ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 6, MEXICAN WONDER BOY

FIRST RACE

Day 2 of the 4-month championship meet at Gulf starts at 12:35 p.m. ET and with sunshine and mid-70 temps in the forecast, so surely turf racing will be a go. Looking for SUM NATION to break far more alertly than she did when debuting over in North Miami for TAP; late interest she showed that Sunday perhaps the sign she’s ready to run a good one after being regrouped by Saffie; jamming in for the $25k the type of aggressive move that wins races here. SERENADE A KITTEN adds blinks for Maker following that respectable bow when favored last month at Crc; rail draw and just a bit of improvement should put her close. NOT TONIGHT BOBBY stretches out for a barn (Cibelli) that tends to do its best with grassers.

SECOND RACE

Consistently overmatched in 3 straight allowances since knocking out his N3L condition in August, SOUTH SEA suddenly finds himself in a different world as DiBona risks him for this $12.5k tag; gelding never lost his penchant for gunning early during that tailspin, and surely Berrios will have him on the engine here; can revert to best form given this substantial class relief. Just to his inside, MUSTANG CAT comes the main threat after going 2 for 3 since being haltered by Walder; repeat of his latest would make him double tough. CANDY CRUSHEM comes a late-run danger on this turn-back from slightly longer races.

THIRD RACE

2nd split (with Race 1) of the $25k maiden-claiming turf mile for 2yo fillies is similarly competitive, with Cibelli also having a player here in LA PINTA, whose late-October debut over at Calder wasn’t all that bad; typically aggressive Paco ride can have her in the hunt throughout. SHANG’S SISTER adds blinkers in trying to improve on that mostly disappointing first-tag/first-turf effort across town; subtle class drop from Joey O. and the inside draw can help. IRAZU ran in back-to-back off-turf races and now finally gets her chance; another on a slight drop from the $40k ranks.

FOURTH RACE

Back at one turn when assigned the open-air outside box, PAYNTER FEST can loom large once they wheel for home in an open-$6,250 mile that seems tougher than normal for the level; forgive her for flattening out in her latest, but that was going two turns; before that, she was 1-4-1 in his 6 starts off the Barboza claim, all going this familiar journey out of the long chute; steady goer is she. INEDATEQUILA has been unconquerable, invincible, and unbeatable when going 3 for 3 since moving into the Kent Sweezey barn, albeit when taking advantage of conditions; first crack here vs. open fillies. GRACE’S DRAMA, like the top pick, also returns to one turn; worth noting her outstanding GP record of 22-9-2-6.

FIFTH RACE

“Quickest of the quick” standard perhaps aptly applied here when REITERATE shows heels as usual through the early stanzas of this N2L turf dash for $20k fillies; 3yo with a smidg of backclass has been a beaten favorite, remarkably, in each of her last 4 starts (and 5 of her last 6), and she’s not as proven a speedster on turf as on dirt, but once she clears off, who’s gonna run her down here; might just go on with it, finally. EFFIEMEISTER merits a close look as a potential kicker; decent turf tries surround the GPW maiden-breaker. LA CARA BONITA has been away 5+ months and essentially starts out all over when adding blinkers; top jock Saez on the call.

SIXTH RACE

Danny Gargan is eager to get away to another fast start at GP, having gone 12 for 35 here at the 2019-20 championship meet, and here he is with an in-form last-out claim in MEXICAN WONDER

BOY, who sure seems to fit snugly when in for the optional $62.5k tag; 3yo whose U.S. debut was a winning one going this same one-turn mile at Gulf in July is the day’s best. RED CRESCENT, tried and true vs. some of the saltier older horses on the grounds, comes the main threat; note his $267k in earnings at GP, not to mention all the notable names in his PPs. WEST WILL POWER is 2 for 2, sure, but the West homebred 3yo hasn’t yet faced the likes of these.

SEVENTH RACE

PUGIN is a first-time gelding shedding blinkers after finishing second as the favorite in an off-turf mid-October race at GPW; he looks as good as any in one of the deeper races of the card. THE CAPTURED STAR has been thwarted in at least 2 tries to actually get a run over the grass; have a suspicion he’s liable to show marked improvement when that happens; inside draw and the Biancone factor in his favor. TURLOUGH debuts for the Pletcher powerhouse, which is ample reason in itself to merit consideration.

EIGHTH RACE

Blinkers sure did work for EMIT when he powered to a career first in his latest at Gulf West, and now he’ll face winners for the first time when comfortably drawn in the outer box here; his Beyer game could take some improving, but that seems doable; edge in another tricky gauge for 2yos. ONEMORETIMEAROUND perhaps didn’t care for the Crc slop in his latest; reverting to the 10/24 debut romp clearly would make this gray dude a player. ENSIGN PARKER brings a field-high 72 BSF to this; can factor in from the start.

NINTH RACE

Was a subpar effort by GOT GLEE when trying tootough state-bred alw. company in her late-October return from a 9-week layoff, but don’t underestimate how much that can help toward this; Klesaris has evolved into something of a turf-sprint specialist through the years, and this mare embodies his methods; hustling ride from Jaramillo puts her squarely in the thick of it. AWSUM ROAR is a robust 6 for 14 over the Gulfstream lawn; plenty of local a.m. works for new conditioner Sano since her last appearance in Delaware in mid-September. DEALER’S GIRL surely will be flashing big speed when fresh-n-eager from the 3-month layoff for KJB.

TENTH RACE

Out of a pretty demanding race that elicited a respectable effort over a soft Belmont turf, THENORTHREMEMBERS gets the nod in the Thursday finale when getting Paco and an inside draw; moreover, the colt was a winner the last time he raced over the local course. MR. AXEL is something of a difficult gauge after following up his gutsy Ky. Downs mdn.-breaker with the off-turf clunker at GPW; price should be right. ALL GOOD, a first-time gelding off the Maker claim, has plenty going for him and will be one of the deserving favorites with Saez up.