Gulfstream Park Picks – Friday, January 15, 2021

Gulfstream Park has everything on the schedule as far as regular thoroughbred racing goes — maiden, starter, allowance, and claiming matches fill Friday’s ten-race card.

So let’s get right to it — read on for my Gulfstream Park picks and betting tips for Friday, January 15, 2021.

This is an allowance optional claiming race for fillies and mares four years old and upward running a distance of 1-1/16 miles on turf for a purse of $48,000.

If this race stays on the turf, I’m backing the 8/5 morning line favorite — Bacchanalia, with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons. This five-year-old mare finished in the money four of her six career starts, winning two of them.

On the other hand, if 5/2 also-eligible/MTO entry Nomizar, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, enters the race, then change your win bet to Nomizar. This five-year-old mare moneyed 11 of her 21 career starts, winning six.

As far as long-odds value show wagers are concerned, the longest odds in this race are 8/1, and I don’t see that horse doing better than following the other horses across the finish line.

This is a maiden special weight race for four-year-olds and upward running a distance of one mile for a purse of $47,000.

I’m going to stick with the 9/5 morning line favorite — Nocturnal, with Luis Saez aboard. This four-year-old colt moneyed his single career start with a second-place finish in March 2020 here at Gulfstream Park.

There are several longer-odds entries here, including two 20/1 longshots, but I’m sorry to say that none of them is worth risking a show bet.

This is a maiden special weight race for fillies and mares four years old and upward, running a distance of 1-1/16 miles on turf for a purse of $47,000.

I’m going with the second-favored (4/1) entry here — Take Charge Ro, with Paco Lopez in the irons. This four-year-old filly finished in the money three of her four career starts, and she has shown good performance at longer distances in recent workouts.

I also like the 20/1 longshot Tizemotionalgold, ridden by Junior Alvarado, for a value show wager. This four-year-old filly moneyed two of her four career starts.

Gulfstream Park had both underdog prospects and long-odds moneymakers for us, and I found more of those at the other two tracks I reviewed for Friday: