A $7,415 Jackpot Pick 6 pool greets players for a great ten-race card at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday. The featured 9th race is a 6 furlong Allowance with a great group of runners. There isn’t a single horse listed at odds-on in the morning line, so some great opportunities for profit if you can land a winner at a price! Good luck!
Race 1:
Six horses greet the starter for the Saturday opener, a $3,200 claiming affair for non-winners of a race in 2020. There’s not a lot of early speed present in this race, so due to that, I’ll give the nod to CAROLINA ISLAND (5), who has competed admirably against slightly tougher. The post position gives ‘ISLAND some options and he looks to have every right to score here at a lower level. IZ INVINCIBLE (6) was entered on the same day as ‘ISLAND, but he lost his jockey in a race to ignore. He ran for a higher level that day, although he wasn’t supported at the windows. Give him an opportunity to rebound against a soft field. GOBSMACK (4) ran a credible second at this price last time, although it was for horses who hadn’t won in 2019-2020. A repeat of that effort puts him in the mix, although it may take more than that to eclipse the top two.
Picks: 5-6-4
Race 2:
This is the same conditioned race as the first, except for that this one is restricted to females. PLEASE ZIP IT (6) has shown two solid efforts in a row once she reached this level. She draws well, hails from a winning barn and retains a solid pilot. All systems go. GAMBLERS APPEAL (4) appears to be the best of the remaining bunch. She’s been beaten by others here, and her last out was the first time in her previous nine starts where she didn’t cash a check. MOONLIGHT MYSTIQUE (1) may be using this race as a tightener first off the layoff, since she appear to normally race in routes. SOMARA (5) was 48-1 in a five horse field at this level two back and ran fourth while getting an apprentice allowance, which she doesn’t have today.
Picks: 6-4-1
Race 3:
INDIAN DANCER (5) looks live to seal the deal after just missing in her last race. She exits the same race as CHARLOTTE LOUISE (2), who set the pace and ran third. ‘DANCER tracked off of her, loomed large but ultimately couldn’t hold for the win. Give her another shot to get her picture taken today. ‘LOUISE ran a winning type race but ultimately couldn’t hold on. Perhaps she’s a little tighter today and hangs around a little later. Some of the others in here have some questions; LUCKY MS JONES (4) looks to have good late run and should get a good pace to chase, but she’s never raced over the Tapeta and takes a step up in class. BORN TO REIGN (6) drops a couple of notches in class, but her first effort against older mares was not inspiring. She will need to improve today.
Picks: 5-2-4
Race 4:
Straight maidens on the grass try to graduate in Race 4. TOO HOT FOR CURLIN (5) has ran well since venturing north. It is difficult to trust a 13-start maiden, but considering she’s hit the board twice in her two local starts, she appears to be the one to beat. HAPPY ROAD (6) makes consecutive starts without a layoff for the first time in her career and she also goes sprint to route. Solid connections here, and she could certainly be there to pick up the win with some continued improvement. The others in here all have quite a few questions to answer. ZAGRAH (2) flopped as the chalk in her stateside bow and returns against the same bunch. DIAMETRIC (1) had everything her own way on the lead last time out and still couldn’t get the job done; that was her first board appearance in eight starts. CONNIE’S PROMISE (3) had one prior routing effort, and it was dismal. If she runs to some of her prior sprint form, she could be a pace factor. OVERWHELMING LOVE (4) cost almost $300k at auction as a yearling and hails from the area’s top barn, but she also faced the same group last time and was soundly beaten.
Picks: 5-6-1
Race 5:
Six horses will enter the gate for the fifth race, all of them exiting races that were not at the same claiming level they run for today. FOSTER BOI (4) drops in class after a NW2L score last out and looks to be the main threat. He has solid tactical speed and just beat a nine-horse field last time out, so he gets a significant break on the amount of rivals to beat again today. EL BORRACHO (1) has cashed a check in all six of his Bay Area starts, and he looks likely to get another one today. He takes a small drop in class here also and while he never seems to be on the win end, this may be just the bunch that allows him to finally get a picture taken locally. AUTISMS WORLD (6) is lightly raced, and his recent efforts are dull; but he takes a big drop in class as he tries older horses for the first time. He could hit the board at a price.
