Horse Racing Betting News For Friday 5/1/20

Horse Races Today: Friday's Gulfstream Park and Oaklawn Park Analysis & Odds
April 30, 2020
By Mike Dempsey

This was supposed to be Kentucky Oaks Day which means we would be just 24 hours away from the Kentucky Derby, both days drawing more than 100,000 fans to Churchill Downs.

The pandemic of course has turned the world on its head, and the sports world has pretty much shut down, but we have been lucky that a handful of racetracks have continued to run without fans.

While there is no Run for the Roses tomorrow, we did get some great news coming out of Churchill Downs. Horses will start arriving at the Louisville track on May 11 and racing will return on Saturday May 16, with no fans in attendance. After racing that weekend, the regular schedule calls for racing from Thursday-Sunday.

That is good news because Saturday is closing day at Oaklawn Park, and the Hot Springs racetrack is going out with a bang. We have three stakes today, and tomorrow we have the $500,000 Arkansas Derby (G1), which has bene split into two divisions with 10 competing in each race.

Sandwiched between those two races is the $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) which drew a stellar field of older runners.

The NBC Sports Network picks up the action today from 4:00 to 7:00 ET. On Saturday Fox Sports 1 will cover the card from Oaklawn Park from 1:00 to 8:00 ET.

Horseplayers can also stream all the horse racing action using the Watch TVG App. The horse betting company based in the U.S. is offering a risk free bet up to $300 for new players.

My Best Plays Report for Friday includes my nine strongest plays from Oaklawn Park and Gulfstream Park.

Here is the opening race from Gulfstream Park to get the day off to a good start:
Gulfstream Park Race 1 Analysis - 5/1
GP Race 1 Md $25,000 (1:00 ET)
#5 Punchline 6-1
#10 Starship Bubba 8-5
#3 Wordman 7-2
#1 Mymagic 12-1

Analysis: Punchline stalked the early pace while keen and under a hold, was caught in behind a foe, angled out and finished evenly in a third-place finish last out against $16,000 foes. He was fifth in his turf debut which came two back, his first four starts coming in dirt sprints. The Jerkens trainee has a decent enough turf pedigree, by Into Mischief out of an Unbridled's Song mare that has dropped three other foals to race with just one dirt winner. He gets a jock upgrade here to Gaffalione and does not need to move forward all that much off his last effort to get the job done in this spot.

Starship Bubba set the early fractions and finished gamely in a runner up finish last out, beaten just a half-length for the top spot in his first start off the claim by the Maker barn. He was taken out of a fifth on the main track here for $25,000. His other turf try came in his second career outing where he was outrun versus $75,000 foes. There is not much early speed signed up to go here. The colt is out of a stakes placed Peace Rules mare that has dropped two winners including one turf winner. He is the logical one to beat in this spot.
Gulfstream Park Featured Race of the Day - 5/1
GP Race 8 OClm $20,000SAL (4:48 ET)
#2 Flowmotion 9-2
#1 Dalarna 9-5
#4 High Noon Rider 7-2
#10 Jakarta 6-1

Analysis: Flowmotion has won back to back races at a mile, last out making a good late rally to beat $25,000 starter optional claimers. The gelding comes right back versus similar company and the Cibelli trainee is going to get a really good pace set up here as there is plenty of early zip signed up. He has won 5 of his 13 trips over the grass here and looks capable of winning right back here.

Dalarna tracked the early pace, made a good middle move and got clear in the stretch but got run down, settling for the runner up spot. He won two back over good ground against $16,000 starter optional claimers, his third win over the grass here. Breaking from the rail he should be able to work out a trip from mid pack. He gets a jock upgrade to Saez and his numbers in three of his last four starts are good enough to handle this group. He was heavily bet in his last two starts and again figures to be the favorite although hopefully at a bit better price than his last two outings.
Oaklawn Park Featured Race of the Day - 5/1
OP Race 9 The Fantasy G3 (5:09 CT)
#10 British Idiom 5-2
#3 Swiss Skydiver 6-1
#5 Harvey's Lil Goil 12-1
#2 Venetian Harbor 2-1

Analysis: British Idiom should move forward off his runner up finish in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) last out at Fair Grounds off a 3 1/2-month break. The filly was lightly bumped coming out of the gate, had to steady off heels going into the first turn, raced wide much of the trip and was no match for Finite in a runner up finish The third place finisher Swiss Skydiver came back to win the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) while fourth place finisher Tempers Rising came back to run a good second in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and Finite was fourth in that race. The Cox trainee was perfect last year capping off the year by winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). She has worked sharply over the main track here and is going to get a good pace set up as there is plenty of early zip signed up in here.

Swiss Skydiver was 1 3/4 lengths behind our top pick in a runner up finish in the Rachel Alexandra and she came back to wire the field in a sharp win in the Gulfstream park Oaks earning a career top speed figure. It was her second trip going two turns. The McPeek trainee took an advantage of a race without much pace and she will see it here. But she has shown an ability to come from off the pace coming from nine to rally in her maiden win at seven furlongs. She may end up getting overlooked in this spot.

