The racing week at Gulfstream Park concludes on Sunday afternoon with a solid 10-race card that gets rolling at 12:20 pm ET. The card contains a pair of solid MSW races for newly turned 3YOs, as well as second-level allowance at 5-furlongs over the grass that goes as Race 8. Here are the plays I will build my Sunday afternoon in south Florida around.
Race 7:
This MSW at one-mile over the main track that kicks off the late Pick 4 drew a compact group of 7 led my 9-5-ML favorite #2 Betty’s Pearl. The $700k Munnings filly has hit the board in all 3 starts, but has not been great out of the gate yet and has burnt quite a bit of the public’s money thus far. In fact, she was defeated at 5-2 on debut and followed it up with losses at 4-5 and 6-5. Being drawn down on the inside is not ideal for the way she has run thus far. I much prefer second-time starter #6 Paradise. The Gun Runner filly is out of the talented mare Venetian Harbor, so she is bred to be a runner. Venetian Harbor had a strong 12-race career for trainer Richard Baltas that included a 10 3/4 length romp in her second start after finishing second on debut. The Brad Cox barn had a big day on Saturday and appears to have a filly with unlimited upside in this one.
Play: #6 Paradise (5-2 ML)
Race 8:
Speed can often be tough on the Gulfstream Park turf, but I am hoping they go at it on the front end in the Sunday feature. That appears quite possible given the presence of #1 Speed Figures down on the inside and #9 Classy War and #10 Twisted Filigree to the outside. If they converge and set a brisk first half mile, #2 Eamonn should be coming with his veteran late kick. The 8YO son of Pioneerof the Nile has kept good company, so he should appreciate the drop out of stakes company in his 45th career start. The fact he ran well last year off the layoff in his first start of the meet and he has won 6 of 15 lifetime over the Gulfstream Park sod only strengthens his case. Hopefully, he gets a fast pace to chase in the first leg of the late Pick 3.
Play: #2 Eamonn (6-1 ML)
Race 9:
My final play of the week at Gulfstream Park comes in this state-bred first-level allowance event at 6-furlongs over the main track where 5-2-ML favorite #4 Noble J looks tough to beat. In his first start off an 18-month break, the 4YO gelding battled early, easily disposed of the other speed, and had plenty left late to turn away runner-up Noble Sky. The December 7 effort was flattered a bit by the fact that Noble Sky came back and just missed in a similar spot yesterday at odds of 10-1. If veteran jockey Joe Bravo can get this one into the race early once again, he should have no problem making it back-to-back victories to get his Championship Meet started for trainer David Fawkes. A single in the late horizontals.
Play: #4 Noble J (5-2 ML)
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