Sweet 'stream

Here are some of my thoughts and selections for Gulfstream this weekend

Race #4 - Lifestyle

Race #5 - Baltic

Mr. Prospector
I think the favorites all have holes. Weigelia is inconsistent. Paradise Dancer has never run a good race at GP and Kelly's Landing can either be a world beater or a fair pony. I think the CAN bred Slam Bammy looks very tough but he is unproven against this kind of class. 4/1 may be a little low to take on him. An outsider that I like is Hither Lane. He shouldnt be too far out of his element. Its a step up in class for sure but he is an improving horse, perhaps the only horse in the race who fits that description. He is also a pretty tough horse. I expect the pace to be swift but not suicidal. Weigelia and Mach Ride should set it but Hither Lane has enough speed to go to the front as well. Should be an interesting race in any event.

1)Hither Lane
2)Slam Bammy
3)Weigelia

Ft. Lauderdale
One of the most improved turf horses out there is Interpatation. The nice thing about him is he's been improving quietly so prices on him are still there to be had. This horses used to be decidedly allowance class, but ever since Saratoga he has blossomed into a quality listed/G-3 type horse. His last race really wasnt bad at all. He simply had little chance of closing into the pace. He has failed to beat another much improved horse in this race, Ballast, on two occasions. However I think the Gulfstream turf is kinder to late runners. He has shown an affinity for this track before and he looks like a great shot at a price. The other horses I like are Ballast, Dreadnaught and Classic Campaign. It's hard to look past Saint Stephen who seems to be on a roll but he offers no value and has a history of disappointing, including a 5th place finish in this very race last year. Ballast is much improved and he should get first run on the main contenders. I just wonder if he'll be up to holding them off late on. Dreadnaught hasnt won a race in a while, which is why I'm not using him for the top spot despite his class advantage. He likes the distance and seems to be in good form, but he has problems getting his nose down. Classic Campaign should be overlooked and has a great shot at hitting the frame. His late running style should be well suited and Mott is always dangerous at this meet.

1)Interpatation
2)Dreadnaught
3)Classic Campaign

Hal's Hope
I have a hard time seeing past Sweetnothernsaint in this one. Not only are his figs as good as anyone's he's also a far more useful horse around 1 turn than Strong Contender is. It wouldnt surpise me to see Strong Contender struggle in this group. First his trainer has said he needs a race and secondly I think a big horse like him needs two turns to be at his best. I might even try to see Strong Contender out of the frame, although he may well run in the money. Sir Greeley has to be respected. I've always prefered him near a mile as opposed to 6f. When he feels like it he can beat nearly any horse in the nation and he could certainly handle this group. I'm also interested by Chatain. His lone career loss came behind Showing Up who was busy setting the track record for this distance at this track. He is clearly a horse with some talent and he may be the wildcard.

1)Sweetnorthernsaint
2)Sir Greeley
3)Chatain