GULFSTREAM
ACE KICKER: Has held her own over sloppy tracks in two trips to post thus far. Slow starts in each attempt couldn’t have helped; gets another shot.
DARK CHEETAH: Well-bred son of Storm Cat is training well at Palm Meadows for a return to the races. His lone win of 2006 came over this strip; take note.
DON RIGO: Crossed the line a well-beaten fourth at odds of 5-2 at first asking. Expecting a better effort from this William White trainee next out.
FOX IN BRONZE: Outran 27-1 odds in his turf debut to place fourth while encountering a wide trip. Capable on either surface.
PROFESSOR G.R.: Nearly popped at 15-1 in October when sent to the lead, but hasn’t been ridden that way since. Waiting patiently for this one to pop.
TIA DIA: Team Valor runner showed little in her bow against maiden special weights, but sprung to life when dropped in for a $40k tag Dec. 29. Further improvement can be expected.
TWIST OF LIME: If you can forgive his sixth-place finish Dec. 4, he has a Nov. 17 victory and a Jan. 1 third-place finish to boot. Good fit at $16k.
VICAR IN THE HOUSE: Ambitiously placed off a dirt $40k maiden claiming victory versus allowance foes on the grass. Look for him next time against claiming company.
4 STAR SPECIAL: BO DIDDLEY: Popped at odds of 17-1 in his seventh career start, and has collected checks in two subsequent attempts against winners. Dangerous at any distance.
LONGSHOT: FRESH CALL: Is making progress with each start, including back-to-back fifth-place finishes. Don’t let the long odds scare you away.
NO. CALIFORNIA
CASCADE RAIN: Dueled through :21.93 and :44.96 fractions while making her second start off a layoff. The best is yet to come.
DEE DEE’S PRINCESS: Not a very attractive lifetime record, but was facing better company in Southern California for the majority of those outings. May go off at a price following a well-beaten fourth.
DERBY RIDER (ARG): Lightly raced eight-year-old always runs his race, no matter the racing surface. Plenty of options for trainer Jeff Bonde.
EAGLE BEACH: Not quite sure what happened in his debut, but looked much better second time out, finishing fourth at 22-1 Jan. 1. Art Sherman calls the shots.
GARY JOHN: Faced a tough field when stretched to one mile and paid the price after dueling for early command. Look for on a cut back to a sprint.
MAYOR OF DEL MAR: Has quietly shown some late interest in his last two since getting claimed in early December. A big effort is right around the corner.
NICKY SANTORO: Beaten chalk New Year’s Day got caught in a speed duel and faded to fifth as the chalk. Makes amends if kept versus similar.
OAK PARK ROAD: Daughter of Subordination outran her 31-1 odds to place a well-beaten third in her unveiling. Look for on the sod down the line.
RAW SATIN: Graduated at first asking back in August, and has run well in two attempts since, finishing fifth Dec. 6 and third Dec. 29. Filly may even present some value.
TEN IN FRONT: Showed good speed in recent sixth-place finish after breaking in a tangle. In a bit too deep at $20k; fits best between $10-15k.
WHITE MARK: Starting to catch on with racing experience. Completed the trifecta at 61-1 Dec. 2, then filled that same spot at 23-1 Dec. 29; don’t ignore.
4 STAR SPECIAL: NOHILLFORACLIMBER: Was really impressed by his debut. Was checked hard at the start, and showed late interest to finish fourth. Good luck seeing 27-1 odds again!
LONGSHOT: CAHILL ROYALTY: Rounding into form nicely since a brief freshening. Ran a decent sixth at 56-1 Dec. 6, then followed with a respectable fourth at 29-1 Jan. 1. Consider this your warning.
