Six gambling tools for beginners
- Start simple with a simple guide to horse racing betting.
- Not sure what that word means? Horse racing terminology is a language in itself. Let us translate for you
- What the heck is a speed rating? This beginner’s guide to speed figures has everything you need to know.
- Betting on horse racing can be intimidating. Team ABR has put together a number of Do’s and Don’ts for the new fan who is starting to bet on racing.
- We all make mistakes when it comes to horse racing betting, here are eight lessons learned from experience.
- Find out in advance how much each bet will cost with our betting calculator, presented by NYRA Bets.
The road to the 2026 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winds through Gulfstream Park this Saturday with the exploration of the $275,000 Holy Bull Stakes. The Holy Bull is the main event in a twelve-race program that also includes four other races with stakes of $175,000. For this weekend’s winners, let’s focus on the two races on the card, the Grade 3 Holy Bull and the Grade 3 Forward Gal Stakes. If we can pick the winners of these two races, we will be well on our way to a great day this Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Good luck.
Saturday January 31
Gulfstream Park, Race 10, $175,000 Forward Gal Stakes, post time 4:45 PM ET
The Grade 3 Forward Gal Stakes has drawn a field of eight three-year-old fillies going seven furlongs, and it is surprising to see that #4 Mythical is not the morning line favorite in the race based on her record of five wins in six career outings. Mythical is already 3-for-3 at Gulfstream Park with big, impressive wins ranging from 4 ½ furlongs to 1 1/16 miles, including a 12 ¾ length win at seven furlongs two outings ago. She was bred in Florida, but already won the open competition in Saratoga last summer. Besides, she doesn’t need the lead to win. The real morning line favorite in the race is #6 On time girl who should also be the “speed of speeds” and can come to the front in this race. We’ll see how much pressure she gets from horses like #8 Empress and see if she can go all the way. Maybe she can, but an in-the-money finish behind Mythical seems more likely. Finally, the horse that stands a chance of earning some of the money you want on your exacta and trifecta tickets is #2 Mosaic patternwho is at 6-1 in the odds for leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Tessellate has been red hot in her last two races with back-to-back open length victories at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. Her speed numbers don’t stand out yet, but her connections and her close-quarters stalking running style make her very dangerous under reasonable expectations.
The play: Bet #4 Mythical (5-2) to win and play her in exacta and trifecta boxes #2 Mosaic Pattern (6-1) And #6 On time girl (9-5).
Gulfstream Park, Race 12, $275,000 Holy Bull Stakes, post time 5:45 PM ET
The Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes has a field of nine candidates, with seven expected to compete. The field will compete at 1 1/16 miles, and the top finishers in the race will earn Kentucky Derby qualifying points. #1 Incredible makes his debut as a three-year-old after showing strong improvement as the distances increased in each of his races as a two-year-old. His final appearance was a win over the same distance at Churchill Downs in the Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes, which he won by 1 ¾ lengths off the pace. Many of the horses in the Holy Bull are talented but unproven on a route, and Incredibolt appears to be better than the other horses in this race that have already stretched themselves in distance. He will be comfortably off the pace and will be in position to pounce if the others in the race start to tire. #5 Gunner is one of the horses in the race that has unproven two-turn capabilities, but we expect him to do well in this 1 1/16-mile assignment for top connections like trainer Brad Cox and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., despite a lack of experience. He could have a tactical advantage as the best of the speed horses, and he could cut loose at the front on the back of his thrilling maiden win at Churchill Downs at seven furlongs last time out. The morning line favorite in the Holy Bull is #7 Almost for trainer Todd Pletcher. He already has two wins to his name, including an optional seven-furlong claiming race, and his best-in-the-field 97 Beyer Speed Figure and connections with John Velazquez on board paint a picture of a horse that seems capable of handling this extra distance.
The play: Bet #1 Incredibolt (9-2) to win and play him in chalky trifecta boxes #5 Gunner (2-1) And #7 Almost (9-5).
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