Taking Charge of the Gulfstream Oaks
By: Laurie Ross, IMTBreds
The 1 1/16 mile Gulfstream Park
Oaks is one of the last steppingstones to the Kentucky Oaks. Some notable 3YO
fillies have used the Grade 2 event to springboard to fame. Only three fillies
have pulled off the Gulfstream Park Oaks/Kentucky Oaks double, Davona Dale
(1979), Open Mind (1989), and Dispute (1993). The Gulfstream Park Oaks certainly isn’t
without merit, as many fillies have gone on to greatness, despite not becoming
Kentucky Oaks winners. Dreaming of Julia, Grace Hall, Devil May Care, can be
found on the winning roster. Champion Songbird’s dam Ivanavinalot captured the
2003 Gulfstream Park Oaks.
This year, a full field of 13
fillies will enter the starting gate for the 2018 Gulfstream Park Oaks.
Main
Contenders
DAISY —
made a huge four-wide move in the 1 mile 40 yard Suncoast Stakes at
Tampa, but ran out of real estate, missing the victory by 3/4 length to C. S. Incharge. The daughter of Blame has a distance-loving pedigree and is making her
second start of the season. Trainer John Servis equips the dark bay miss with a
shiny new set of blinkers, hoping to get her into the game earlier in the race.
The trainer is 22% with that angle.
TAKE CHARGE PAULA — won the Forward Gal Stakes (G3) but was the beaten favorite
in the Davona Dale (G2), after racing farther back than her customary pace-pressing position. The daughter of Take Charge Indy is making her third start off
the layoff and gets a jock switch to Jose Ortiz.
C. S. INCHARGE — is a late bloomer. She hit the board only twice in four
starts last year but has won both of her
starts this year. She and Take Charge Paula share similar breeding; both are by
Take Charge Indy out of Unbridled sire
line mares. The Dale Romans trainee breaks from post #8, not a good spot for a filly
who likes to be forwardly placed since
she’ll be wide into the first turn and use up energy
to get a good position.
Top
Threats
COACH
ROCKS — finally had her picture taken after
six failed attempts. She’s only been out of the money twice in her careers. Sure,
she’s jumping from an 8-length maiden score into a contentious Grade 2 race,
but the daughter of Oxbow is another late bloomer bred to love two turns. Since
her dominating maiden victory, the Dale Romans trainee has been working lights
out at Gulfstream.
MIHRAB —
is stuck in the #12 post, but the one run closer should be able to hang back
and not lose too much ground after the first turn. Her running style isn’t conducive
to a win over the speed-favoring
Gulfstream dirt, but she’s stretching out to two turns since her debut, and the daughter of Tiznow will want every inch,
and then some. Trainer Graham Motion adds blinkers to Mihrab, perhaps in an effort to get her into the race earlier. He’s 21% with that angle.
PRINCESS WARRIOR — switches back to dirt in her second start off the
layoff. She owns a single victory, and her claim to fame was a distant second
in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) in her second start. The daughter of
Midshipman will break from post #9, not a good spot. Herr pedigree indicates
that she may be best as a miler, and she’ll lose some ground on the first turn.
Like Mihrab, Princess Warrior is a one-run
closer, so perhaps she’s good enough to get a minor placing.
Selections:
Will we
see an exacta for the exciting young sire Take Charge Indy? TAKE CHARGE PAULA, and C.
S. INCHARGE could do it. DAISY
could spoil their bid. COACH ROCKS
is a live longshot and look for MIHRAB
to come running late.
#3 TAKE CHARGE PAULA (4-1)
#5 DAISY (9-2)
#8 C. S. INCHARGE
(6-1)
#12 MIHRAB (12-1)
Handigambling:
Plenty of options in a full
field. Two choices, either spread the
cash out to cover the fillies most likely to hit the board in hopes of nailing
a big score, or keep it simple. I prefer the later, playing some exactas and tossing a few bucks on the live
longshots. Tip: ALWAYS box your exotic wagers.
$4
Exacta box: #3, #5, #8, #12, #2 = $80
$2 W/P
(4-1 or higher) #2, #12 = $12
$8 dried
out slice of pizza and bottle of water.
No comments:
Post a Comment