Heading to Ancient Rome as Gulfstream Park Opens Doors a Month Early

Don’t get me wrong, betting on the inner track at the Big A is both fun and profitable for us, but it is good to see Gulfstream Park kick off their meeting an entire month early this year.

The Hallandale, Fl. track normally opens in early January, but the early opening on Saturday looks like a winning proposition for horseplayers and the track.

There is not much going on in December, and Gulfstream Park has an opportunity to pick up a lion’s share of simulcast dollars by opening early and closing their meet early next spring, instead of banging heads with Keeneland.

For most of us, the Gulfstream Park meeting is pretty much over anyway once they run the $1 million Florida Derby (G1), which has been moved back to Saturday after being run on Sunday last year.

The marquee event of the meeting for three-year-olds with Triple Crown aspirations will be run on March 31.

The race has produced 55 Triple Crown race winners and will be part of an outstanding program that will include six stakes and purses of $1.9 million.

We will start to see some of the top three-year-olds looking to stamp their ticket to Louisville for the Run for the Roses on Jan. 1 with the inaugural running of the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Derby.

Other key races for three-year-olds include the $400,000 Holy Bull (G3) on Jan. 29 and the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) on Feb. 26.

Other events include the Florida Sunshine Millions will be run in its entirety at Gulfstream Park this year on Jan. 28. The six stakes for Florida-breds will be worth $1.45 million.

The $500,000 Donn Handicap (G1) for older horses on the dirt, the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1) for older horses on the turf, the $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes (G2) for three-year-olds and the $150,000 Suwannee River (G3) for fillies and mares on the turf will all be run on Feb. 11.

I will not be handicapping Gulfstream Park on an everyday basis, but I will be including my strongest plays each Saturday and Sunday in my Best Plays Report.

Michael Dempsey provides his full card report for Aqueduct each racing day. Mike’s full card report includes his selections, analysis, fair odds line, and wagering recommendations. Mike’s Best Plays Report is available each weekend, with his strongest plays and selections including the top stakes races.

Let’s head out to Gulfstream Park for Saturday’s opening day feature:

Gulfstream Park Race 9 The Spectacular Bid (Post time 4:33 ET)

• Ancient Rome 4/1
• Town Prize 6/1
• Luke of York 5/2
• Vexor 3/1

Ancient Rome faces winners for the first time here shipping in off a maiden win last out in his second career start, with the colt showing three morning drills at Palm Meadows. The colt took the field gate to wire last out to break his maiden at Delaware Park for trainer Tony Dutrow. The runner up in the race was Moroccan Brew, who came back to graduate in his next outing on Nov. 2 at Delaware Park. Dutrow won this race last year with A Little Warm, who came into the race off a maiden score at Philly. The colt does not look quick enough to outrun this group early, so I am hoping that Rocco can work out a good tracking trip. The colt has a decent pedigree, by Roman Ruler out of the stakes winner With It Were ($166K) who did her best work sprinting.

Town Prize is one of two in here coming off wins on polytrack. The Canadian invader beat Alw-1 foes last out off nearly a three month break. He was third two back in the Colin, beaten 1 3/4 lengths in his first go against winners after breaking his maiden in his debut. The colt has popped a couple of bullet drills since his last outing, both at Woodbine. If he takes to dirt he could be tough at a decent price. He is by Speightstown out of the stakes winner Prized Stamp, who could win sprinting or routing and dropped three other winners.

Luke of York also makes his conventional dirt debut here after breaking his maiden and winning the Keeneland 75th Anniversary in his first two starts, both margins of victory a nose. The colt overcame a tardy start last out to pick up his stakes win. The colt does have the benefit of a couple of morning drills over the main track here for the DiVito barn that is having a strong 2011, winning at a 27% clip overall and is very strong with two year olds, hitting at a 39% clip (with a +ROI).

Wagering:
WIN: Ancient Rome to win at 3/1 or better.
EX: 7,8 / 3,5,7,8
TRI: 7,8 / 3,5,7,8 / 3,5,6,7,8