Race 2 • 12:19 p.m. ET Synthetic handicapping is not my thing. 1 Nyssa takes blinkers off trying to get her first win in 19 tries.

Race 3 • 12:48 p.m. ET Irad alert! He gets in the irons for the first time on 3 Clever Enough.

Race 4 • 1:17 p.m. ET I wouldn’t back 5 Demurely at anything less than even money. Look elsewhere if it gets down to 3-5.

Race 5 • 1:46 p.m. ET Three seconds in three career starts for 2 Gipsy Chief. First time Lasix today.

Race 6 • 2:15 p.m. ET Watch out for Luis Saez and 1 General Jim hauling late. There should be some pace to run into here.

Race 7 • 2:45 p.m. ET I like Irad again here, this time on 4 Samburu. This 4YO bay is 3-for-7 lifetime.

Race 8 • 3:16 p.m. ET Short prices abound. Staying away here.

Race 9 • 3:46 p.m. ET Can Tyler Gaffalione and 1 Candidate hold off all late comers?

Race 10 • 4:17 p.m. ET Two wins in as many starts for 8 Red Carpet Ready. Jockey upgrade to Luis Saez today.

Race 11 • 5:01 p.m. ET Too good a price to pass up 5-1 on 8 Heavenly Sunday for Brad Cox and Tyler Gaffalione.

Race 12 • 5:43 p.m. ET Taking a swing here with the 5 Mr Bob.

Best of luck!

Race 9 7-11-6-4 Price horse: 1 Time for Trouble has finished in the exacta in seven of his last eight races. Today is a step up in class.

Race 10 7-9-1 Price horse: Mike Smith is on 4 Octane. Looks like a few horses might hook up early, leaving “Money Mike” to pick up the pieces late.

Race 11 3-2-6 I’m trying to beat morning line favorite 9 Shantisara here.

Race 12 3-6-7-12-9 Spread race. Again, trying to beat the morning line favorite.

Race 13 10-4 White Abarrio runs his best at Gulfstream Park.

Best of luck!

Gulfstream Park • Race 7 • 3:07 p.m. ET [PPs] Solid field here. 9 White Frost is a deserving favorite, but at 3-1 holds little value. I’d bet it in the 5/6-1 range considering the competition. Jockey Frankie Dettori climbs aboard 12 Zelda (love the name) who tries 8 furlongs for the first time in her career. Her lifetime record is 8-3-0-0. On top or off the board. A price I’m looking at to hit the board is 6 Miss Majorette. She’s 11-3-3-0 lifetime and picks up Joel Rosario in the irons today. Recent races have been sprints and she should benefit from the stretch out in distance. A nice bullet work on the 19th. She could be sitting on a big effort.
Picks: 12-6-9

Best of luck!

Parx • Race 6 • 2:10 p.m. ET [PPs] 😬 Yikes! This group of rats doesn’t look great. Gun to my head, I’ll take 4 Twyla, the lightest raced of this bunch. This is her first time at this distance.
Picks: 4-1-6-2

Best of luck!

DRF Feature Race of the Day: Santa Anita • Race 8 • 6:30 p.m. ET [PPs] Freaking 12 furlong marathon on the turf out West. Here are the horses that caught my eye.

• 2 Lady Clementine gets Flavien Prat in the irons. Good enough form if we toss the last race where she was pulled up.

• 4 Duvet Day Trainer Mike McCarthy would like to see this 4-year-old get back to her form of last summer.

• 5 Australia Mia McCarthy’s other entry goes for the first time under his tutelage with jockey Frankie Dettori on the mount.

I’m going to take a shot with Australia Mia on top here. She projects to be out front. With any late kick she can hold off the late comers.

Gulfstream Park • Race 6 • 2:38 p.m. ET Some veteran runners here. In a bizarre move, 4 Braccio Di Ferro goes for the first time on turf today.
Picks: 5-1-7-4

Fair Grounds • Race 14 • 7:30 p.m. ET Nice field for this year’s edition of the Lecomte. I’m in a contest starting with this race that runs all the way through the Triple Crown. For each race, you play a single mythical wager with $100. I have submitted a $50 exacta box 1,4 just now. 1 Echo Again has the early speed, and 4 Confidence Game has finished in the exacta his last two out.

Best of luck!

Oaklawn Park • Race 8 • 4:53 p.m. ET [PPs] It doesn’t appear that 1 Towhead (morning line 5-1) will have much competition getting to the early lead here. She’s finished in the money in seven of eight career starts, including a record of 2-1-1-0 at today’s surface and distance. Interesting underneath is 3 Fabulous Candy, who gets blinkers for the first time today. She ran poorly on this track on New Year’s Eve but is one of just two in the field with multiple victories.
Picks: 1-7-3-2

NAIL 🔨 Pick: Santa Anita • Race 6 • 6:00 p.m. ET Jockey Flavien Prat goes for back-to-back wins aboard 1 Big Bell. This 5-year-old mare has shown late kick and should have just enough speed lined up to run into.

