

I am trying to figure out a way down there but alot of negatives going right now (New job thus BS time off rules, $400 for a Saturday morning-Sunday night flight, plus $200 hotel) Would rather spend 4 days at Toga yelling at Blackthroatedwind and making fun of Hooves

[blackthroatedwind]

Gulfstream is no fun at all....just bet and watch at home. The track sucks. If you want to go somewhere warm there are better places.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Gulfstream is no fun at all....just bet and watch at home. The track sucks. If you want to go somewhere warm there are better places.

You been to Del Mar?

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Scav

You been to Del Mar?

No, the timing is bad.

If it opens before Saratoga again this year I may go for the first couple days.

[Scav]

Oh yeah, those meets essentially mirror each other.

[Bogey]

Scav, I'm headed down there for the Fountain of Youth. I'm also looking forward to Joe's Stone Crabs. Southwest Airlines from Midway to Ft. Lauderdale $137.00 non-stop round trip.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Bogey

Scav, I'm headed down there for the Fountain of Youth. I'm also looking forward to Joe's Stone Crabs. Southwest Airlines from Midway to Ft. Lauderdale $137.00 non-stop round trip.

I live like 3 miles from O'Hare. My dilema is this. I can't take any time off work because of new job and new employee rules. I was looking at a 6am flight on Saturday March 3rd O'Hare to Ft. Lauderdale, and then flying back Sunday. BUT, the issue with that isn't the $300 it willl cost me, the last flight out of Fort Lauderdale to O'Hare is 5:45, or the last race on Sunday. I have thought about flying out of Miami on Sunday at like 9pm, but then I am looking at $400. If I go, i want to at least go to Gulfstream for two full days.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Scav

If I go, i want to at least go to Gulfstream for two full days.

After one day you will rethink that.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Bogey

Scav, I'm headed down there for the Fountain of Youth. I'm also looking forward to Joe's Stone Crabs. Southwest Airlines from Midway to Ft. Lauderdale $137.00 non-stop round trip.

Do you know if the 'L' goes to Midway where I can grab the red line?

I could fly from O'Hare to FLL and then fly back into Midway that night from FLL, that would only be like the $300 and I could stay for both days

[Scav]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

After one day you will rethink that.

LOL....so hilarious....I went to the old one and it wa awesome from a nostaglia standpoint, but Hawthorne was nicer from an facility standpoint

[Bogey]

Originally Posted by Scav

I live like 3 miles from O'Hare. My dilema is this. I can't take any time off work because of new job and new employee rules. I was looking at a 6am flight on Saturday March 3rd O'Hare to Ft. Lauderdale, and then flying back Sunday. BUT, the issue with that isn't the $300 it willl cost me, the last flight out of Fort Lauderdale to O'Hare is 5:45, or the last race on Sunday. I have thought about flying out of Miami on Sunday at like 9pm, but then I am looking at $400. If I go, i want to at least go to Gulfstream for two full days.

I totally understand, the last thing you want to do is go down there with extra pressure. You're better off waiting until next year when the whole enchilada is completed.

[blackthroatedwind]

I loved the old Gulfstream. I mean, it wasn't the greatest place, but I spent hundreds of days there, and knew all the good spots. I could have forgiven him if he built a racetrack, but a cement casino/mall that happens to have a racetrack is not for me, and I resent it.