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Florida’s Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park, in Southern California, are featured tracks this Saturday with major graded events on the race card.
Fort Lauderdale Stakes Predictions
When: Saturday, December 31st 2022
Where: Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park has five races, including the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale Stakes for Thoroughbreds three and older. The event covers 1 1/8 miles on turf and the favorite is Colonel Liam because of his top rating (7.37) in Horse Racing Nation. Decorated Invader should place second and Shadow Sphinx is third in my book.
Win: Colonel Liam
This five-year horse is bred out of Kentucky and he has raced at Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, Fair Grounds, Gulfstream and Saratoga Race Course. His stake race wins include the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on Jan. 29 at Gulfstream.
Place: Decorated Invader
This Thoroughbred is also five years old and bred in Kentucky. Decorated Invader finished fourth in the Artie Schiller Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 13. Sired by Declaration of War, he finished in the money in his previous two turf races this year.
Show: Shadow Sphinx
Shadow Sphinx took second in the Artie Schiller Stakes this November as one of his six races in the money this year. The seven-year gelding has raced since 2017 and he is trained by Michael Maker. He is starting at No. 4 with jockey Paco Lopez getting the ride.
Joe Hernandez Stakes Predictions
When: Saturday, December 31st 2022
Where: Santa Anita Park
Out on the West Coast, Santa Anita Park has three graded events highlighted by the $250,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes. This is open to Thoroughbreds three and older as a Grade 2 horse race. The sprint on turf is 6½ miles and the probable favorites are Smooth Like Strait, Front Run the Fed and Gregorian Chant with the highest HRN ratings. They would be my pick for the win, place and show positions.
Win: Front Run the Fed
The Kentucky-bred six-year horse is trained by Chad Brown and he races for Klaravich Stables. Front Run the Fed is a son of Fed Biz and siblings of Storm Cat and Maria’s Storm. He won the Van Clief Stakes at Colonial Downs on July 18, beating Grateful Bred and Matta with a time of 1:02.77 for a sprint of 5½ furlongs.
Place: Gregorian Chant
The six-year gelding has finished first, second or third in five of the last six races this year. Gregorian Chant took third in his last two races at Santa Anita. He covered 6½ furlongs in the Grade 2 Eddie D. Stakes on Oct. 1 and a mile in the Lure Stakes on Oct. 29.
Show: Smooth Like Strait
Trained by Michael McCarthy, Smooth Like Strait is finishing up his five-year campaign. The Kentucky-bred horse finished second or third earlier in the year in three races before the ninth-place finish at Keeneland and seventh at Del Mar. They were both major graded events.
