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Horse Betting » Horse Betting Articles » Three Year Olds Take Center Stage at Gulfstream Park

Three Year Olds Take Center Stage at Gulfstream Park

By Mike Dempsey

Two races that may produce a few Kentucky Derby prospects and a good betting race for three-year-old fillies highlight an outstanding 11-race card at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.

The feature is the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2), which features the three-year-old debut of the highly regarded To Honor and Serve.

The Bill Mott trainee won the Nashua (G3) and Remsen (G2) last year and closed at 10/1 betting odds in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

The colt faces seven foes in his first start off a three month layoff including Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G2) runner up Soldat, Delta Jackpot (G3) winner Gourmet Dinner, and a couple of promising three-year-olds making their stakes debuts, Shackleford and Bowman’s Causeway.

The $150,000 Hutcheson (G2) at seven furlongs drew a field of ten three-year-olds and could produce a couple of runners for the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) on April 3.

In addition, don’t forget about the ladies. Nine three-year-old fillies will go in the $250,000 Davona Dale (G2) at one mile on the main track.

The top four finishers from last month’s Forward Gal (G2) go at each other again.

Here is a quick look at the trio of outstanding betting races on Saturday’s card:

The Davona Dale (G2)
Oh Carole makes her stakes debut while stretching out to a mile here for the Eddie Kenneally barn. The filly was a good looking winner last out against first level allowance foes off a three month layoff. She broke her maiden in her debut last fall at Keeneland going seven furlongs on the polytrack. She should have no problem handling the extra ground. She is by Unbridled’s Song out of a Storm Cat mare. The barn is 17% winners moving runners from sprint to route. This filly still appears to have a ton of upside potential.

Selections: Oh Carole – R Heat Lightning – Dancinginherdreams

The Hutcheson (G2)

Leave of Absence was my top pick in the Holy Bull (G3) on Jan. 30 and the Richard Violette trainee failed to fire. The colt was squeezed back and bumped between rivals leaving the chute. The fourth place finisher was Mucho Macho Man, who came back to win the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds on Feb. 19. Two back our top pick was a solid second in the Spectacular Bid going six furlongs in his three year old debut. He showed he has some talent with a good looking maiden score three back. The runner up Rift ran third in the Jimmy Winkfield, then beat Alw-1 optional claimers in his most recent start. The colt has come back with three solid works and the barn adds blinkers today. This is a tough spot, but a clean trip and he should move forward nicely off his last effort and the price will be right in this wide open race.

Selections: Leave of Absence – Travelin Man – Royal Currier

The Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2)
Shackleford was a good looking winner against Alw-1 foes in his local debut and he did it at nine furlongs. The colt did not garner much attention at the betting windows in his two maiden races, 18/1 in his debut, then 25/1 when he broke his maiden at Churchill Downs going seven furlongs in his second career start. Three runners he beat did come back to graduate in their next starts. The colt came back with a good breeze since his last start and he still appears to have some upside. He has a nice pedigree, by Forestry out of an Unbridled mare that has dropped several other nice runners including stakes winners Lady Joanne ($987K) and Baghdaria ($725K). He looks as if he is sitting on a big effort here and we should catch a decent price.

Selections: Shackleford – Soldat – To Honor and Serve

If you are looking for full card analysis and selections for Gulfstream Park and Aqueduct, along with Mike’s Best Plays, go to our Horse Handicapping Picks Page.