A Gulfstream Park Bet Three

There are two Stakes races on the Gulfstream Park program Saturday afternoon and they are separated by a very competitive turf race in the middle, so that tells me that we need to investigate a Pick Three (or as Gulfstream calls it, The Bet Three) on races 7, 8, and 9 from Hallandale on Saturday. Here is a brief look at each of the three races and the horses that will be used for the wager:

Race 7- The $100,000 Spectacular Bid- Named for the 1979 Derby and Preakness winner (not to mention the 1980 Horse Of The Year), this is a six-furlong sprint that should feature quite a bit of speed. The top pick is #5 Leave Of Absence, who is coming off of a Beyer figure of 94 in his last go, a maiden breaking six-furlong win at Aqueduct on November 10. He went the six furlongs in 1:09.2 that day. I also like #1 Winchill, who gets Johnny Velazquez aboard and whose two wins were both at six furlongs, #7 Dual Exhauzt, who posted a 93 Beyer at Calder last time out and you cannot discount those Calder horses anywhere they go anymore, and #8 Cane Garden Bay, who is 8-1 on the morning line and ran in a route Grade 2 at Churchill Downs last out behind Santiva, who was one of my Three To Watch in 2011.

Race 8- Optional Claimer on Turf (1 Mile)- This could be quite the difficult spot to trip up on in this sequence. The top selection in this one will be #11 Vanquisher, who is entering this easier spot (based on his recent races) out of Stakes company, running third in the Diliberto at Fair Grounds. He has two blistering Tampa workouts entering this try today. I also like #5 Rogue Victory, who has been off since the Saratoga summer season, but he has been working lights out also recently. I don't think you can ignore#4 Guys Reward, who might end of going off as the favorite in this one. He ran third in the Grade 3 Commonwealth at Churchill Downs in November over the turf there and gets Kent Desormeaux up Saturday. I am also going to include #8 Saint Dynaformer, who won last out with Paco Lopez aboard and looks to live to leave out at 12-1 on the morning line, #6 Jimmy Simms, who could steal it on the front end with Eibar Coa, and #10 Asphalt, who won in a similar situation at Gulfstream almost one year to the day.

Race 9- The Grade 3 $100,000 Hal's Hope- I think this could shape up a couple of ways. Either the speed of the speed (Morning Line) is going to run the other speed (Tackleberry and Rule) into the ground and win going away or the closers are going to make this very interesting when they hit the finish. I am going to side with Situation A here and single #3 Morning Line in the Bet Three. I just think he is going to be far too classy for these when it counts on Saturday.

Here is the Bet Three play on Races 7-9 at Gulfstream Park on Saturday:

$1 BET THREE: 1-5-7-8 with 4-5-6-8-10-11 with 3
TOTAL- $24

By the way, this year I will be tracking profit and loss on these suggested wagers. So far for 2011, the blog shows a profit of $31.40. Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!