Week Two: January 12 Selections

1:29      2-Gulfstream                8f         Allowance                                4 – Dad’s Crazy                        5/2                   

Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden today by main man Johnny V, Dad comes off the shelf today with a string of solid works.  Interesting that he’s faced the starter on six occasions, all SCHEDULED for the turf.  Dad’s Crazy broke his maiden at Belmont (in a stakes race!) when the one-mile turf event was rained off and she ran on the main-track at a one-turn mile.  Off for over a year she returned with a pace-pressing race on the turf, understandably tiring to 8^th, but only beaten 5 lengths.  Came back 3 weeks later at Churchill when the race was rained off the turf, so she went in a one-turn mile – again – on the main, and she crossed the finish line first!  Subsequently DQ’d to third, but the point is made…….six starts, finished first twice – the only two races that were on the main track at a one-turn mile……today, one-turn mile on the main track!

1:58      3-Gulfstream                8f         Claiming                                  7 – Supah Alex                         20/1 **             

UPSET ALERT!  Low level, in-and-out runners with nothing to hang your hat on in here.  Until you get to Supah Alex, trained by Calder Hall of Fame conditioner Manny Tortorra.  Supah Alex caught my eye when scanning for horses who had won at the one-turn mile – he did, last winter in a $15 3L event at 4/1.  But here’s the sneaky tip – Supah Alex has a career record of 24/2-4-5 – YIKES, no wonder he’s 20/1.  Ah, but herein lies the rub – AT GULFSTREAM PARK……3/2-1-0.  So, away from Gulfstream he’s 21/0-3-5…shutout!  But here he is in the exacta in all three starts, and BOTH his career wins were here.  And better yet – his record at the distance – 6/2-1-1.  And if you look at his pps, the three GP starts were ALL at this one-turn mile – so at Calder at a mile, he’s 3/0-0-1, but here he’s 3/2-1-0 – BOTH at the distance and on the surface.  Working steadily coming off a nice third last out with a short break….BOMBS AWAY!

2:55      5-Gulfstream                6f         Allowance                                6 – Settle for Metal                   6/1                   

Ran into highly regarded Boys of Tosconova in his debut, then came right back to score.  Off that MSW win went right to 7f Grade 1 Hopeful, then one-mile Grade 1 Champagne and one-mile Grade 2 Nashua – facing Uncle Mo, Boys at Tosconova, and To Honor and Serve – wow.  MUCH softer spot today, and at his initial winning distance.  Class play at a fair price.

4:23      8-Gulfstream    Turf      8f         AOC                                         9 – Maddie’s Odyssey              15/1**             

Why not?  Take a big swing for the fences in strictly a “Gulfstream Handicapper” selection……Trainer Peter Gulyas is in Mazur’s “GP 40% Club” with his super-karma move being “Turf Routes” – he is 8/4-0-2, a 50% winner.  Well, here we are – a turf route.  To add to the angles, in his mini-profile Mazur reveals that Gulyas scored off a layoff, which Maddie’s Odyssey is doing; and here’s the kicker – Maddie has raced on the turf here – twice – WON THEM BOTH!  I think the favorite is vulnerable, good spot to take a shot.  Jockey Jose Castanon has won for the stable (2/1 with the winner paying $12.20)….look out below!