Gulfstream - Race 6

#8 Denver (12/1 ml)

Pletcher maiden had worked three straight times with heavily-favored barnmate Dunkirk heading into his debut, and we backed him that day @ 22/1. He didn't show much, but now comes into this race having worked heads-up with American Dance, another Pletcher barnmate who ran third in the Remsen behind Old Fashioned and came out of that drill to run in that Dunkirk allowance race on Thursday. Pletcher's main rider John Velazquez now takes over the mount, and dramatic improvement is a possibility. I didn't get a real good look at Denver in the debut run because he dropped back along the rail and was out of the tv picture (the replay is available on You Tube thanks to Dunkirk), but it seems he was not being encouraged much at all turning for home when he finally came back into the picture, then the rider suddenly angled him way outside for room and he left the picture again, but you can make out his shadow moving pretty well after that, and it seems he passed several horses in the stretch (we know for sure that he finished 5th). Might've just been an education run, what with him having drawn the rail, and his barnmate Dunkirk obviously being very well-meant that day. That would also explain his dead-on-the-board status and the lack of a big-name rider that day. Denver is 12/1 on the morning line today, and i think he's worth one more chance. More a leap of faith than anything else, but there's a legitimate chance he could improve dramatically at a big price.


HRT record:

52 for 183 (28%)

$449.10 mutuels ($8.64 avg)

Denver (off @ 11/1) showed improved speed today while battling on the pace for a half-mile, but simply fell apart after that. He's no Dunkirk, that's for sure.

DC, got anyone to use against Georgie Boy?

Past the Point MIGHT have the lead all to himself here which could be dangerous. Halo Najib seemed to like the turn back to sprints. Hows your boy Yankee Bravo been training?

Sorry I'm seeing this post late. I actually played a nice straight exacta to Halo Najib. Wasn't really planning on it, but he looked like a strong second-choice to me based on his last race (and the fact he was flattered by Devoted Mafic yesterday), yet for some strange reason he was hovering around 15/1 until very late. The exacta paid over 6/1, not too shabby considering Georgie Boy was such a huge favorite. Basically amounted to a 6/1 win bet for second place.