The Grade 3 Mr. Prospector
The Grade 3 Mr. Prospector at Gulfstream Park drew a full field of 12 despite featuring 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic Winner White Abarrio fresh off a victory at this seven-furlong distance over this same track. He is six for seven at Gulfstream, two for two at seven furlongs and will be odds on to win this race.
With all he has going for him here including Saffie Joseph and Irad Ortiz you must ask yourself why wasn’t he in the Harlan’s Holiday on Pegasus Preview Day and is he truly pointing for The Pegasus. If not, it begs the question why.
On paper he is hard to knock off that last ten-plus length win. Once he leveled out, he looked like his old and best self drawing away from clearly overmatched foes. So, is this a cakewalk for him or not? That answer may be in the answers to the questions above, but he will have to face a horse I believe can beat him under the right circumstances and the right given day.
Mufasa was heading into The Breeders’ Cup Mile on a roll and in career form. He drew the marooned 12 post that day, very disadvantageous at Del Mar going a two-turn mile. He never got his legs under him and did not fire at all. That will help his price in here considerably and he has worked very good over this track after that debacle. Tyler Gaffalione sticks and knows him better now and I think a rebound, and a big rebound at that could be in the cards. This is a better distance for him and if on his game as I suspect he should get the jump on the big odds-on favorite. That can be a key over the Gulfstream Park main track.
Pace wise he should sit a perfect stalking trip following Super Chow and moving into contention for the top spot when the real racing starts. We will have to see if he is good enough to beat White Abarrio but if anyone in this large field can do that Saturday I think it is him.
In The Grade 2 Joe Hernandez at Santa Anita I like Motorious. He should have, could have, and would have won The Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint last out with anything close to a fair trip which he did not get. I made a nice bet on him that day at 12-1 and felt I absolutely lost with the best horse. Despite the horrendous trip which saw him all dressed up with no place to go he only lost by a fast-diminishing neck. He should make amends here but won’t be anything close to the 12-1 he was on the big day. That said a win is a win and a single is a single.
Enjoy the races and win those photos!