$150k Fred W. Hooper

$150,000 Fred W. Hooper (G3)
Gulfstream Park

Race 9 (Saturday, January 26, 2019: 3:30 p.m./ET; 12:30 p.m./PT)
One mile on the main track (four-year-olds and up)

Last year, trainer Todd Pletcher sent out TOMMY MACHO to a convincing win in this race. One year later, Pletcher saddles two top contenders: #1 COAL FRONT and #8 COPPER TOWN. Will Pletcher win his third Fred W. Hooper (G3) in the last four years or will another trainer play spoiler? Let’s attempt to answer that question:

#1 COAL FRONT comes off a dominating win in the Mr. Prospector (G3) going seven furlongs, easily putting away runner up #2 STORM ADVISORY before winning the race by almost four lengths. Ultra-talented colt is five-for-eight lifetime and one of the major players.

#2 STORM ADVISORY was no match for #1 COAL FRONT when finishing second in the Mr. Prospector (G3). He went off at 16/1 that afternoon, so he put up a pretty respectable effort given his price, and he won a pair of allowance races going one turn while earning mid 90 Beyer Speed Figures before that recent runner up finish. Exotics contender.

#3 CONQUEST BIG E went off at 21/1 in the Mr. Prospector (G3) and finished sixteen lengths behind COAL FRONT. Paco Lopez, who rode him to victory two races ago, is back aboard for this event, but that’s an awful lot of lengths to make up.

#4 BREAKING LUCKY freshens up after an eight-length victory going this one-turn mile over this track on December 7. He faces tougher company in this spot but comes off one of his best recent efforts in 2018 and should be taken seriously in his 2019 debut here.

#5 EYE OF A JEDI finished well behind #4 BREAKING LUCKY in the aforementioned December 7 allowance race over this track. That day, he went off at 129/1 and will be a longshot again.

#6 AZTEC SENSE is a win machine, looking to win his ninth race in a row for high percentage trainer Jorge Navarro. Most recently, the Kentucky-bred son of STREET SENSE won the Claiming Crown Jewel going a mile-and-an-eighth. Must be taken very seriously.

#7 FELLOWSHIP has failed to hit the board in seven straight races. Major improvement is needed.

#8 COPPER TOWN drops in class after a poor effort, finishing ten lengths behind Pegasus Invitational (G1) contender PATTERNRECOGNITION in the Cigar Mile (G1) on December 1. Two starts ago, this speedy colt made his first start off a year layoff and showed a new dimension by stalking the pace before drawing off late to win convincingly. Like uncoupled stablemate #1 COAL FRONT, this guy has a plethora of raw talent. The one to fear most for Team Pletcher.

#9 UNBRIDLED JUAN looks to score his third victory in a row. Both recent wins came going two turns against minor stakes company, but take note that he is four-for-six, with two second place finishes, going this eight-furlong distance. His consistent form and affinity for the one-mile distance makes him one to mark down as a contender.

#10 MO DONT NO lost by 11 lengths in his most recent start, a five-furlong minor stake on turf. He is at his best on dirt (15-for-22 lifetime), but his best races have come against Ohio-bred stakes competition. Whether he has the class to win this is a major question mark.

SELECTIONS

1. #8 COPPER TOWN – A real monster on his best day.

2. #1 COAL FRONT – Pletcher with a strong one-two punch.

3. #4 BREAKING LUCKY – Leading jockey at the meet rides.

LONGSHOT VALUE PLAY- #6 AZTEC SENSE – Former $12,500 claimer.

WAGERING STRATEGY

I’ll key my top pick over my other three selections in exactas and trifectas as well as make a small saver exacta.

BANKROLL PLAY ($50 Budget)

$8 Exacta: #8 COPPER TOWN over #1 COAL FRONT and #4 BREAKING LUCKY and #6 AZTEC SENSE ($24).

$4 Trifecta: #8 COPPER TOWN over #1 COAL FRONT and #4 BREAKING LUCKY and #6 AZTEC SENSE ($24).

$2 Exacta: #6 AZTEC SENSE over #8 COPPER TOWN