BANKROLL

BANKROLL: $789.25

If you’ve been following Florida horse racing, chances are you know about the owners of Gulfstream Park aggressively attempting to decouple racing and slots. An initial attempt featured them attempting to bully horsepeople into going along with the deal by promising them racing into the 2028 calendar year. That thankfully failed, but gambling attorney Daniel Wallach reports that a lawsuit has been filed.

I’m not a lawyer. If you want to read the lawsuit, check out Wallach’s post on X from late Tuesday night. What I do know is this: If Gulfstream is allowed to decouple, it’s the first domino to fall in another big track closing up shop. Nobody who genuinely cares about the sport of horse racing should want this to happen, and we should be actively mobilizing against it. Who’s with me?

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS: My exacta ran 2-3 in the third behind a pretty big price, and I dropped $20.

THURSDAY’S PLAY: I’ll play a double that keys one favorite and tries to beat another. My $10 ticket starts by singling #1 GOLDEN DEGREE/#1A PROUD FOOT in the third and finishes with #6 ALLURING ANGEL and #8 BREATH AWAY in the fourth.

TOTAL WAGERED: $20.

SARATOGA SELECTIONS AND ANALYSIS

Best Bet: Kavanaugh, Race 1
Longshot: Laurice, Race 7

R1

Kavanaugh
Otto Nipoti
Down the Line

#4 KAVANAUGH (7/5): Looks hard to go against in the Thursday lid-lifter. He takes one of the biggest drops in racing (from maiden special weight to maiden claiming), and while his most recent effort was a total clunker, he’s got back races that probably bury this bunch; #5 OTTO NIPOTI (9/2): Showed some speed in his debut going shorter, and he’s bred to get better with distance and experience. He’ll need to step forward considerably from that effort, but at least there are some indications he may be able to do that; #1 DOWN THE LINE (10-1): May have been compromised by mud and a wide trip last time at Aqueduct, and his race two back at Monmouth wasn’t terrible. If he runs back to that effort, he could get a piece of this at a price.

R2

Tartabull (MTO)
Noble Dynasty
Olivetti

#4 NOBLE DYNASTY (7/2): Has some of the best breeding you’ll see, being by standout UK sire Kingman and out of a stakes-placed mare whose dam was Hall of Famer Royal Delta. He’s been working well ahead of his unveiling, and if he runs to the pedigree, he’ll be tough; #5 OLIVETTI (6-1): Is one of two Chad Brown trainees, and he’s bred to be a good one. He’s a half to multiple graded stakes winner Fort Washington, and the morning line price hits me as a bit of an overlay. Watch the board carefully; #1 OUR MAGICAL MOON (10-1): Comes in off of a big gate drill, and while I’m not sure the pedigree says turf, he’s got a right to be a runner. He sold for $500,000 at auction last year and is kin to Grade 3 winner Dixie Serenade, among others.

R3

Rice entry
Ready for Trouble
Despo’s Dream

RICE ENTRY (4/5): Both #1 GOLDEN DEGREE and #1A PROUD FOOT can win, and assuming both parts of the entry run, they should do so as overwhelming favorites. The former seems like the main speed, while the latter has been running against better for most of her career; #3 READY FOR TROUBLE (9/2): Comes back to the right level second off the claim after running fourth against allowance company at Churchill. Her two and three-back efforts against similar were pretty sharp, and a return to this tier could wake her up; #5 DESPO’S DREAM (8-1): Took advantage of a picture-perfect trip last time out, but to be fair, she’s had a solid year, with three wins and two seconds in 10 starts. I’m not sure she gets an easy lead here, but Prat rides back, and that’s a plus.

R4

Regaled (MTO)
Breath Away
Alluring Angel

#8 BREATH AWAY (5/2): Runs outside of stakes company for the first time since last summer and exits a series of strong efforts at Gulfstream Park. Her lone start here was a win, and I think she’ll benefit from getting back to this level; #6 ALLURING ANGEL (9/2): Won her only prior start with Lasix and gets it again after being beaten less than two lengths in the De La Rose last month. That was her first start since September, so she may very well have needed that effort; #1 VIVA VEUVE (2-1): May go favored off of a big win at Churchill over an impressive next-out winner, but I have some doubts. She’s a late-running type that may need more pace than she’s likely to get here, the rail draw could prove tricky given her running style, and this is a very classy group for the condition.