2023 NAIL record: 10-1-5-0

Best of luck!

NAIL 🔨 Pick: Fair Grounds • Race 8 • 5:45 p.m. ET Controlling speed for 1 Shades of Truth. Lifetime record of 5-2-2-0 at today’s surface/distance.

2023 NAIL record: 9-1-5-0

Best of luck!

Gulfstream Park • Race 8 • 3:35 p.m. ET [PPs] I have to go with my man Jose Ortiz on 1 Makin My Move in this spot. This mare is 1-for-1 on this surface and distance. She projects to sit just off what looks to be a contested early pace. Underneath? Your guess is as good as mine.
Picks: 1-9-3-6

NAIL 🔨 PICK: Gulfstream Park • Race 1 • 12:10 p.m. ET Projected pacesetter 5 Tempora comes in with a 4-1-0-2 career record. This is a slow bunch that I think jockey Tyler Gaffalione will be able to hold off.

2023 NAIL record: 8-1-5-0

Best of luck!

Laurel Park • Race 8 • 3:50 p.m. ET [PPs] There look to be a couple entered here with early speed. I’m going to take a shot with 6 Dr. Ferber at 15-1 on the morning line going first off the claim for trainer Anthony Farrior.
Picks: 6-5-7-3

NAIL 🔨 Pick: Fair Grounds • Race 1 • 2:15 p.m. ET It’s the sixth career start for 1 Bet on Bourbon. This bay out of Astrology is stepping up slightly in class but has finished in the exacta in every start thus far. He has the strongest pedigree of the bunch and projects to sit just off the leaders. Has shown the tactical speed needed to fire down the stretch.

2023 NAIL record: 7-1-4-0

Best of luck!

Aqueduct • Race 8 • 3:47 p.m. ET [PPs] Small field in this non-graded stakes race for 3YO fillies. Short prices abound... The pace projects to be a slow one. I get the feeling after reading the PPs that this is a group of horses that haven’t lived up to their expectations as of yet. All but 1 Gambling Girl and 3 Affirmative Lady are last time out winners. I’m going to take a shot with 5 Aniston to upset the favorites here; the trainer/jockey combo is 7-for-21 in 2022-23. This is a step up in class but figures to be her best distance
Picks: 5-3-2-1

NAIL 🔨 Pick: Oaklawn Park • Race 3 • 2:28 p.m. ET Controlling speed here belongs to 1 Midnight Majesty. This gray held on to win last time going 6.5 furlongs; the cutback to 6f today is a plus. This is a step up in class but not an overwhelming field.

2023 NAIL record: 6-1-4-0

Best of luck!

Oaklawn Park • Race 8 • 4:53 p.m. ET [PPs] Another AOC, this time with 3YO fillies. I shall look no further than 3 U Glow Girl for Brad Cox and “Skinny” Joe Talamo. (That’s what we call him around our house. Huge fan.) She is 2-for-2 going 6 furlongs on the dirt. She projects to vie for the lead, which is how she won both. Who do you like underneath? It’s been a long week, and I’m just out here trying to beat trainer Chris Hartman’s entries.
Picks: 3-2-8-6

NAIL 🔨 pick: Aqueduct • Race 7 • 3:45 p.m. ET Trainer Orlando Noda gets jockey Jose Gomez to ride 7 Braciole today. He’s ridden this gelding twice, getting place money both times. Last time out was here on New Year’s Eve, but I expect Noda will have him tuned up again on short rest in this spot.

2023 NAIL record: 5-1-3-0

Best of luck!

Gulfstream Park • Race 6 • 2:38 p.m. ET [PPs] A dozen are entered in this AOC going 7.5 furlongs on turf. Potentially nice race to bet assuming the field holds. Several get first time Lasix, including 5 Mohawk Trail. The projected pacesetter won doing just that last time out. This is quite a step up for the Kelsey Danner trainee, but your favorite Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Sonny Leon is again in the irons today. 3 Scottish Symphony sits as the morning line favorite on the odds board at 4-1, but ThoroPACE [free account], today’s pace setup trends negative. I’m intrigued by 6 Pallotta Sisters, who picks up jockey Jose Ortiz today. This gray out of Graham Motion’s barn had her only win with Lasix, which she gets for a second time today. 8 Isabel Alexandra has faced the toughest competition of all the fillies in this race. She hasn’t won since debut but fired a 3/186 bullet work on New Year’s Eve here at Gulfstream. The more I look at this race–again, assuming few to no scratches–the more it feels like a “watch the tote” type of race. See which horses are taking money and play accordingly.
Pick: 6-8-5-1

NAIL 🔨 pick: Fair Grounds • Race 4 • 3:45 p.m. ET Trainer Bret Calhoun has a pair entered here–the top two on the morning line, in fact. I like the higher priced of the two, 4 Wupkar, even with the thought that she may go off as the post time favorite. She projects to sit right off the pace with her stablemate. She’s been in the exacta in five of six career starts.

