Longshot of the Day: Race 8 at Gulfstream Park

Track: Gulfstream Park

Race 8: $62K optional claimer going 5 furlongs on turf for 4+ fillies and mares

Post Time: 3:49 PM ET

Horse: #3 Kerry (6/1 morning line). Use as a win bet at 9/2 or higher.

Kerry is a horse that I have become familiar with in the last couple of years running in New York. The daughter of Practical Joke strung together consecutive victories sprinting on the turf in 2023 before taking a step back when running against stakes company. She is a good allowance-level runner, and she returns to familiar surroundings in this optional claimer where she has shown the ability to be competitive. She is working with new trainer Mike Maker who is always dangerous with new horses in his barn, and he has her firing on all cylinders coming off a six-month layoff having last finished last in the Caress (G3). However, she has been getting comfortable in South Florida since early November and has been steadily working her way back for most of the fall and winter. She has good early speed and picks jockey Luis Saez who is off to a blistering start during the Championship Meet winning 20% of his mounts. Kerry fired off a 46.2 second four-furlong work leading up to the race, which bodes well for her early gate speed. So often at Gulfstream Park, the speed of the speed is the winning move, and you never want to be far off the pace in turf sprints. Saez should have her in good position and Maker is always dangerous off the trainer switch and is getting her tuned up beautifully to fire in debut.

If you’re looking for a real longshot, look earlier in the card in Race 3 (post time 1:18 PM ET) with #3 Sea Wake (20/1) for trainer Eddie Owens Jr. What am I high on this horse? Simple. Sea Wizard. The prominent New Jersey-based sire is freakish with his ability to have his offspring win in debut as they are getting it done at a 29% clip first time out. Yes, the dam (Trall Princess) is 0-3 with first-time runners, but Owens Jr. has been working this horse consistently with some strong efforts. Also, consider the fact Owens opted to bring this horse down to a highly competitive meet rather than finding a potentially easier spot elsewhere. Will she win? Maybe not, but I like her to outrun her morning line odds.