R5

The Closer
Shadow Surge
Fiscal Drag

#3 THE CLOSER (3-1): Improved at second asking when second downstate despite a wide trip. The slight cutback in distance should help him, and further improvement in his third lifetime start could lead to his first trip to the winner’s circle; #6 SHADOW SURGE (4-1): Has been off over 15 months and returns for a tag, which raises some questions. However, this barn isn’t afraid to get aggressive, and a bullet drill over this course last month hints he may be ready to go; #1 FISCAL DRAG (5/2): Ran twice at Monmouth and both cuts back and drops down. This barn shipping in from Jersey isn’t quite the red flag it used to be, but there’s a lot going on here and I’m not sure I want a short price on him. I’ll take a mild stand against.

R6

Hoops Rivalry
Spirit Doll
Oscar Bound

#10 HOOPS RIVALRY (4-1): Gets a tepid nod in a wide-open 2-year-old event. She just barely qualifies for this condition, having sold for exactly $60,000. She’s got a few very strong works and is kin to graded stakes-placed runner Irish Mischief, among others; #9 SPIRIT DOLL (6-1): Is one of two in here for the Saffie Joseph barn and posted a blazing gate drill a few days ago. I’m wondering why this outfit runs a pair, but this is where Jose Ortiz winds up, and that could be a clue; #7 OSCAR BOUND (5-1): Has been training forwardly for Melanie Giddings, who’s connected a few times at this stand already. The bottom-side pedigree indicates she may want a bit longer, but it certainly seems like there’s talent here.

R7

Flat Out Time (MTO)
Love Cervere
Laurice

#11 LOVE CERVERE (7/2): Is one of only a few closers in the Galway, and that should work to her advantage. She’s reunited with Joel Rosario, who feels like the perfect rider for her, and the faster they go early, the better her chances figure to be; #10 LAURICE (15-1): Is one of several in here trained by George Weaver, and while she’ll be a price, she’s the one I’m most intrigued by. She’s a stalker rather than a “need the lead” horse, and her last-out effort in the Grade 3 Coronation Cup was far from bad; #9 LUNA LOUSKA (6-1): Hasn’t been headed since switching from dirt to synthetic and turf and may very well make the lead again here. The issue is that there’s a lot of early speed to her inside, and I question how much she’ll have left when the field turns for home.

R8

Iron Dome
Aelfgar
Jaa Mode

#6 IRON DOME (7/5): Ran a career-best race to break his maiden last time out and tries winners for the first time. That’s a significant class jump, but that last-out score may have been a breakthrough, and he may not be done moving forward yet; #3 AELFGAR (8-1): Had back-to-back wins at Finger Lakes and didn’t run badly last time out in his local debut. That day’s winner was much the best, but this one was the only other horse in there that did any running; #9 JAA MODE (6-1): Came off the bench to run third in his first start since July last time out. He might’ve needed that race, and I think he’ll improve getting back to a two-turn route of ground. If he runs back to his two-back effort at this route, he’s got a chance.

R9

Fort Nelson (MTO)
Valuation Metric
Insubordination

#7 VALUATION METRIC (9/2): Makes his 2025 debut after being on the shelf since a win in last year’s Awad downstate. He gets Lasix for the first time here, regular rider Flavien Prat is up, and he’ll have every chance if he’s ready to run; #5 INSUBORDINATION (8-1): Stretches out to two turns, which is curious, but he drops down in class and that may be what he needs. He’s tackled some nice horses at higher levels, and he gets Lasix back for the first time since his maiden-breaking score; #1 STATES’ RIGHTS (3-1): Is certainly one of the more talented horses in here and can win on his best day. However, his tendency to find trouble is a concern, and those horses getting rail draws is usually a recipe for more trouble. He could win, but it feels like he’s had plenty of chances at this level.

R10

Alittlebitnaughty
Saipan (AE)
Princess Summer

#5 ALITTLEBITNAUGHTY (4-1): Makes her first start for Linda Rice and gets to what’s probably the right level. She’s had some chances, but those have come against better fields, and it seems like she’s found her friends in the Thursday nightcap; #13 SAIPAN (9/2): Needs a scratch to draw in, but merits a long look if she gets to run. She’s been second twice at this level, and while the post would be a problem, she more than fits on speed figures and would be very logical; #8 PRINCESS SUMMER (5/2): Has taken money twice at this level, but while she was a decent second two back, she was a distant third last time out. The switch to Irad Ortiz Jr. is a big one, and maybe it moves her forward, but I need more of a price than I’m likely to get.