Sunday’s Best Bet: Classify can distinguish himself at Gulfstream

Sunday’s ninth race at Gulfstream Park is an optional-claiming event for Florida-bred 4-year-olds and up dashing seven furlongs on the main track. The scheduled post time is 5:21 p.m. EDT.

Click here for Gulfstream Park entries and results.

No. 9 Classify (3-1) was the beaten favorite at seven panels on Jan. 28. He was in good form before that and has been freshened for this engagement. Look for an outside stalking trip under his new rider Paco Lopez. 

No. 7 Holiday Fantasy (5-2) was part of the exacta in his last four starts. He was claimed out of a restricted claiming victory on Feb. 14, and landed the place in a similar local extended sprint at 32-1 odds on March 3. 

No. 1 Mauna Kea Bound (6-1) put blinkers back on and graduated in an extended sprint in the slop late last year, and he battled on the pace and held the place on Jan. 28. He stalked and faded last time. Joel Rosario is his new pilot, and he might be able to bounce back at his winning distance. 

No. 4 The Iceman Runneth (6-1) wired the field in his six-panel debut at Gulfstream last spring. The returnee is training steadily for this and should impact the pace. 

Wagers

No. 9 to win

Exacta box 7-9

Trifecta 7-9/1-4-7-9/1-4-7-9

Recent Best Bet winners

March 1 – Princess of Me ($5.80), exacta ($11.80)
March 3 – Du Jour/Easter exacta ($28.20)
March 6 – Spikezone/Just Beat the Odds exacta ($7.80), trifecta ($22.40)
March 7 – Insensitive ($5.00)
March 9 – Sweet Azteca/Adare Manor/Green Up trifecta ($94.60)
March 10 – Medoro/Zona Verde exacta ($15.20), trifecta ($33.60)
March 15 – Abhita ($6.40), exacta ($27.60)
March 17 – Sharp Aza Tack ($5.20)
March 18 – Kiss and Tell/Lady Zephyr exacta ($40.40)
March 19 – Lake Bee/Power Slam exacta ($15.60), trifecta ($32.40)
March 21 – Olympic Dreams/Tabeguache exacta ($25.60)

Tuesday – Pistol Liz Ablazen ($8.60)