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00:00Our focus is going to be out in Florida.
00:02We're going to look at the 10th race
00:04at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
00:05It's the Sunshine Classic for Florida Brett,
00:07so we'll go horse by horse through that
00:09and then we'll get into a couple of stakes races
00:11at Tampa Bay Downs.
00:12But a quick mention, I know all over the country,
00:14people are dealing with natural disasters
00:17out on the West Coast, fires all over the place.
00:20Middle of the country, it's freezing temperatures.
00:22I know some tracks are canceled.
00:23So hopefully we can entertain you a little bit
00:25and we can lead you in the right direction
00:27and help make you some money for some of the folks
00:29who are dealing with some really tough conditions
00:31out there.
00:31Alexa, let's get to Gulfstream Park.
00:34Let's get to race number 10.
00:35I thought a really challenging edition
00:37of the Sunshine Classic for Florida Brett.
00:40They're going to go a mile and a 16th on the dirt in here
00:42and we'll kick things off with the number one, Power Humor,
00:45who's going to try Stakes Company for the first time.
00:48And the last three horses that he lost to are all in here.
00:52So he's going to have to improve and turn the tables on them.
00:54And what I found in handicapping this race,
00:57there are a lot of horses in here
00:59who are not proven or we haven't seen go a mile and a 16th.
01:02They're all used really horses who have been going shorter.
01:05So we're going to kind of have to project
01:07with some of these horses if they can get this trip.
01:09Yeah, absolutely.
01:10It's a very tough race,
01:12but you know, Power Humor is making that Stakes debut,
01:14like you said, for a very sharp barn.
01:15The Barboza barn's doing very well,
01:18but you know, hasn't really gotten out of the gate
01:19that clearly in a few of those recent starts
01:22and does do his best running from on or near their lead.
01:25So, you know, he might not have the ability
01:27given his lifetime best speed figures
01:29are just kind of slower than a lot in here.
01:31Sometimes I can get a little crazy with horses
01:33that I like, Alexa, but this next one,
01:35I'll see if I can talk you into Kosieris a little bit,
01:37the two.
01:38So I think if you go through Kosieris' recent form,
01:40you'll see horses like Subsanador, Highland Falls,
01:44Tapit Trice, like legitimate grade one
01:47and grade six company.
01:48I think the pattern kind of fits.
01:50This horse likes Gulfstream
01:51and he's capable of winning, going a mile and a 16th.
01:54He's just not as consistent
01:56because he's faced pretty good company.
01:58This is kind of like class relief for him.
02:00His most recent race, it was only a field of four,
02:02but there wasn't much speed.
02:03So he was kind of chasing in there.
02:05I like Kosieris a little bit
02:07and it's just such a challenging race.
02:09Alexa, I think you can make cases
02:10for a lot of horses in here.
02:12You can definitely make a case for him in here
02:13at eight to one.
02:14I mean, you know, he's had those four starts
02:16in nine, four wins and nine starts at Gulfstream.
02:18So he likes the track.
02:20The only time he hasn't really finished in the money
02:21was this race last year where he was six
02:24beaten by 11 and a half.
02:25Like you said, since then faced much better
02:27graded stakes company.
02:29So this competition is definitely gonna be
02:31a more comfortable spot for him.
02:33And when you were talking about last year's race,
02:35the winner of last year's race is the number three.
02:37Lure him in who has one of the higher ceilings
02:39in this field.
02:41Another horse who's been facing open company
02:43since that win against Florida Breds last year.
02:45But we know that if he shows up
02:46with one of his better races, it's pretty good.
02:49Yeah, I mean, you know, career best speed figure that day
02:51when he won last year has not one sense in seven tries,
02:55three of those being graded stakes in Florida,
02:57Texas and New York, but also cross entered
03:00in an allowance at Tampa Bay where he is the six to one
03:03or six to five morning line favorite.
03:04But, you know, could return and win again.
03:08The four horse secret chat feels like a major player.
03:11I think it's probably the horse to beat.
03:13You and I feel like we picked him both second
03:15with our selections.
03:16Maybe we went for a little more value on top,
03:18but it's just really tough to knock
03:20his overall body of work.
03:21The next test he has to kind of pass is,
03:24can he get the mile in a 16th?
03:25But he looked like it should be no problem for him.
03:28Yeah, you know, he's improving.
03:29Who's won both races since entering that Barboza Barn
03:33and returns to this Florida Bred company
03:35where he has two wins and three starts.
03:36So he should sit a nice trip off of the speed
03:39and, you know, stretching out past a mile
03:41for just the second time in his career.
03:43Another horse who's in really nice form right now
03:45is Awesome Train.
03:46He's won two in a row.
03:47And you look at his last five races,
03:49it's pretty tough to knock that overall form.
03:52So he comes into this race sharp.
03:54And I think he's another horse
03:55who you can absolutely make a case for.
03:57I really like Awesome Train.
03:58You know, like you said, he's won two straight,
04:01has really strong back-to-back speed figures,
04:04and has rattled off four career wins since being gelded.
04:07So maybe we're seeing a little bit of a new horse here.
04:10And he is kind of a machine, you know,
04:11making the 12th start from the form cycle,
04:13having at least one race in each of the last nine months.
