By Joe Quillen
Saturday 12/30/23 – Races from Laurel Park & Gulfstream Park
Once again, I am choosing to mix things up for my readers here as I will look at not one, not two, but three races today. I’ll look at two races at Laurel Park, and a single race from Gulfstream Park. If you’re following along this week, you know that since Tuesday, I have given out four winners this week. They may not be super longshots, but like Mike Singletary once said, “I WANT WINNERS!”. Let’s see if I can make Mike proud and get some more winners here on this final Saturday of 2023.
Race 7 at Laurel is The Gin Talking Stakes which is a seven-furlong race for two year old fillies and the post time is approximately 3:20 pm ET. This race looks like a race that sets up very nicely for the morning line favorite, the 4 Cap Classique (6/5 ML) has speed here that she will be targeting here.
The 2 Carmelina (7/2 ML) has the potential to be out on the lead alone in this, but I think that the 3 Munny Grab (3/1 ML), who is shortening up from a mile win at Aqueduct, and the 6 Kissedbyanangel (8/1 ML) who went gate to wire at this distance earlier in the month, has the potential to be up there as well.
This race sets up very nicely for the favorite. It also helps that the jockey/trainer combination of Jevian Toledo and Brittany Russell win at 30 percent both with their races at Laurel and overall. How can you ignore that? Yes, I’m telling you to play chalk here, and I’m trying not to do that. But this is an obvious winner here in Cap Classique. I’ll play $20 on the 4 here in the seventh at Laurel.
Race 8 at Laurel is the colts and gelding version of race 7. This race is The Heft Stakes with eight colts and geldings entered. Post time is 3:52 pm for this race.
We have another potential for a heavy favorite here with the 4 Great Opportunity (8/5 ML favorite). There’s a deadly combination here with jock Sheldon Russell and trainer Brittany Russell here, but I think this race is a great opportunity to look elsewhere. I wouldn’t be surprised if this horse romps in his second career start, but I want to make some money here.
The 3 Sweet Soddy J (3/1 ML) is coming back to Laurel after a failed trip to Oaklawn Park at the beginning of the month in the Advent Stakes on opening weekend. The field shouldn’t be as hard here as it was in Hot Springs.
But I am swinging for the fences here with the 7 Deposition (6/1 ML). This is a Parx connection of Dexter Haddock riding for Uriah St. Lewis. Uriah St. Lewis doesn’t win many races as a trainer, but these types of races are the races he wins. He will pull off a headscratcher time and time again.
This won’t be that large of a longshot (I’d be happy with 10/1 odds). He stalked behind the pace going longer at Parx. He’s had trouble the last two races, and if he has no trouble, this has the potential to be a shocker here.
I’ll go with Deposition here in the eight at Laurel, and my play is $10 on the 7.
Then we head to Gulfstream for the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday which is a mile and one sixteenth race for horses three years old and up. Note this is a quirky setup as there will be a very short run into the first turn which will hang out the horses in the outside post positions, and a short run to the short stretch finish line.
If you like the 5 Signator (8/1 ML) in this race, keep an eye on the scratches on Saturday morning as he is cross entered for the eighth race at Aqueduct. But I am going to go in a different direction. The 9 Gasoline (9/2 ML) appears to be the danger here as he has the always dangerous Irad Ortiz/Todd Pletcher combo. But if this gelding does start from the 9 post, I’m going to toss here though I can see an improvement.
The 6 O’Connor (5/2 ML favorite) shortens up after winning at Keeneland in the Grade 2 Fayette in October, and Saffie Joseph is at his home track. I’m going to try to beat both the 6 and the 9 here with the 4 Blue Devil (6/1 ML).
Blue Devil almost won the Lukas Classic two back at Churchill in September and regressed a little bit in the Clark last month, but I think this horse will bounce back here in this race. He’s got an advantageous post here and should be there in the end to win this at a good price. I’ll play $10 on the 4 here in the 10th at Gulfstream.
If there are any scratches to my top picks, check my Twitter (@JoeQuills) and I will try to give you a backup pick for any or all of these three races. Good luck everyone, and catch you on Sunday for the final race or races of 2023.
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