Horse Racing Trader’s Tips: Gulfstream Park – Friday 17th April
Our trader Ian Rozzier gives his picks ahead of Friday night’s meeting
We’re heading back to Florida where the Gulfstream Park racecourse presses on with it’s Spring Meet with another 10-race card.
The feature race of the evening is an allowance event at 21:46, where four of the 12-strong field won last-time out. Before of the action gets underway, our trader looks ahead at what to look out for.
Leading Jockey
The Top Jockey honours through this Spring Meet look set to go to one of Tyler Gaffalione and Luis Saez.
Gaffalione has a 19 to 14 lead in winners against Saez so far, but it’s still early days. Saez is a well-established winning machine Stateside, and he’ll be looking to hit the 200-winner mark for the sixth successive year. In 2019, he rode a mighty 274 winners.
The Panamanian jockey has every chance of hitting a new personal best this term, as he’s maintained a steady strike rate of 20%, with 90 winners from 453 rides so far.
American rising star Gaffalione is also landing winners at a rapid rate despite only graduating from the apprentice ranks in 2015. The Florida native has ridden over 1000 winners since the start of 2016.
Tyler Gaffalione booked rides: Harmonic Thunder (18:00), Golden Pal (18:30), Fantastic Fraction (19:39), Lake Parima (20:11), Mihos (20:43), Wild One Forever (21:15), Notorious R B G (21:46), Fortin Hill (22:17) & Maverick Kitten (22:47).
Luis Saez booked rides: Halfy (18:00), Bailey (18:30), Garner State Park (19:39), Philly Special (20:11), Sniper Shot (20:43), Souper Shenanigan (21:15), Shippy (21:46), Moonoverseba (22:17) & Cowtown (22:47).
Leading Trainer
Wesley Ward has had a quiet start to this year’s Spring Meet, but it’s this time of the year where his horses traditionally come into form.
The fascinating trainer has saddled 10 winners at Royal Ascot since 2019, when he started sending his horses over from North America.
These winners include seven juvenile race winners, so it’ll be no surprise if he unleashes plenty of precocious two-year-olds in the coming weeks, including Golden Pal in the 18:30.
Wesley Ward trained runners: Golden Pal (18:30), Herculina (19:39) & Jades Gelly (21:46).
Horse to Watch
Chad Brown’s Fortin Hill has been difficult to keep sound of late, but the 22:17 looks to be a good opportunity to maintain his 100% record.
The Mucho Macho Man colt has made the most of the two opportunities he’s had to date, winning by five lengths on his solitary juvenile start before confirming that promise in his sole start as a three-year-old.
He’s coming back from another absence, having been away from the racecourse since Belmont Park in June 2019, where he won by just over two lengths from Morning Breez.
The booking of jockey Tyler Gaffalione suggests that connections mean business, and he is expected to outclass his nearest rivals over the six-furlong dirt track before heading on to better things.
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