Garrity picks the Easter Sunday horse racing at Gulfstream Park
Happy Easter to all those who celebrate. Because of the holiday, there are races at only one track today, Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida, where it will be fast and firm. We have just a couple of plays, but we hope that they will allow your bankroll to rise from the dead. Let’s go.
Gulfstream Park, Race 6, 2:25 pm ET
Maiden Special Weight, 1 mile, Dirt, Fillies & Mares 3 & Up
This maiden race at a mile on the main track drew a field of nine females. There are some well-bred and expensive ones among them, and we like one of them: 5-Primacy, a daughter of Union Rags who starts for trainer Chad Brown. She just missed in her last race, which was her career debut, finishing second, three-quarters of a length behind the winner, in a maiden race at Gulfstream on February 23. That race was at 6 ½ furlongs; we think the added distance today will help her. We see her stalking the pace, and getting her picture taken with a move at the top of the stretch. We will bet her to win at 5/2. The bet: Gulfstream Park, Race 6, $35 to win on 5-Primacy.
Gulfstream Park, Race 9, 3:59 pm ET
Allowance/Optional Claiming, 6 furlongs, Dirt, Florida-bred Fillies & Mares 3 & Up
This first-level allowance/optional claimer for state-breds drew eight runners. We like a filly at a price: it’s 7-Royal Meghan, who starts for trainer Fernando Abreu. She broke her maiden in her last start by stalking a fast pace, and we think that she will get a similar setup today, as a couple of the other runners are need-the-lead speed types who should set a pace that is as fast as it is unsustainable. One of the runners should be able to pick up the pieces, and pass the tiring pacesetters late, and we think that Royal Meghan will be the one to do it: she has the right running style, and her outside post is the perfect position from which to stalk. We will bet her to win at 10-1. The bet: Gulfstream Park, Race 9, $40 to win on 7-Royal Meghan.
Gulfstream Park, Race 11, 5:01 pm
Allowance/Optional Claiming, 6 furlongs, Dirt, Fillies & Mares 3 & Up
Ten go in this second-level allowance/optional claimer for females. We see another fast pace in here, and another winner coming from just off it: 7-Naked Avenger, who will be saddled by trainer Tim Hills. She is a lightly-raced 3-year-old daughter of Congrats who drops into this allowance off a layoff, and after running in two consecutive stakes races in New York. She’s run three times, and won two of them, so she knows how to find the winner’s circle, and while she will need to improve from a speed figure standpoint to win today, we think that she will be able to do so, as horses mature a lot between the fall of their 2-year-old season and the spring of their 3-year-old season. Both her wins came by coming from just off the pace, and we see a repeat for her today. At 6-1, she merits a play. We will bet her to win. The bet: Gulfstream Park, Race 11, $40 to win on 7-Naked Avenger.
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That’s all for today. Enjoy the racing, stay safe, and, as always, good luck at the windows.