Thursday's Best Bet: Olivia Darling is worth a look at Gulfstream
Thursday’s seventh race at Gulfstream Park is an optional-claiming event for fillies and mares dashing six furlongs on the main track. The scheduled post time is 3:13 p.m. EST.
Click here for Gulfstream Park entries and results.
No. 2 Olivia Darling (8-1) moves to the Jorge Delgado barn, and he has good stats with new additions to his shed row. She adds blinkers after a trouble trip at Laurel Park, and she might move forward in her third start after a layoff.
No. 3 Scarlet Stripe (7-5) is the one to beat in the paper race. She caught the slop in a wide, show finish at seven panels last time and looked good graduating in a fast track sprint at Keeneland before that. She should impact the pace.
No. 5 American Tap (7-2) is a consistent mare exiting a clear runner-up finish at this course and distance. I like her early-pressing versatility.
No. 6 Doll Baby (5-1) wired the field in her local extended sprint bow, and the runner-up was a next-out winner. She faded in the slop second time out, and Ralph Nicks shows a profit with this type of layoff runner. She reconnects with her winning pilot Jose Ortiz.
Wagers
No. 2 to win
Exacta 2-3/2-3-5
Trifecta 2-3-6/2-3-6/5
Recent Best Bet winners
Dec. 1 – Tap the Faith ($6.30), exacta ($18.20)
Dec. 3 – Dr B/Bank Sting/Betsy Blue trifecta ($84.48)
Dec. 7 – Candidate ($5.80), exacta ($20.80)
Dec. 11 – Tiz an Edventure/Natural Colour exacta ($20), trifecta ($142.20)
Dec. 17 – Bal Harbour ($13.60)
Dec. 19 – Titled Lady ($9.20), exacta ($59.40)
Friday – Black Belt ($14.80), exacta ($44.00), trifecta ($138.00)
Wednesday – Cloudy Bay ($13.80), exacta ($51.20), trifecta ($250)