The road to Kentucky continues at Gulfstream Park with a field of ten colts entered. Juvenile champion Good Magic is the 7/5 morning line favorite with new Swale Stakes winner Strike Power listed as the second choice.
Contenders:
Good Magic dominated the Breeders Cup Juvenile, coming from just off the pace and widening his margin of victory down the lane over Solimini. That run was an impressive win for Good Magic as it followed a mid-race move in fast run Champagne Stakes. Good Magic has been working steadily since January and comes in fresh, fit and ready to start a two-race prep campaign that most likely will include the Bluegrass Stakes as his penultimate derby prep. Top speed figure looms large in this race. The debut effort showed he has enough speed to stay close in a small field and in the BC Juvenile he was inside and then pulled outside for the winning move. Checks all the boxes on pedigree and running style.
Strike Power emerged as a wire to wire spinner in the Swale stakes, outrunning several fast horses including Tricks to Doo to get the lead, then ran them off their feet and came home a little slow. Maiden Victory was another wire to wire romp with fast fractions. Gives up more race experience to Good Magic but may be more fit with the two recent wins. The big question is can he ration his speed, or does he control the pace with a comfortable lead and opens up going into the turn and gathers a significant leading margin? Son of Speighstown will have to run and gun with his natural speed putting him on the lead early.
Promises Fulfilled comes off a long layoff for a barn struggling on the trail in 2018. Ran a huge race in the Kentucky Jockey Club while being rank and the jockey had to control him while running wide. That was an impressive effort, and natural progression should have him in the hunt in this race from the opening bell. Son of Shackleford has a big engine like his daddy and if he can learn to rate and turn off some of that energy could develop into a top prospect.
He Takes Charge came from off the pace and picked up a solid Maiden win in last race. Was not visually impressive as the front-runner set fast fractions from an outside post and stopped late. Slowly improving with each race and should like the surface and distance in this race. Overall seems slow but “Should run All Day.”
Marconi, the nine-furlong specialist, has opened his career with three one mile and one-eighth races to start his career. Closed willingly in Withers after breaking his maiden over a sub-par group. Marconi has shown the ability to make a move going into the turn in all of his efforts. A move like this could come in handy as the distances get longer this spring. On paper seems slow, so would need a contentious pace to offer his best run.
Free Drop Billy opened his sophomore season with a second place finish to Audible in the Holy Bull. His best race to date was the Breeder’s Futurity defeating Bravazo by four lengths and has regressed since that effort. Seems to be running in place at this point and needs to move forward in his development to stay in the top twenty rankings on the trail.
Fair Odds
Good Magic 7/5
Promises Fulfilled 18/1
Strike Power 5/1
Marconi 15/1
He Takes Charge 12/1
Free Drop Billy 9/1
The Selection:
Strike Power has been impressive in both his wins and continues to work well. He likes the Gulfstream surface and should be fit off recent works, look for him to try and take this field flag fall to that’s all. The only alternative at an extended price is Promises Fulfilled.