Saturday is a big day for 1/ST Racing with strong cards at both Gulfstream Park and Laurel Park. The December $10,000 Exacta-Thon at 1/ST BET and Xpressbet gives horseplayers a chance to win their share of $10k by piecing together four or more exactas at each racetrack. It is a worthy challenge, but there very well could be a nice payday awaiting if you are able to connect.
Here are a few races I will be attacking on the Gulfstream Park side of things on where it is Pegasus Preview Day down in South Florida.
Race 4: Sugar Swirl S.
Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. holds an extremely strong hand in this year’s Sugar Swirl with five of the seven set to go to post in this 6-furlong event over the main track. Obviously, jockey tactics in cases like this can play a large role in the race shape, but this race does give us an opportunity at knocking off one of the four exactas in a somewhat compact group. For that reason, I will attack it by keying #7 Mystic Lake on top. This Mo Town filly has taken on many of the best 3YO fillies in the country, including Thorpedo Anna in the Cotillion (G1) when we saw her last. She led early that day and tired late to finish fourth, but not only gets some class relief here but potentially a dream run on the cutback. The 5-time winner draws to the far outside in this group of seven, which should give Irad Ortiz Jr. options out of the gate. I expect Ortiz to sit a favorable mid-pack voyage in the clear assuming his mount relaxes off the three-month break. If so, she should be tough to hold off.
I will key her over #4 Spirit Wind and #6 Socially Selective in hopes of stealing an easy win in the Exacta-Thon without spending much of my budget.
Play: Exacta 7 with 4+6
Race 6:
This MSW event for 2YOs at 1 1/16-miles over the grass has some high-profile barns in it, including a pair of Chad Brown trainees and a second-time starter for Todd Pletcher. I am hopeful that leads to an inflated price on #7 Stewball. The Kitten’s Joy gelding overcame a less- than-ideal voyage for a first-time starter going 5.5-furlongs on the sod at Laurel Park in late October. He was given an aggressive ride out of his rail draw that day by jockey Horacio Karamanos, but was beaten to the lead putting him in chase mode early. This is not a favorable position for a young horse to be in, yet he was able to overcome the early adversity to run a non-threatening fifth. Now. Trainer Michael Trombetta stretches him out to two turns, which he is bred to prefer. I expect him to love the added ground and therefore am willing to I live and die with him in the Exacta-Thon.
I will box him with second-time starter #5 No More War who had a bit of trouble over the all-weather in his first start and #10 Cipher who attracts Irad Ortiz Jr. after a third place run to kick off his career in New York.
Play: Exacta Box 5+7 and Exacta Box 7+10
Race 9: Harlan’s Holiday (G3)
If you have followed my work over the years you know #2 Tumbarumba is one of the horses I have a soft spot for. The Louisiana-bred simply tries as hard as any horse I can remember. This effort has led to more heartbreak than victories in 2024, but trust me it is not for a lack of effort.
The connections opted to take a shot shipping the Oscar Performance gelding out for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile instead of competing in a similar spot to this one in Kentucky in late November and he ran a strong fourth at odds of 33-1. Trainer Brian Lynch has given the 4YO some time and brings him back in a very favorable spot over a surface he has not finished worse than second over in three tries. He will be very tough to beat.
I will key Tumbarumba on top over #1 Tuscan Sky in his first start since losing by three-quarters of a length to Generous Tipper in the $150k Discovery at Aqueduct and #5 Vitality who tries this surface for the first time after a half-length defeat at double-digit odds in a second-level allowance at Churchill Downs.
Play: Exacta 2 with 1+5
Best of luck attacking a fun and potentially lucrative promotion!
.svg){kind=logo}
