Gulfstream will have a $1 million-guaranteed pool in Saturday's late pick 5, which concludes with the Grade 1 $1 million Florida Derby.
It's all about Forte in the big one, but how do we get to him? Here's the early path I'm looking to travel as we await final scratches and track conditions on Saturday.
Race 10 // $150,000 Sand Springs
Ten older fillies and mares on turf open the sequence, and I'll use a trio of them. #2 Sweet Enough has won at the meet and drops in class. #6 Marketsegmenation also is a meet winner for the always-dangerous Chad Brown/Irad Ortiz Jr. team in these turf races for the distaffers. Late-running #9 Perservancia was compromised by speedster Dalika on the Churchill turf last fall and can come back firiing.
Race 11 // $100,000 Sanibel Island
This group of 10 averages only 4 career starts among them and none has separated herself from the pack. With a couple of looming singles, let's buy the race.
Race 12 // $250,000 Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks
I'm taking the bold and confident single with #6 Atomically as she returns to 2-turning in her second start of the season. Stablemate #5 Miracle might help split the money intra-race and force many players to use multiple horses, which is to our advantage when singling.
Race 13 // $150,000 Appleton
A full field of 12 turf milers boils down to three for me. #2 Souper Dormy got a good number when winning a turf mile here two starts back and should be a solid price for lesser-backed, big-race connections. #3 Gray's Fable just missed vs. Souper Dormy over this trip in February and won second-off-the-layoff in 2022. #6 Steady On had a terrible post last time when nearly winning the Canadian Turf and makes logical sense with a better draw.
Race 14 // $1 million Grade 1 Florida Derby
Forte stands out as the heavy favorite and a single.
The Ticket:
2,6,9 with ALL with 6 with 2,3,6 with 11
That's $45 if all 10 starters go in Race 11. Good luck, everybody!
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