GULFSTREAM, MARCH 24

Race 1
6F claimer for $20,000 NW3

Jeux De Danse 4/1. Clement layoff horse. Good for one win and out. Has fig but new jock, when familiar jocks were available. Usually a router. Prep race? Works don't seem sharp.

2/1 ML favorite, First By Five, is 2 for 14, with slow, cheap wins. Faded at this level in last. No sign of really sustained form.

3/1 Tattooed Lady, owned and trained by a novice. Just claimed off a race where she seemed to be going sour. Lost last in stretch.

6/1 Song and Delight. Spectacular maiden win at GP, then move to BEL where stumbled out of gate and blew two N1x races. Winning J&T. Won last at lower level off a layoff. I think this horse has the most raw talent, and Jerkens can squeeze another win against a group with no real standouts.

Race 2
1 mile $30,000 claimer Nw2

9/5 Northern Linkage. Pilotti claimes him back. Pilotti took over this horse after another trainer went o-4 on the maiden tries. In that one scored an 82, battled for and took the lead at the second call. Rough trip in next two races. Not a proven miler.

2/1 Rachel's Dancer. Won maiden on great trip in 14th try. No confidence in trainer/jock.
Coupled with Moonlight Event, fading steadily since maiden win.

4/1 Successful Return. Won maiden in slop. Rising figs, but could do nothing from mid pack in slow paced last. Trainer winning 4%.

6/1 Out on Top. A downstream trainer claim. Offtrack maiden win at AQU.

8/1 Dancer's Lad. Just won mediocre maiden.

8/1 William G Claimed after decent maiden win, keeps winning jock. Would be worth a flyer if odds hold up. Has the fewest question marks.

Race 3
1 mile claimer $10,000 nw3

9/5 Seattle Ice. Runs with the pace and hangs. Level 1 win was slop. Poor trainer.

2/1 Howdy Pardner. Good trainer jockey. Not a miler. Likes 2nd place.

3/1 My Lipstick. Stalker. Switches to bad jock. Has bad trainer. 2/32 lifetime.

6/1 Mother With Class. Gave up last time in longer race. Improving. But 0/3 at distance and 0/4 at track. Could wire the 8 furlongs in front of the two hangers.

RACE 4
1 mile claiming $50,000

8/5 Big Booster. Toss troubled last on turf. New, better trainer. Best win $50c at 102, fought back. J/T at 20%.

2/1 Nakayama Kun. Will be fresh from layoff. 3/10 at the mile. Winning jock. Best win El Paso 1 mile, 50k handicap, closed on a blitzkreig pace.

3/1 Sir Jackie. Layoff, switches from bad trainer to Klesaris. A mile on the dirt is his distance. 0 for his last 10. Has the figs. Klesaris is part owner. I'm a believer. Fair odds: 3/1.

Race 5:
1 mile turf, claiming $75,000

4/1 Ballet Fever. Outside post, bad trainer, new jockey. Best win far below this level, no excuse for bad last in Alw-1.

3/1 T Harry. Moves to better trainer. good jock. 0/5 since maiden. Raced a lot of off tracks, tho, and made nice move in stretch of the last after fast pace.

2/1 Bentrovhto. Goes to mediocre trainer who's 5/51 first time on grass. MTO?

8/1 Duke's Flying Tiger 01/ on turf, awful trainer.

5/2 Scott's Time. Rising figs, 2nd after layoff. We're down!

RACE 6:
6 furlong claimer for $10,000

5/2 Legacy's Honor (1A in entry). Loves to finish second. 1 win in his last seven was when he got the early lead, slowed the pace and wired. He is not the speed today. Doctor Voodoo and Refinery Road are more likely up front.

3/1 Island Sky. Victim of a negative claim.

5/1 Jumpin Jazz Man. Bad form, weak trainer. Or is it the other way around?

4/1 Doctor Voodoo likes the distance. He has the talent and the jock but dammit, loves to fade in the stretch.

6/1 Refinery Road. Won at C-8000, then got too ambitious with the starter allowance and was never in it. Now, 3rd race after layoff, and in a race that makes sense for him, he's ready to surprise us. Could get the lead or the garden spot.

RACE 7:
Palm Beach Stakes
8.5 furlongs on the turf for $150k

8/5 Soldier's Dancer vs...
5/2 Storm in May.

Otherwise a mighty weak field of just-maiden winners.

RACE 9:
8.5 furlongs on the turf for maiden winners. $46k.

Interesting. Kiaran McLaughlin trains 3 of the top contenders.

3/1 Bedford Falls and...
3/1 Foreign Minister

Are owned by the powerhouse Darley Stable.

4/1 Saratoga Saint
is owned by Sarah and Fred Mead.

Fernando Jara is Saratoga Saint's regular jockey. He's also one of McLaughlin's favorites. Which horse is Jara riding? Foreign Minister, a horse that's a stranger to him.

He puts Elvis Trujillo on Saratoga Saint and Manny Cruz on Bedford Falls.

What does this tell us?

That McLaughlin thinks Foreign Mininister has the best chance, so has recruited his star jockey for that ride?

Or that McLaughlin is putting Jara on Foreign Minister to please the powerhouse stable?

Or that Darley has first dibs on Jara?

I don't know, but the owners of Saratoga Saint are getting screwed.

Nevertheless, Saratoga Saint is a dramatically improving horse in only his 4th race. He won his only other turf event after a furious battle up front on a hot pace. He lost such a battle on the dirt in his Alw-1 race. His speed figures are rising and he's working like a champ.

I hope the crowd bets the entry down to 1/5 and I get good odds on the Saint.