Harvey's Lil Goil has been working at Payson for her first start since trouncing the field in the Busanda by 7 1/2 lengths at Aqueduct going nine furlongs. The runner up in that race was Walter White, who came back to win the Busher in her next start at Aqueduct on March 7. The Mott trainee looks as if she still has some upside. She should get a good trip from mid pack and her 12-1 morning line looks generous.
Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.

Gulfstream Park
R1: #1 Mymagic 12-1
R2: #5 Highly Noted 10-1
R3: #6 Chaos Kid 10-1
R4: #3 King of the South 8-1
R5: #5 Free Flayme 10-1
R7: #2 Uyeda 12-1
R10: #5 Takestwotowiggle 20-1
R10: #6 Twice as Magical 10-1
R11: #10 Silly Notion 8-1

Friday's Best Bet: Daphne Moon can shine brightly in Gardenia
by Jarrod Horak

Friday’s 8th race from Oaklawn Park is the Gardenia Stakes for 3-year-old fillies traveling a mile and a sixteenth on the main track (Post Time - 5:38 p.m. ET).

#5 DAPHNE MOON (4-1) did not match her sharp debut victory in two subsequent graded starts as a juvenile, but the stakes races did not set up for her. She returned with a smart local optional claiming victory at this course/distance as my top choice, and her numbers improved that day.

#7 Strong Flag (9-2) seems to be making nice progress for Steve Asmussen. She broke through with a sharp maiden win in a local route in the mud March 15, and was a solid 2nd in a race without much pace in her first start vs. winners April 10. She is back at her winning distance.

#3 Gingham (3-1) puts blinkers back on for the recently hot Martin Garcia/Bob Baffert team. She was an okay performer in California but not quite up to graded company.

#6 Quick Decision (12-1) captured both of her local sprints from on or near the lead. Larry Jones always seems to have a decent filly in his barn, and she will probably take them as far as she can.

#10 Antoinette (8-1) is lightly raced and on the upswing for Bill Mott. I like her tactical speed.

Wagers:

#5 to win

Exacta 5-7/3-5-7

Trifecta Key 5/3-6-7-10

Trifecta 3-6-7-10/5/3-6-7-10

Recent Best Bet Winners

April 4 - KIMARI ($7.80), Exacta ($23.80)

April 6 - WHOLEHEARTED ($6.40)

April 11 - PROVERB ($7.60), Exacta ($33.60), Trifecta ($48.70)

April 15 - Blue Harbor/Mr. Tickle/Yo Y Me Trifecta ($127.50)

April 17 - Sekani/The Mary Rose/Choctaw Charlie Trifecta ($48.30)

April 20 - SHE'S ALL WOLFE ($2.80), Trifecta ($89.00)

April 21 - CANEY'S GHOST ($5.80), Quinella ($9.00), Trifecta ($14.10)

April 23 - LUNA FORTIS ($25.40)

April 24 - Artemus Eagle/River Finn Exacta ($77.20)

April 25 - Sneaking Out/Bye Bye J/Ready to Runaway Trifecta ($20.05)

April 29 - Eaton's Memory/Matapan Exacta ($8.60)

F.A.S.T. Sheets Free Race for Los Alamitos (Quarter Horse)
PURCHASE
Los Alamitos (Quarter Horse) - Race 6

$1 Exacta / $1 Trifecta $1 Superfecta (.10 cent minimum wager $1 Pick Three

Maiden • 300 Yards • Dirt • Age 2 • CR: 78 • Purse: $9,500 • Post: 8:20P
QUARTER HORSE 300Y, FOR MAIDENS, FILLIES TWO YEARS OLD. WEIGHT, 124 LBS.
Contenders

Race Analysis
P#
Horse
Morn
Line

Accept
Odds

Race Type: Not Applicable (Quarter Horse). * KEY ANGLES * NONSENSE CORONADO: A first time starter with a trainer that has a win percentage with first time starters of at least 25 (minimum 10 starts).
1
NONSENSE CORONADO
5/2

9/2
8
ROVING KIND
10/1

10/1
10
CELTIC RHYTHM
9/2

10/1
5
A SOLID REASON
8/1

10/1
7
RITE ON TIME
20/1

10/1
3
PAINT ME FEARLESS
9/2

10/1

P#

Horse (In Running Style Order)

Post

Morn
Line

Running Style

Good
Class

Good
Speed

Early Figure

Finish Figure

Platinum
Figure

Unknown Running Style: NONSENSE CORONADO (5/2) [Jockey: Peinado Oscar M - Trainer: Robbins Mike], RACIE (15/1) [Jockey: Suarez Guillermo - Trainer: Mendoza Jesus], PAINT ME FEARLESS (9/2) [Jockey: Rangel Jairo - Trainer: Flores Jose Antonio], THE BES
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