The Galloping Hat Rack

In need of some analysis this fine Saturday? Count me in, as I have yet to fulfill my goal of handicapping a pick 6 during winter break, which is coming to end early next week (weeps). Gulfstream has a nice carryover going into Saturday, so feel free to read on ahead. I may even play around with some of these choices should I feel saucy with the dime tickets.

• Race 6: Maiden Special Weight - 3-year-olds. 1 1/16 miles on turf.

2) Middleburg - Clement horse first timer with fantastic pedigree and Lezcano in the irons.

4) Efficient Market - Romans-trained with Joel Rosario up, he looked good last out running 2nd at a mile on grass at Aqueduct and should do better with more ground.

6) Wildcard - Wilkes is a good underdog trainer and Smart Strikes typically dig the turf very well. He’s at a great price with Prado up.

8) PV Paul - Stonestreet colt trained by Chad Brown represents dominant turf sire Dynaformer and this is his debut. Will get hammered at the windows, no doubt.

12) Vespato - Medaglia d'Oro colt was up for second last out in December in a similar MSW and draws a good outer post. Top rider Lanerie up.

Note: Favored due to connections are Jack Milton and PV Paul (both vulnerable as first-timers).

• Race 7: $15k Claiming - 3-year-olds. 5 ½ furlongs on dirt.

2) Move Over - Keeps at the same claiming price as last time which he won while being held just off the pace.

7) Richard Croy - Bred for speed, he can last up front on the lead if he can get there.

8) Trip N Run - Bred for early speed, drops back down to claiming level and looks fit.

10) Nightowl Earlybird - Perfect for the 5 ½ furlong distance and the fast track.

• Race 8: $62,500 Allowance/Optional Claimer - 4-years-old & up. 1 mile on turf.

2) Forward March - Shug horse running 3rd start off a layoff. Grandson of Miesque by Distorted Humor. Unf unf unf.

4) Yari - Bound to help the pace along, the Chad Brown trainee has some good value for the risk.

5) Exothermic - Empire Maker with Castellano up has some killer odds disguising him as a longshot when it couldn’t be further from the truth. He is 2-for-2 at Gulfstream and his last two starts were losses, but came with excuses.

6) Hobbs - Class act should be able to bounce back off that bad El Prado loss

7) Check Your Soul - Hot off a layoff, the Queen’s Plate winner has been cookin’ it in training and will get some delicious odds.

• Race 9: Maiden Special Weight - 3-year-old fillies. 6 furlongs on dirt.

1) Biorhythm - First-timer has right pedigree to get to an early jet-settin’ start being by speedster-spawning Malibu Moon and out of a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies participant. Breezes look good, too.

7) Iroquois Girl - Indian Charlie daughter takes off like an Indian Charlie should in her works. Good value based off her rocky debut at Churchill while picking up Lanerie.

8) Bliss - Fox Hill Farms filly by juvie star sire Flashy Bull and trained by Chad Brown with breeder Breton Jones backing her up. Looks good since laying off from her second place at Saratoga.

• Race 10: Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (II) - 4-year-olds & up. 1 1/16 miles on turf.

1) Vertiformer - Dynaformer gelding says “I got this” after a short layoff. Has been working super

2) Nikki’s Sandcastle - Improving gelding could get this race in the bag as well on the step up in class. Very consistent runner.

4) Dominus - A few butt efforts on dirt makes this horse remember he likes grass and he’s been working better lately.

8) Big Blue Kitten - Improving colt out of Chad Brown’s stable is very consistently on the board and looks ready for a good effort.

• Race 11: $35-30k Maiden Claimer - 3-year-olds. 1 1/16 miles on turf.

1) Backseat Memories - Bred by the Ramseys out of the Catalano barn, the Johar colt gets a bit more running room where he improved from 10th to 4th last time out.

7) Livingston Swagger - Castellano rides this colt from the Kaplan barn who isn’t completely hopeless.

9) Brat - Congaree colt gets blinkers and another chance to keep learning how to race.

Note: This race is f–king hopeless, I’m not feeling any sort of big draw to anyone.