US Racing Nap of the Day: Saffie Joseph horses can do a Gulfstream Double

Two close calls on Thursday but our Nap went down to a 20/1 shot and our longshot each-way play faded down the stretch to get pipped for a place.

Gulfstream Park is the venue for our Nap of the Day this Friday, where I like a potential double in Races 5 and 7. I also really like our each-way play from Betfred's Extra Place Races over at Laurel Park...

*Races will be priced-up by the traders at betfred.com closer to Post Time.

Nap of the Day:

Donegal Momentum ran an outstanding race yesterday, upping his Beyer to 93 after a fine 92 to open up with. Yet, he tasted defeat and went down to the 20/1 shot who just ran better. So Thursday’s Nap can be considered a loss.

Yesterday I was torn between two choices, my other horse under consideration was K. C. Chief, who went on to win at 4/1 at Gulfstream Park. Sometimes you zig when you should’ve zagged.

Once more I’m torn between two and this time they are both Saffie Joseph horses running at Gulfstream Park. Proverb has won three straight but his Equibase Speed Figure has been going in the wrong direction.

His record though at the Florida track is phenomenal, nine starts, seven wins, a second and a third. You can’t do much better than that. He’ll no doubt go off as the odds-on favourite but I’m going to zag this time and take the first horse who attracted me when scrolling through the cards this morning as the actual Nap.

Friday’s Nap of the Day is Mad Madame Mim in the 19:55. The reason I’ve gone for her rather than Proverb in the 20:59 is quite simply, she is clearly getting better with every run.

We saw her put up an 85 Equibase Speed Figure last time out, which was the best of her career and so far in 2024, she has been consistently faster as a four-year-old compared to her three-year-old campaign.

There looks like there is more in the tank and I reckon we’ll get 5/2 when the market is priced up and that is more enticing than the odds-on Proverb will command an hour or so later. I do like both to win however and would recommend a double.

*You can bet on all of Today's Horse Races over at betfred.com

Extra Place Bet of the Day:

Tough break yesterday here as Bridge to Nowhere had nothing left in the tank down the stretch and was just pipped for third place, causing us to miss out on our Each-Way Play of the Day.

For this evening, it is one of four Extra Place Races on the docket from Laurel Park that will get my attention. The 21:05 is a 6f race for three-year-olds and up on the dirt where I like a horse, who despite a 7-3-6-3-4 record so far in 2024, should be a good candidate to hit the board at good odds.

I’m taking Exculpatory to be in and among the contenders as despite fairly mundane results this year, the Equibase Speed Figures are actually very competitive in this field of seven. This Mineshaft-sired colt has put up a 95 and 98 in his previous two starts and when you look at Point Dume, who is the second choice on the Morning Line, his top rating so far in 2024 is 95. It is tough on the surface of it to understand why one is 2/1 and the other 8/1 over in the US Pools.

Spun and Won is expected to go off as the favourite at 8/5 but even he’s only bettered 95 once in four runs so far this season. I sense plenty of value here if we get anything like the 8/1 the pools will open with on the other side of the pond.

*Remember to check out all of the latest Horse Racing Odds over at betfred.com

You can check out all of our other US Racing Tips here at Betfred Insights.