Picks: 4-1-6
Race 6:
ICE ANGEL (2) gets the nod in this low-level maiden claiming event. She makes her return to the races after being off for 14 months and gets a weight break from her rivals. She took money in her debut, so apparently she was once reasonably well-thought of. The big drop in class is concerning, but she carries a chance at a price. SHE B SALTY (4) finished mid-pack in both of her SoCal efforts and takes the trip north and drops in class. She has every right to improve against some softer rivals. CLOCHARD STREET (7) flopped in her most recent effort, but her efforts prior to that would certainly put her in a great place here. Give her an opportunity to redeem herself off of the last one, especially with this minor class drop.
Picks: 2-4-7
Race 7:
MATSON (6) took twelve starts to break his maiden, but ran well against winners in his next start. He draws well and has already beaten one of his main rivals in this race, MY SUNSHINE (2). Give MATSON the opportunity to win in this spot today. MAGIC MOSCO (5) has had plenty of pace to chase in his two most recent starts, but he never made any real headway. He stretches out to a route and drops in class. This could be a good spot for him to find some better form. ‘SUNSHINE just missed against MATSON three starts back. He was well beaten against better horses in his last race, but he makes a sensible drop in class to this spot. He is a main threat in this race.
Picks: 6-5-2
Race 8:
BACK SLIDER (5) looks like a horse to watch on this circuit, and her effort here today could solidify some of the hype. Her debut was solid, finishing a good second while chasing some fast fractions. Her drills prior to that debut were average, but since that debut, her drills have been lights out. She may be a horse who needed that one start to figure things out. Look out for her today. TESS’S WILD CAT (4) had a solid debut as well, albeit on turf. She gets some added ground to chase, but with uncertainty on the surface switch, I’ll rank her behind ‘SLIDER. She’s a big threat. SHANGHAI SUNRISE (7) finished just behind ‘SLIDER in her last effort. It will take a bit of an improvement to get there over this field, but she carries some potential here.
Picks: 5-4-7
Race 9:
The featured ninth race is a 6 furlong Allowance event. At perhaps a bit of a price, give READY FOR A FIGHT (1) a look at a mild upset. There looks to be a solid amount of early pace in this field, and while ‘FIGHT is facing older runners here, he enjoys the weight break for the next two months as a 3-year-old. He has closed well against weaker, and will need to work out a trip, but he should have every opportunity to surprise here. Perhaps another upsetter can be found in EMERALD MAGIC (5). He flashed big early speed in his last and predictably faded, but the shades come off for this effort in an attempt to get him to relax and ration some of that speed. FLICFLAC (4) is another who could work out a good trip with tactical speed. He has raced well against similar company and looks to upset with cleaner going today. The likely favorite can be found on the far outside in PAPAPIFAS (8). Unfortunately for him, he has one way of going, and that is on the lead. He will have to gun hard for the lead and cross over from the outside post, and he may end up as a pace casualty. Should be a fun race.
Picks: 1-5-4
Race 10:
The finale features a highly competitive mid-level group of claimers. In this wide open field, I will give the nod to ARGOSY FLEET (2). Like many of these, he’s dropping in class – although he’s perhaps a bit tighter second race off of the minor layoff. He has back class, draws well and should draft into a stalking position with the potential to close strongly late. MALIBU ALEX (9) is another hard knocking sort who always seems to give his best effort. He draws widest of all, so there is the potential for traffic problems, but in a race where horses keep taking turns beating each other, it is always a good thing to know ‘ALEX will put his best effort forward. At a big price, how about DEVIOUS DETECTIVE (7)? He has three wins out of his last four starts sprinting on the Tapeta. He showed significant early speed last time and perhaps that outing is one that can wake him up for a repeat performance.
Picks: 2-9-7
BEST BET: BACK SLIDER, Race 8
LONGSHOT PICK: DEVIOUS DETECTIVE, Race 10