Gulfstream Park Picks: Zippy Baby should bounce back in Race 5

A full card of 12 races is on tap for Saturday at Gulfstream Park, led by the G3 Hurricane Bertie and a pair of stakes races for 3-year-old turf sprinters. Our in-house handicapper is on the case with picks for the whole card and additional analysis of a few of the races.

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

Most Likely Winner:  Pacific Gale (Race 10) - This 6-year-old mare came alive last out in the G2 Inside Information at odds of 16-1, drawing off to a 2 ¾-length victory with a 93 Beyer Speed Figure. It’s tempting to label that race a fluke, however Pacific Gale has back class and perhaps her sudden improvement has to do with her running without Lasix. Regardless, if she runs anything close to that performance in a talent-barren edition of the G3 Hurricane Bertie, she’s going to win.

Best Value:  Zippy Baby (Race 5) - I liked Zippy Baby in his last race going first off-the-claim for trainer Kelly Breen, but he had no shot behind a glacial pace and even had to deal with some traffic in the stretch. The race was unsurprisingly won wire-to-wire by Yes This Time, but there’s a good deal more speed signed on for this race to potentially challenge him early. If Zippy Baby gets at least a fair setup I believe he’s going to win this race at what should be a generous price.

Other Races of Interest:  Race 7 - If Wink (#4) is truly going to be a heavy favorite in the Melody of Colors (she’s listed at 6-5 on the morning line), I think there’s going to be plenty of value to go around. Wink can of course win as she makes her 3-year-old debut for trainer Wesley Ward, however nothing in her past performances suggests she has a big edge on this field unless she improves dramatically off her juvenile form. I much prefer Lionessofbrittany (#7) from a price standpoint, who was unwisely rated in her last start when she stretched out in distance in the G3 Sweetest Chant. Lionessofbrittany should very much appreciate cutting back in distance, and if she reverts the kind of effort we saw two back from her, when she pressed a rapid pace and still held on to win, she’s going to be a major player.

Race 9 - This is a not a very good first-level allowance race, so I’m more than willing to take a shot with the talented Tiesto (#10) fresh off a lengthy layoff. Tiesto isn’t the most trustworthy, but he’s shown a bit of quality, including a second-place finish in the G3 Palm Beach over this turf course, and should be ready to fire as he goes out for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Given Mott’s torrid run at the meet, I think it’s fair to expect a top effort from Tiesto, and it’s not even like he needs to improve off his 3-year-old form to win.

*If you're interested in seeing payouts for these races, you can find them on our Results page linked to below*