There's more to this weekend than the Super Bowl. Take the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, for example, where Quality Road is the four-year-old favorite.
The Super Bowl may be happening in Miami on Sunday, but just a short trip up I-95 is Gulfstream Park. Saturday’s Donn Handicap will feature four-year olds and up battling it out for a share of $500,000.
Quality Road (#4) is the morning-line favorite at 7-5 with John Velazquez looking for a ride into the winner’s circle.
Velazquez most recently hit the dirt with Quality Road last month, going nearly wire-to-wire for an easy victory at Gulfstream. It was the colt’s third victory out of four starts at the east coast’s winter haven for thoroughbreds.
Quality Road last went Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile distance by winning the Florida Derby at Gulfstream last March. Since then, trainer Todd Pletcher had shipped around the four-year old among big races in the NYRA circuit up north. He saddled the contender to finish in the money at the Travers Stakes in Saratoga, as well as a solid second place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont.
Both defeats in those high stakes encounters had Summer Bird come out on top, but with that champ on hiatus until this summer, it could be anyone’s game in older-horse action for a while.
Pletcher and Velzquez have had solid meets on top of the trainer and jockey standings, respectively. Nearly 50 percent of Pletcher’s stable has come in the money at Gulfstream with over 20 percent getting their picture taken.
Velazquez has tasted victory 24 times on the Dade-Brower County border heading into Friday, and the betting public will look to back the hot trainer-jockey combination here.
Quality Road could go off at less than 7-5, but I am in favor of buying a win ticket on him at even money or above.
A few higher priced contenders should also be worth some small investments should the chalk fail to come through.
Duke of Mischief (#3) is the second choice in the morning line at 5-1 odds. Eibar Coa took victory by a neck in his fifth straight mount aboard this contender last month in the Fort Lauderdale Stakes.
The one-mile win for the ‘Duke’ was his first trip on Gulfstream’s dirt and the Florida-bred could be ready for another homecoming today. Trainer David Fawkes had no fear entering him for big money in the Haskell and Pennsylvania Derby last year, but the step up in class failed to cash betting tickets.
It may be the right place and time for a more competitive effort from Duke of Mischief. He will be carrying five pounds less than last month’s victory which always helps when going a longer distance, and will look to close strong.
Past the Point (#6) and Dubai Gold (#9) are among the biggest longshots in the field at 10-1 and 30-1 morning lines, respectively. Both will go off at high odds for some obvious reasons, but each have AP Indy in their blood and some other factors going for them.
Past the Point will have to stretch out in distance with not having raced 1 1/8 miles since September. However, having Edgar Prado aboard and showing some improved speed in a second place finish last month makes the six-year old worth a small ticket here.
Dubai Gold will be taking a huge step up in class, but would be a sizeable overlay at 30-1. Jose Lezcano was aboard for a second place finish at the Meadowlands in November from this seven-year old warrior. He stayed in the saddle last month at Gulfstream and won a claimer by a head at 1 1/8 miles.
Trainer Jason Servis has picked his spots carefully with this Kentucky-bred since claiming him in the fall. His stable has also performed well at Gulfstream with three top-two finishes among four starts.