With over $415k in carryover money heading into racing at Gulfstream Park on Thursday, track officials have decided Saturday is the day it must go! The exact size of the pool will be determined over the next couple of days, but it is not too early to dive into a very challenging Rainbow 6 sequence.
Grade Descriptions: Grade A=Highest degree of confidence; Grade B=Solid Play. Grade C=Least preferred or pass; Grade X=probable winner but likely at odds too short to play.
Race 7:
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 2 Kosher Capone; 10 Never Say Never
Backups: 1 Playground Legend; 8 Be There
Forecast: The pace should be honest in this non-winners of two event over the sod, which in theory should benefit #10 Never Say Never most. The Summer Front gelding was caught four-wide into the first turn in his first start off the claim for Guadalupe Preciado on January 19, yet still only lost by a half-length. The issue is he has a big chance to get caught wide again. He ran too well to not include, but I prefer #2 Kosher Capone. The son of Mendelssohn was also caught wide in the same race Never Say Never exits. The move to an inside draw in his third start of the form cycle should have him set for his best.
#1 Playground Legend should fall into a great trip off the likely contentious pace, but is just 1 for 19 with 5 seconds making him tough to trust as more than a backup. #8 Be There took 18 starts to earn his first career win, but maybe the light bulb came one. He was in way over his head though last out.
Race 8:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 9 Speight’spercomete; 10 Nerves of Steel; 1 War Beat
Backups: 8 Swan Lake
Forecast: I am hopeful that #7 Backwoods Boogie takes it to #8 Swan Lake early on in this two-turn claimer over the all-weather. If not, Swan Lake is obviously capable of wiring out this field after being outsprinted early by the eventual winner in his fifth-place finish as the public choice in late January. That said, I prefer banking on horses that can settle and finish in this spot.
#9 Speight’spercomete has shown a strong turn of foot over the all-weather in the past. He makes his second start off the claim for Kelly Breen and gets a rider upgrade to Paco Lopez. #10 Nerves of Steel is the likeliest to take advantage of a contentious first half mile. He takes a big drop in class for high-percentage conditioner Marty Drexler. #1 War Beat needs to prove he can handle open claimers, but all three of his career wins have come over this course. His trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is 7 for 19 over the last 10 days.
Race 9:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 7 Positive Review; 4 Knightsbridge
Backups: None
Forecast: #4 Knightsbridge is likely to be a very popular single in a challenging sequence and understandably so. The Nyquist colt has been faster than his opposition and has only lost once in three tries. The concern is that he clearly has soundness issues since he has been unable to put races together yet for Bill Mott. Plus, he is quick and there is other speed signed on. If the Godolphin homebred is keen off the bench, he is eligible to tire in the final furlong.
#7 Positive Review will likely be a single on 1 of my tickets on Saturday. The son of Unified has not been a win machine through 18 starts, but has been at his best over this surface and distance. He stands to great a perfect stalking trip in his first start of 2025 and his barn is scorching hot. A career best performance is within the range of outcomes.
Race 10:
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 1 Gilded Edge; 6 Violet Gibson; 2 Princess Bettina
Backups: None
Forecast: The second half of the sequence gets rolling with this 8.5-furlong affair over the lawn where I will try to get through using just three. #1 Gilded Edge gets some class relief and an inside draw after being in over her head in the Tropical Park Oaks. If the pace is honest, she has a big shot to run them down late. #6 Violet Gibson has not raced since last September, but has earned both of her career wins over this surface for the red-hot Saffie Joseph Jr. barn. #2 Princess Bettina should be primed for her best in her third start off an 8-month layoff. The daughter of Will Take Charge followed the top two finishers around the turf course on Sunshine Millions Day last month.
Race 11: Royal Delta (G3)
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 9 Miss New York; 8 Grand Job
Backups: None
Forecast: The pace should be honest at the very least in the Saturday feature, which hopefully sets the table for #9 Miss New York. The daughter of Good Magic has been off since tiring late in her runner-up effort in the Carousel at 1 1/8-miles. She comes in off a steady series of drills and should relish the slight cutback in distance. #8 Grand Job is the horse to beat. She was dominant in her two starts after arriving in the States last year. She has to prove herself at two-turns and avoid getting caught up in an early tussle if she hopes to make it a perfect 3 for 3 in North America, but the talent is obvious.
Race 12:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 1 Bay of Bengal; 2 Governing Party; 3 Culpa
Backups: 6 Back in the Saddle
Forecast: The Rainbow 6 concludes with a high-level maiden claimer for 3YOs going two-turns over the lawn. #1 Bay of Bengal intrigues. The Christophe Clement trainee moves to the turf after a bit of an uncomfortable voyage on debut. He is likely to be sent aggressively from his inside draw by Emisael Jaramillo. #2 Governing Party drops in for a tag for the initial time for Chad Brown. He chased a gate-to-wire winner around the turf when we saw him last. #3 Culpa also tries maiden claimers for the first time. Leaving Saffie Joseph horses off tickets right now is a scary move. #6 Back in the Saddle gives Joseph a strong 1-2-punch in the finale, but he has failed against similar twice already.
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