The Grade 1 $500,000 Donn Handicap

One of the highlight events on the Gulfstream Park calendar takes place on Saturday and one of the highlight horses from recent Gulfstream vintage, Quality Road, is the 7-5 morning line favorite in the Grade 1 $500,000 Donn Handicap. If you know anything about the handicapping aspect of this blog, you know that I am going to try and beat him in the Donn, so here we go:


I will go with #10 Delightful Kiss in the Donn Handicap as my top choice. He has shown quite the affinity for the Gulfstream track, with two wins and two thirds in four career starts there. His only bad race in his most recent races was in the Grade 3 Canadian Turf on the grass at Gulfstream on February 28, 2009. He then took a ton of time off before coming back to run 3rd on January 22 at seven furlongs in a race that appeared to be just a tightener for this one. I will put the favorite, #4 Quality Road, second. He is three of four lifetime at the Hallandale plant and came back from a brief layoff of his own (not to mention the Breeders' Cup meltdown) to win the Grade 3 Hal's Hope on January 3. John Velazquez has the riding assignment for the Donn. #5 Dry Martini will be my third choice at 12-1 on the morning line. If there is to be any pace in this race, this grey gelding could be chugging past everyone in the stretch to an unexpected victory. He ran 3rd behind several of his foes in here last time out in the Grade 3 Ft. Lauderdale on January 10. He also has a strong bullet workout on January 30 at Gulfstream, 5F in 58 3/5 seconds. For fourth, I will go with #9 Dubai Gold. He has won two of three since being claimed out of a win at Monmouth in September by the current connections. He is relatively well-bred also and at 30-1 on the morning line, he is worth a look. Here is the play for the Donn Handicap:

$5 WP #10 and $1 EX BOX 4-5-9-10
TOTAL- $22

Remember, as always, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections, they are merely suggestions. Tune in next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!