Gulfstream Park Championship meet opens with Claiming Crown

Gulfstream Park races year round but Saturday starts the best part of the season in South Florida as the Championship Meet begins. The Claiming Crown will be part of the opening day festivities as there are nine added money events for some of the top claiming runners from around the country. The $200,000 Jewel is the centerpiece and like most of the races drew a big full field. Indycott comes into this race off a big win against starter allowance foes, a couple of which he’ll see again in this race. Prior to that win he was third in the Temperence Hill Stakes at Belmont Park. Indycott has good speed but there is plenty of other gas signed on in this event including Market Blaster who ships down from Parx off a win against starter allowance foes. Todd Pletcher will send out African Fighter who is a deep closer that’s scored two very strong wins in a row. Another closer coming into this race sharp is Rich Daddy. He’s also got a strong win percentage at Gulfstream Park as he’s 3 for 7 there and has never been off the board in those seven local tries.

The Claiming Crown Emerald features Purely Boy who is looking for his fifth win in a row for trainer Mike Maker. Maker and his owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey always point towards this event with many of their horses so keep an eye on their names in the past performances. He’ll have to catch Roman Approval who drew the rail and likes to be on or near the lead. He’s been close in some graded stakes this season so should appreciate this slight drop. The Claiming Crown Express features sprinters like Alfredo Romana who has won four straight races up and down the Atlantic Coast. He does own a local win at Gulfstream as well.

The Claiming Crown Canterbury Stakes is 5 furlongs on the grass and features another wide open affair. Do the Roar is a multiple stakes winner at 5 furlongs at Gulfstream and owns 4 local wins there. The speedy My House could be a major player in the Claiming Crown Glass Slipper at a mile. She’s got 4 local wins and comes into the race off a big win against several of the rivals she’ll be seeing in the Glass Slipper. Trouble Kid has a massive class edge in the Claiming Crown Rapid Transit. He’s a Grade 3 winner and last time out won the $350,000 DeFrancis Dash before being disqualified. Stallwalkin Dude could make a race of it if he can get back into the form that saw him beaten just a neck in the Grade 1 Vosburgh three starts back.

The Distaff Dash on the grass, the Iron Horse for the older boys, and the Tiara for the grass fillies complete the Claiming Crown that gets underway at 12:05pm EST from Gulfstream Park.

BetPTC.com Selections for the Claiming Crown Jewel

1. Rich Daddy
2. Indycott
3. African Fighter

Longshot: Aces for John

BetPTC.com Selections for the Claiming Crown Emerald

1. Purely Boy
2. Yankee Dealer
3. Key To Power

Longshot: Dreams Cut Short

BetPTC.com Selections for the Claiming Crown Express

1. Loverbil
2. Alfredo Romana
3. Big Legacy

Longshot: Chepstow

BetPTC.com Selections for the Claiming Crown Canterbury Stakes

1. Do The Roar
2. Mcillroy
3. Dreaming of Neno

Longshot: Bottle Rocket

BetPTC.com Selections for the Claiming Crown Glass Slipper

1. My House
2. Moonshine Promise
3. Primo Via

Longshot: BL’s Wagon

BetPTC.com Selections for the Claiming Crown Rapid Transit

1. Trouble Kid
2. Stallwalkin Dude
3. Grande Shores

Longshot: Gryvon

BetPTC.com Selections for the Claiming Crown Distaff Dash

1. Spectacular Me
2. Katie O.
3. Silver Sashay

Longshot: Sunrise Kitty

BetPTC.com Selections for the Claiming Crown Iron Horse

1. Twocubanbrothersu
2. Nominative
3. Runs With Bulls

Longshot: Saturday Special

BetPTC.com Selections for the Claiming Crown Tiara

1. Jester and Me
2. Wild Swava
3. Quiet Kitten

Longshot: Rock Me Mama 

Turfway Park opens this week; Holiday Inaugural Saturday feature

Turfway Park in Northern Kentucky will open up for a four month stretch of racing on Thursday Night. Racing will be conducted on a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night schedule with first post at 6:15pm EST. Racing on Sundays will feature an afternoon first post of 2:30pm EST. The opening Saturday feature is the $50,000 Holiday Inaugural Stakes which drew a field of eleven to go six furlongs. Grade 2 winner Fioretti is coming off a disappointing effort in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint where she finished thirteenth. She drops back in class and comes to Turfway where she’s 2 for 3 in her career and if she can rebound from that poor start she could be tough. Swept Ashore will try stakes company for the first time and comes into this race off of three straight straight wins for the hot trainer Aaron West. Spanish Pipedream is a stakes winner at Turfway but will be coming into this race off a long layoff. But trainer Wesley Ward is always dangerous so she should be ready to roll.

BetPTC.com Selections for the Holiday Inaugural

1. Fioretti
2. Spanish Pipedream
3. Donita’s Ruler

Longshot: Rachel’s Ready

Los Alamitos Thoroughbreds get underway this week

Thoroughbreds will return to Los Alamitos for a three week meet that will feature racing on Thursdays through Sundays. The Grade 1 Starlet will be run on December 12^th and the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity will go to post on December 19^th. The opening weekend feature is the $100,000 Soviet Problem Stakes for two year old Cal bred fillies. The race is made up mostly of maiden breakers but Patriotic Diamond does own a win against allowance/optional claiming runners. The Patrick Biancone trainee has raced only at Del Mar so this will be her first start at Los Al.  Just Google Me won the the Barretts Debutante here at Los Alamitos this past summer and did it in big fashion, winning by nine lengths. She also broke her maiden at Los Alamitos in her only other local start. So a home court advantage does appear to be in her corner.

BetPTC.com Selections for the Soviet Problem

1. Just Google Me
2. Patriotic Diamond
3. Yodelsong

Longshot: Run For Retts

Saturday Stakes Action at BetPTC.com

Aqueduct

Race 8                  Garland of Roses Stakes             3:50pm EST

Golden Gate

Race 5                  Gold Rush Stakes                      5:45pm EST

Gulfstream Park

Race 3                  Claiming Crown Tiara                 1:05pm EST

Race 4                  Claiming Crown Iron Horse          1:35pm EST

Race 5                  Claiming Crown Distaff Dash        2:05pm EST

Race 6                  Claiming Crown Rapid Transit      2:35pm EST

Race 7                  Claiming Crown Glass Slipper       3:05pm EST

Race 8                  Claiming Crown Canterbury S.     3:35pm EST

Race 9                  Claiming Crown Express Stakes   4:05pm EST

Race 10                Claiming Crown Emerald Stakes   4:35pm EST

Race 11                Claiming Crown Jewel Stakes      5:05pm EST

Hawthorne

Race 7                  Illinois Debutante                      4:50pm EST

Laurel Park

Race 5                 Gin Talking Stakes                    2:12pm EST

Race 7                  Marylander Stakes                     3:07pm EST

Race 9                  Willa on the Move Stakes           4:01pm EST

Los Alamitos T-Bred

Race 8                  Soviet Problem Stakes               7:00pm EST

Mahoning Valley

Race 3                  Bobbie Bricker Memorial             1:38pm EST

Race 5                  Joshua Radosevich Memorial       2:32pm EST

Parx

Race 8                  Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes       3:34pm EST

Turf Paradise

Race 2                  Arizona Breeders’ Futurity          3:09pm EST

Race 3                  Cactus Wren Stakes                    3:39pm EST

Race 6                  Cactus Flower Stakes                5:09pm EST

Race 7                  Arizona Breeders’ Futurity        5:39pm EST

Turfway

Race 6                  Holiday Inaugural                      8:40pm EST

 

 

 

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