04:16So a bit of a powerhouse and I like a lot.
04:19Yeah, major player in here.
04:20Another one, One Sharp Cookie is the six
04:22who's back in with Florida Breads.
04:24Had a couple of really nice wins in 2024,
04:27but those races were back-to-back on a muddy track
04:30and on a sloppy track.
04:31So I do wonder if maybe this is a horse
04:33who's a little bit better on an off track
04:36and he's been a little bit better going shorter.
04:38So kind of has a couple questions
04:40that he has to answer for us.
04:41But a lot of these horses on class are kind of similar.
04:45It's just gonna be distance and trip for them.
04:47Yeah, I mean, this horse is probably gonna be a part
04:50of that early pace equation.
04:52He's led in six of his 11 sprint races.
04:56But before that, he did have two wins at Gulfstream
04:58where he won as the odds on favorite.
05:00He's hit the board in a lot of some of his races going long.
05:03So an interesting player for sure.
05:06The number seven, Shaq Diesel for the Laker fans
05:08is a Florida Breads stakes winner
05:10who actually defeated Big Martini at the end of 2023.
05:13If you toss the races where he's had poor starts,
05:16everything else is pretty solid.
05:17I do think he's another one though,
05:18who's probably better at like seven furlongs to a mile.
05:22Might be a little farther than where he's at his best.
05:24What do you think about Shaq Diesel?
05:25You know, he's gotten a little bit of new life
05:27in the David Fox barn with three wins
05:29and seven total in the money finishes and nine starts.
05:33Generally does come back from the back of the pack,
05:35but has been a little bit closer to the pace recently
05:38while stretching out.
05:39I think, again, this race is very tough.
05:42I kind of teetered on whether or not to include Shaq Diesel.
05:45Belts and Brooks is over the last four and now steps up.
05:49He's another one in here who's going to have
05:52to deal with some of the horses
05:53who have beat him recently, right?
05:54Like Awesome Train, like Secret Chat, like Lightning Tone.
05:57So I'm just a little cold on him
05:59and prefer a couple others here.
06:01Yeah, I mean, this is definitely
06:02an ambitiously placed race for him.
06:05You know, trying to change company for just the second time.
06:08You know, four wins in 2024.
06:10So he's been winning, but against quite easier competition.
06:14And like you said, has lost to quite a few in here.
06:15So we would definitely need to see
06:17the best race of his career.
06:19When you and I go back and forth
06:21talking about some of the races before the show,
06:22one that we kind of upgraded a little bit
06:25is Lightning Tones, the nine,
06:26who's not been winning as much recently,
06:29but a horse who's coming out of a really strong race
06:31and is a horse who's in very nice form
06:34with the second and then a third most recently.
06:36So I think this horse fits really well
06:37and could come closing.
06:39I do too.
06:40And I also think it's important to note with him,
06:41like he was winless in 2024,
06:44but has had three wins,
06:45including stakes wins over the Gulf Stream track.
06:47So this is kind of like a specialty placement for him.
06:50And at 12 to one odds, he's the one I went back to
06:53and ended up including in my selections.
06:55You have Super Watson, who's O for his last 12,
06:57but he's going to go first start off the claim
06:59for Safey Joseph,
07:00who's one of the top trainers down at Gulf Stream.
07:02And he'll try dirt for the first time.
07:04So I'm kind of a hemming and hawing a little bit on him,
07:07but anytime a top barn like that makes a move like that,
07:10you want to kind of take notice.
07:11It's trying dirt for the first time after 41 races.
07:14So, I mean, this is really quite the move,
07:17but like you said, Safey is great
07:19and has strong stats for those moves.
07:2133% winning first off the claim, 27% win rate on the dirt.
07:26So, interesting career choice to make,
07:29and I'm not putting my 401k on him,
07:31but I could see a surprise at 20 to one odds with him,
07:35you know, creeping up into the money.
07:37Maybe some improvement from that good barn.
07:39Speaking of that barn,
07:40Safey Joseph Jr. has Holiday Pay as well,
07:43who was a little disappointing last time out.
07:44He was actually favored over Secret Chat,
07:47had a slow start.
07:48Just another one though,
07:49who's done all of his best work
07:50going a little shorter, Alexa.
07:52Yeah, you know, his wins have come from being near the lead
07:55and I want the same position tomorrow.
07:56He has done well so far in these Florida Bread races though.
07:59He's won two out of the four he's competed in
08:01in his two-year-old and three-year-old year.
08:03So, interesting play.
08:06Big Martini rounds out the field.
08:08I'm more of like a Jack and Coke captain guy myself,
08:11but this horse will try to control the pace
08:14from the outside, but parked way out there,
08:17will really have to be on his A game
08:18to kind of clear over
08:20and to maybe be able to control this pace.
08:22Yeah, this is longest he's ever tried.
08:24So, there's no denying his talent,
08:26but it's gonna be a tough spot for him.
08:28In a very difficult, contentious race,
08:30let's move to the selections and see where we end up.
08:33So, for you, Alexa, who are you gonna put on top in here?
08:36I've got the five awesome terrain on top over Secret Chat.