Best Horse Racing Bets Today | Gulfstream Park

With seven graded stakes on tap, Saturday at Gulfstream Park promises to be an intriguing day of racing. Leading the way will be the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes for 3-year-old males. An important prep for the Kentucky Derby, the race has been a stepping stone for many colts who went on to find success in the Triple Crown series. Graded stakes winners Sovereignty, Burnham Square, and the unbeaten River Thames top this year’s field.  

Among the other graded stakes races of the day, the highly regarded Mindframe makes his long awaited return in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile. It will be his first start since finishing second in the Grade 1 Haskell last summer. Other highlights include a dozen older turf males in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes and Kentucky Oaks hopefuls in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes. Without further ado, let's get to my analysis, top picks, and suggested wagers for this excellent card of racing.

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Race #8 Davona Dale Stakes (Grade 2) $215,000 1-Mile Dirt- 3:04pm EST

Fresh off a romping Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs win in her sophomore debut, La Cara comes right back as the filly to beat in Saturday’s Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The daughter of Street Sense finished off her juvenile campaign with a fifth-place finish behind the champion Immersive in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Before that, however, she looked very good with a rallying win in the Grade 3 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs. With a versatile running style, the classy Mark Casse-trained filly is a legitimate favorite in this one-mile affair.

The two fillies most likely to deny La Cara in the Davona Dale are The Queens M G and Ballerina d’Oro. The latter comes from the powerhouse barn of Chad Brown. After a promising start to her career on the grass, the Medaglia d’Oro made a strong dirt debut late last fall when a rallying second in the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct. She has very little early speed, so her chances would improve with a fast and contentious early pace.

The Queens M G, meanwhile, should be much closer to the pace than Ballerina d’Oro. Twice a stakes winner last summer at Saratoga while sprinting, she got a good prep for this one when finishing a decent third over the track in the Grade 3 Forward Gal. The one-turn mile here should suit her well. Still, I do believe La Cara is the one to beat in this one. She is the top pick.

My Plays

• $5 Trifecta Key - La Cara over The Queens M G, Ballerina d’Oro, and Frida = $30

• $2 Trifecta Key - The Queens M G over La Cara, Ballerina d’Oro, and Frida = $12

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Race #11 Gulfstream Park Mile (Grade 2) $215,000 1-Mile Dirt- 4:34pm EST

After an extremely promising initial four races to begin his career, Mindframe returns as a 4-year-old in hopes of fulfilling his massive potential. He’ll be the favorite against eight other older males in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile on Saturday. 

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the handsome Constitution won his first two starts in maiden and allowance company like a very good thing. In his third career race, he came up just short against Dornoch in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes. That same rival turned him away again when he was second in the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes. A minor injury cut his first season short, but now he returns to the scene of his debut win after a series of solid workouts. He should be tough to beat here.

Perhaps the biggest danger to the favorite is another lightly raced 4-year-old. After just missing in his debut, Encino has rattled off four consecutive wins. He won the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes in gate to wire fashion, but was also sidelined by injury. In his first race back, he wired allowance company at Fair Grounds just over six weeks ago.

Another danger to the favorite is Steal Sunshine. A hard-hitting 6-year-old, he has won six times at Gulfstream Park. A narrow winner of this race last year, he finished mid-pack in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) in his most recent start. Both Encino and Steal Sunshine are nice horses, but I believe Mindframe is destined for bigger and better things. He is the top pick.

My Play

• $5 Trifecta Key - Midframe over Steal Sunshine, Encino, and Secret Chat = $30

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Race #13 Fountain of Youth Stakes (Grade 2) $415,000 1 1/16-Miles Dirt- 5:44pm EST

Led by the interesting trio of Sovereignty, River Thames, and Burnham Square, Saturday’s Grade Fountain of Youth Stakes should prove an important prep on the road to the 2025 Kentucky Derby.

On the strength of an extremely impressive win in last fall’s Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs, Sovereignty could be the betting favorite in this 1 1/16-mile test. A son of top sire Into Mischief, he improved with each of his three races as a juvenile culminating with the five-length win at the host of the Kentucky Derby. The Godolphin homebred has had a string of workouts of late for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in preparation for his first race in just over four months.

If Sovereignty is not the favorite on Saturday, look for favoritism to fall to River Thames. A New York-bred son of Maclean’s Music, he has rattled off two sharp wins over the track already this year to begin his career. There should be a strong early pace here which could make things tougher for this one down the lane.

If the pace is fast, that should suit Burnham Square just fine. The Liam’s Map colt has looked very good since coming to Gulfstream Park and adding blinkers late last year. His two wins over the track include a strong rally to win the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes one month ago. I like his chances again. Burnham Square will be my top pick.

My Play 

• $10 Daily Double Part Wheel - Burnham Square with Grand Sonata, Missed the Cut, Cash Equity, and Dashman = $40

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Race #14 Mac Diarmida Stakes (Grade 2) $215,000 1 3/8-Miles Turf- 6:14pm EST

Back at a longer distance he prefers, Grand Sonata is the morning line favorite in a deep field of older turf males in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Although he only won once in seven starts last season, the 6-year-old veteran ran a number of strong races for trainer Todd Pletcher. He broke through with a win in the Grade 2 Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs at 12 furlongs and also missed in the 11 furlong, Grade 2 United Nations. In both of his most recent starts, he was beaten running shorter against good horses at Gulfstream Park.

A winner of 7-of-17 lifetime, Missed the Cut is an intriguing challenger here. Also a 6-year-old, the well traveled horse won a pair of graded stakes in California early last year, but has not been seen since a disappointing effort at Royal Ascot late last spring. If he returns ready to roll for trainer Cherie DeVaux, he is a threat to win the whole thing.

Two others who cannot be ignored are Cash Equity and Dashman, who were separated by a nose in the recent Grade 3 McKnight at Gulfstream. The latter is a veteran French-bred who has found tough luck of late, while the latter scored the win last time in his first race as an older horse. He also seems to enjoy the longer races and could well repeat here at attractive odds once again. Dashman is my top pick.

My Plays

• $5 Exacta Box - Dashman, Grand Sonata, and Cash Equity = $30

• $5 Exacta Box - Dashman, Grand Sonata, and Sugoi = $30

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