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In addition to the ongoing Triple Crown Money Back Special I wrote about yesterday and the Hit & Split at Oaklawn Park covered by my colleague Jeremy Plonk, 1/ST BET and Xpressbet are returning with our popular Exacta-Thon promo for Florida Derby Day. A total of $5,000 is up for grabs in Hallandale Beach with the goal of connecting on as many $2 exactas as possible over the course of the 14-race card. Those who hit at least 5 will split $3,000, while the player(s) that hit the most will split an additional $2,000. Here are a few exacta plays I plan to make on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
Race 2
The lone MSW race on the massive stakes-laden card is at one-mile over the main track and I will build around #9 Sovereign Jam. The well-bred Juddmonte Farm runner failed to fire on debut going 6-furlongs, but was against the flow and racetrack in late February. Trainer Brad Cox stretches him out to the one-turn mile and improvement should be expected. Cox is an eye-popping 6 for 10 with 3YO second-time starters over the dirt at Gulfstream Park dating back to last February. I love the fact this colt moves from the rail to the outside. If he has talent, he is likely to show it on Saturday. I will play him over Phil Bauer trained #4 Bridgesong and #5 Lost Money, but press up on the exacta with Sovereign Jam over #6 Moonstrocity. The son of Tiz the Law ran well to finish third in his first start over the main track on February 28. He still has some upside and already proved he can handle the tricky one-mile configuration in Hallandale Beach.
Play: Exactas 9-6 and 9 with 4+5
Race 7: Ghostzapper (G3)
#2 Grande came back off a ten-and-a-half-month layoff last month in an allowance event at one-turn and proved he lost little during his time away from racing. Trainer Todd Pletcher had the Repole Stable colt ready to win off the layoff with the addition of blinkers for the first time. Pletcher stretches the Curlin colt out to two-turns and finds a graded stakes field he should handle in his second try off the bench. I will chalk it up on top with a horse that is a perfect 3 for 3 over this surface and play him in a cold exacta over #4 Capital Idea. The Bill Mott runner makes his second start of the year after a runner-up effort to Pentathlon going 7-furlongs in mid-February. He should be set for his best second off the bench.
Play: Exacta 2-4
Race 14: Florida Derby (G1)
This year’s Florida Derby drew all the 3YOs you hoped would show up in south Florida for one of Gulfstream Park’s premier races. It led to a top-heavy field that includes the Holy Bull (G3) winner, the top two from the Fountain of Youth (G2), and the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) winner. Of those races, I thought the Fountain of Youth was better than the others. The more seasoned #4 Commandment gutted out a win against lightly-raced #2 Chief Wallabee, but one could easily argue the Chief was best. With an inside draw and the invaluable two-turn experience under his belt, Chief Wallabee looks like the real deal making him my top pick in this year’s Florida Derby. I will play him over the aforementioned Commandment. I trust the Wathnan Racing runner most of the top tier of Triple Crown prospects and there is a chance he is sitting on a career best third off the bench. I think Chief Wallabee is better, but that does not take away from Commandment’s chances in this $1M spot.
Play: Exacta 2-4
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