Thursday's Best Bet: Nicky Jolene can show speed at Gulfstream
Thursday’s eighth race at Gulfstream Park is a starter optional-claiming event for 3-year-old fillies dashing 5 1/2 furlongs on the all-weather track. The scheduled post time is 3:39 p.m. EST.
Click here for Gulfstream Park entries and results.
No. 1 Nicky Jolene (6-1) made the lead once in her career, and she easily went all the way in that turf sprint at Belmont Park last summer. John Velazquez got to know her last time, and she might be aggressively handled from the inside post in a race lacking early zip.
No. 5 Pardy Pleaser (7-5) stalked the pace and graduated in a local all-weather sprint as the favorite last September. She raced evenly in her next synthetic sprint and was drilled in a restricted stakes race around two turns on dirt last time. She is back in a winning spot and might bounce back at underlaid odds.
No. 7 Sweet Affair (9-2) found her best stride in the lane in a similar local sprint on Dec. 26. She should be running in the lane at a speed-friendly distance.
Wagers
No. 1 to win
Exacta box 1-5
Trifecta 1-5/1-5-7/1-5-7
Recent Best Bet winners
Jan. 1 – Otello ($5.40), trifecta ($100.00)
Jan. 4 – Dr. Ray D. ($7.00), exacta ($15.40), trifecta ($28.60)
Jan. 5 – Virat ($7.40), trifecta ($72.20)
Jan. 6 – Comparative/Saddle Up Jessie/Evidencias trifecta ($45.40)
Jan. 9 – In Spades ($7.80)
Jan. 12 – Crimson Rose/Nokie exacta ($10.80), trifecta ($56.40)
Jan. 14 – My Mane Squeeze/Bernietakescharge/
Saturday – Saudi Crown/Red Route One exacta ($12.00)