2023 NAIL record: 4-1-3-0

Best of luck!

Gulfstream Park • Race 5 • 2:11 p.m. ET [PPs] It’s the second career start for 8 Harry’s Onthefly after placing here six months ago on the synthetic track. I like the surface switch and the horse has turf pedigree. 3 Portofino is an interesting first-timer if he stays in the race; he’s also entered in tomorrow’s race 9. 6 Certain improved drastically in his second start making the switch to grass. He projects to be on the lead and Jose Ortiz gets in the irons today.
Picks: 6-8-9-2

Today’s NAIL: Parx • Race 7 • 2:37 p.m. ET Trainer Michael Catalano Jr. sends out 8 Long Term Thinking first off the claim.

2023 NAIL record: 3-1-2-0

Best of luck!

Parx • Race 7 • 2:37 p.m. ET [PPs] A competitive race of largely subpar mares. 3 Seven Years Later looks to be the controlling speed and I’m going to take a shot with her on top. 6 Xenatown has faced the toughest competition and is a threat from her mid-pack pace projection.
Picks: 3-6-2-5

No NAIL pick today...had a death in the family and currently sorting that out. Do me a favor and reach out to your loved ones and let them know how much they mean to you.

2023 NAIL record: 3-1-2-0

Best of luck!

2023 NAIL record: 2-0-2-0

And no, I’m not giving out a pick for tonight’s National Championship. Since I have a family member who played basketball at TCU, I bet them at +400 and +13.5 -110. Fear the Frog!

Best of luck!

Aqueduct • Race 8 • 3:16 p.m. ET [PPs] I suppose many will be picking 6 Arctic Arrogance in this spot. You’ll get no argument from me if that is your pick. I’m honestly more interested in his new stablemate off the claim, 3 Valenzen Day. Trainer Linda Rice hits at 24% first off a claim, and this horse is already a proven winner with a career record of 8-3-2-1. How about a Linda Rice exacta?
Picks: 3-6-5-7

HAMMER’S NAIL Oaklawn Park • Race 9 • 5:22 p.m. ET Trainer John Ortiz has a pair of price horses lined up in the Pippin Stakes, an 8.5 furlong race for 4YO+ mares. The one I’m on is 5 Ice Orchard, who comes in sporting a career record of 7-2-3-2. My belief is that this horse will get bet down from its morning line of 12-1. Love that Santana is getting back in the irons.

2023 NAIL record: 1-0-1-0

Best of luck!

NEW! HAMMER’S “NAIL” My favorite play of the day. We’ll keep a running tally going forward.

Aqueduct • Race 7 • 3:16 p.m. ET Trainer H. James Bond pops up here with 9 Baldizar. Jockey switch to Jose Lezcano a plus. Finished third last time out against similar company after winning his first two races. By far the lightest raced horse of this group.

Best of luck!

Gulfstream Park • Race 7 • 3:14 p.m. ET [PPs] This 12 furlong marathon on Gulfstream’s turf course is a real head-scratcher. I like the Saffie/Irad combo but 9 Running Legacy would have to take quite a step forward to content here. There are several in the field whose pedigree fits the distance. I am going to make 6 Broadway Boogie my top choice. Her only win was two back going 10 furlongs. Clearly, she loves distance running. She is 9-2 on the morning line and I think that could even float up given the other jockeys in the race.
Picks: 6-4-2-5

Best of luck!

Today’s feature is race 10, the rescheduled Mrs. Claus Stakes for mares 4YO+.

Parx • Race 10 • 3:58 p.m. ET [PPs] My contest pick, 2 Moma Tiger, has two wins and three places in five career starts going 7 furlongs on the dirt. There looks to be some pace to run into, and she is comfortable hauling late from the middle of the pack. 4 Buy the Best has faced the toughest competition of this group and will be a candidate for a win bet at 9-1 or better. Unfortunately, I think she’ll be bet down much lower than that. As of this writing, 11 Ninetypercentbrynn has been scratched, so jockey Paco Lopez will be on 3 Pistol Liz Ablazen, a winner last time out in sloppy conditions.
Picks: 2-4-3-8

East Coast Adam hit the Pan Roast Syndicate with a couple of college basketball parlays this morning. Odds courtesy DraftKings Sportsbook:

• Arkansas/North Carolina/Baylor +118

• Arkansas/Oklahoma/North Carolina +154

How could these possibly lose?

Best of luck!

Best of luck!