There are five Grade 3 races including the Tropical Turf on an 11-race card at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. (Photo credit: © Richardpross | Dreamstime.com)
The Christophe Clement Blacktype is looking to rebound off a fourth-place finish in his last outing when he is sent off as the likely favorite in Saturday’s $100,000 Tropical Turf (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
The Tropical Turf is the last of five Grade 3 races on an outstanding 11-race card.
Clement has saddled the winners of four of the last five editions of the race including with Lubash last year.
Blacktype will break from the seven post with Joel Rosario again in the irons. Rosario was aboard the six-year-old on Oct. 9 when winning the Knickerbocker (G2) at Belmont Park.
The gelding has won nine of 29 starts in his career and earned $746,565.
His main rivals figure to be All Included (7-2) who won the Appleton (G2) two back over the turf here and Tower of Texas (6-1), who won the Labeeb at Woodbine over yielding turf in his last outing.
My Best Plays Report for Saturday includes my nine strongest plays from Aqueduct and Gulfstream Park including all of the stakes action.
Let’s head out to Gulfstream Park for Saturday’s featured race of the day:
Gulfstream Park Race 10 The Tropical Turf G3 (4:37 ET)
#7 Blacktype 2-1
#4 All Included 7-2
#1 Tower of Texas 6-1
#2 Camelot Kitten 9-2
Analysis: Blacktype stalked the early pace and did not have enough punch left late in a fourth-place finish in the Artie Schiller as the beaten favorite. The gelding earned a near career top two back wining the Knickerbocker (G2) at Belmont Park. He is better than he showed last out and has been working sharply since his last outing. The Clement barn has won four of the last five running of this race.
All Included makes his first start since May where he bobbled coming out of the gate and was not a threat last out in the Red Back (G3) at Monmouth Park over good ground. he won the Appleton (G3) two back over the turf here. He was a good third and placed second via a DQ three back in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1). Now he comes back off the bench her for the Pletcher barn that is 33% winners (with a +ROI) with runners coming back off a +180-day layoff.
Tower of Texas is coming in here off a victory in the Labeeb at Woodbine over yielding ground. He looks headed back into sharp form here for the Attfield barn. He ran second in the ’16 Woodbine Mile (G1), beaten just a half-length by Tepin.
Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 8-5 or better.
EX: 4,7 / 1,2,4,7
TRI: 4,7 / 1,2,4,7 / 1,2,4,7,9
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