Gulfstream Park Picks: Pegasus World Cup Day LP4 ticket on January 29

The day has arrived! It's the Pegasus World Cup ... The Gulfstream Park Championship Meet is full-steam-ahead! With the addition of Tapeta, plus the MT and Turf Course, it gives bettors a myriad of options!

Saturday is World Cup Day at the South Florida track, and that means a full 12-race card brimming with action. We will have you covered with not only the Pegasus Turf and World Cup, but also a Late Pick 4 ticket for you betting enjoyment! 

At Horseracing.net/us we have you covered, including all of the action related to the Derby Trail! With the Holy Bull, Fountain of Youth, and the Florida Derby, it is going to be another excellent Florida Series @GP! It is a good time for some of the best that North American racing has to offer. Stay tuned! 

If you're looking for picks elsewhere around the country this Saturday be sure to check out our free Horse Racing Picks via the gold button below.

Pegasus World Cup Day: LATE PICK 4 …

LEG 1: (Race 9: Turf, 1 1/16th, Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf Inv. S. (G3), $500k, F&M 4+)

Heading out of the gate in this Pick 4 sequence on Pegasus Day, we find ourselves in the middle of a tough 9F contest. I am sure there are many bettors that are contemplating “Singling” Chad Brown’s Regal Glory #4. The mare by Animal Kingdom will probably end up being the favorite. I am against her because I think she is a miler, and going further can take its toll. Do not forget that she has not been seen since shipping out to Del Mar for the Matriarch (G1) in late November, so that could be a bit of an issue. I want a runner that was last seen on the turf course at Gulfstream. My top pick is Roger Attfield’s Lady Speightspeare #3. I am disappointed that the veteran trainer has bucked Emma-Jayne Wilson from the mount, and is instead going with Junior Alvarado. Don’t get me wrong, he is riding well. I liked this runner back when she was entered at Keeneland in the QE2 Cup. She scratched that day after been rambunctious in the gate. Returning in a G2 at Woodbine, she was solid … scoring a 4-length win. Even though she was 3rd last time out in the Trop Oaks 100k @GP, I thought she exhibited once again some forwardly-placed talent. She should be a good price, and one to include. Let’s add a couple of more, just for good measure … I am keen on Todd Pletcher’s Sweet Melania #1, and Saffie Joseph’s Shifty She #9. This pair were 1-2 in the prep for this one. Last time out in the Suwannee River (G3), they looked tough as nails being ridden by top S. FLA jocks, Luis Saez and Edwin Gonzalez. Bet’em … moving right along!

Selections: 1/3/9 (3-Deep)

LEG 2: (Race 10: Dirt, 1 Mile, Fred W. Hooper S., (G3), $150k, 4+)

A race named for one of the “good guys,” this year’s edition begins and ends with Todd Pletcher’s Fearless #1. Not only is he a classy gelding by Ghostzapper, but he exhibits such versatility. Need him to go long? Yep … he can do that. How about a 1-turn mile, like this race? I think so … He has tactical speed, and can really pick off opponents as a race unfolds. His last contest, the Harlan’s Holiday (G3) was a textbook success story in how to rate properly. There is no question that jockey Luis Saez is going to do his best to get out of the gate reasonably well, and take up a decent striking position. This will not be easy as his mount cruises past the Temp Rail. Speaking of passing … Saez was passed over in the Eclipse Award voting, and he is such a stellar pilot. I digress … As for this HOF conditioner, I think Pletcher has worked this 6-yr-old properly (3rd race in this form cycle) for Repole, and I do not see anyone else in here that meets his class level. That is why … I am fearless … “Single.”

Selections: 1 (Single)

LEG 3: (Race 11: Turf, 1 1/8th, Pegasus World Cup Turf Inv. S. (G1), $1 million, 4+)

If you had the available cash, maybe going with the “All” button would be sensible, especially with an expansive field as this one is for the WC Turf. The best way to diffuse the “Caveman” approach, as it has been dubbed, is to get some opinions … some defined ones. Based on my assessments earlier in the week, I truly like the look of Mike Maker’s Flavius #3, a runner that most recently was a Chad Brown-trainee. The 7-yr-old is full of deep experiences … 14 starts … with a record of 4-3-2 … I like his ability to exhibit a turn-of-foot at different stages of a race. Sometimes he breaks early, while other times, he comes from the clouds. Rating nicely is an important attribute, and with the skills of Paco Lopez, the ridgling could end up in the winner’s circle for an accomplished trainer. Maker knows how to claim … As for a couple other entries to include, I am going to pass on Todd Pletcher’s defending champ, Colonel Liam #6. The cavalry charger has not been seen since Belmont in early June, and even with Irad Ortiz, I am not sure just how he will react in a spot like this one … no prep Mr. Pletcher? Hmm … A pair that looks inviting for different reasons that I must include are Barclay Tagg’s Doswell #7 and Chad Brown’s lone offering, Sacred Life #8. The former is a Gulfstream horse-for-the-course, if there ever was one, and he has the hot-riding Junior Alvarado in the irons. As for the latter, he is strong at this distance, and I liked the way he handled the competition in the Grade 2 Knickerbocker back at Belmont in October (I like her despite the layoff since Nov.). These 3 runners should give us some solid prices on the tote, and a chance to move on to the final leg of this horizontal. Tally ho!

Selections: 3/7/8 (3-Deep)

LEG 4: (Race 12: Dirt, 1 1/8th, Pegasus World Cup Inv. S. (G1), $3 million, 4+)

To quote Goose … “It’s time for the big one.” The Pegasus WC chatter about Life Is Good #4 challenging Knicks Go #1 at Gulfstream Park was the talk of the town after the Breeders’ Cup. The Korea Racing Authority was up for one more race, and the son of Paynter was pointed to this one by trainer Brad Cox after he secured the Classic (G1) at Del Mar. That was a bitter sweet win for the Kentucky-based trainer because he had both Essential Quality, and the former member of Ben Colebrook’s stable in the race. Coming into his final bow before he heads to sire duties, I still see his early speed as both a blessing and a curse. If opponents allow him to get loose on the lead, he will decimate you. Yet, what happens when he doesn’t break well, or runs up against a more talented rival? That, in this instance, is Todd Pletcher’s rising star, Life Is Good. LIG, as he is known, looks bigger and even more fit than he did at the Breeders’ Cup when he won easily in the Dirt Mile (G1). Interestingly enough, Cox and Pletcher shared the same barn at Del Mar, and these 2 were back-to-back in their stalls. LIG, to my eye, because I saw both of them up-close, looks to be more mature, and stronger. His ability to “press” the grey is going to be an asset. “Knicks” might be able to run the floor, but LIG, a son of Into Mischief, has the skills to catch-up. If Irad Ortiz can track Joel Rosario, then I predict that the day will be his. WinStar wins … For those reasons, in this match race, it is a “Single” to round out the sequence.

Selections: 4 (Single)

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Ticket: 1,3,9 / 1 / 3,7,8 / 4

1.00 LP4 TICKET COST: $9.00

Enjoy some action from South Florida at Gulfstream Park! The tradition at Pegasus World Cup Day continues … Be sure to follow us on Twitter … Horseracing_USA !!!