The Hutcheson Stakes – Race 9 at Gulfstream Park – Post Time 4:54 PM Eastern
Top Win Contenders: Diciassette, Fulmine
Diciassette won his first two starts last July and August, the second of the races was the Proud Man Stakes at this distance here at Gulfstream Park. He was overmatched in the Breeders’ Futurity Stakes, and further, he was not bred to run that two-turn race; he finished fourth. He came back after nearly four months running in the Swale Stakes on January 31, where he was in range at the far turn, but he didn’t finish well and ended fourth. However, that was because the top finishers are top colts; the winner (Solitude Dude) finished third in the Fountain of Youth Stakes two weeks ago, and the runner-up won the Rebel Stakes two weeks ago. Now that he has no monsters to deal with, Diciassette, who also has the outside with two or three horses who only have early speed, has a shot. The horse on the rail is Arbiter, likely the favorite, as he has won two races, but he only won leading from start to finish, the same as Wootun, who won both his races leading from the start. Also, Freeky Neeks won his only race, leading from the start. As long as those three early horses run that race, Diciassette has the kick to rebound for the win.
Fulmine is the only horse in the field with three wins in five dirt races at six furlongs. He just won on February 27 at this distance and is also a closer who rallied from seventh to win clearly. He has a shot because his last two wins earned 84 and 85 Equibase Speed Figures, the best of the field in dirt, whereas Arbiter earned his wins on turf and all-weather and hasn’t raced for three months.
Handicapper Picks
Win: Diciassette can bet at odds of 9 to 5 or higher.
Fulmine can be bet at odds of 3 to 1 or higher.
The San Simeon Stakes – Race 3 at Santa Anita – Post Time 5:05 PM Eastern
Top Win Contender: Gran Oriente
In second exacta contenders: Quereme Pass, Sumter, Sorrento Sky
Although this race has six entries that performed well in turf races, five have issues. For example, Sumter has won five races on turf, but his last win was in a sprint in 2022, and although he finished second in his last two races at this distance, he placed fourth in this stakes race in 2024 and sixth in 2023. Seal Time finished a turf sprint in his career debut and has run two-turn races in his nine races since then. Genius Jimmy ran in a turf sprint for his career debut in 2022 and has only raced in 16 two-turn races since. Sorrento Sky hasn’t won a turf sprint in eight races, including finishing third in this race in 2025.
The top contender is Gran Oriente, one of two horses that have won at six-and-a-half furlongs on the hillside course at Santa Anita. The other horse that has won on this trip is Sorrento Sky, who earned his last win at this distance in October 2024.
Gran Oriente won on January 23 and is the only one to have won a race this year at this trip. He was entered into the Breeders’ Cup Mile last November after he had been away for five months for his U.S. first race, but was no shot at 99 to 1. He spent two months on a layoff and on January 11 ran in a two-turn race, where he showed some early speed in fourth but faded to tenth. He cut distance in his second race off the layoff on January 23 at this distance, and with blinkers, he took to the trip, rallying gamely to win by a neck and earn a 105 Equibase Speed Figure. He should run even better in his third race off the layoff and second on this trip. He should be second early behind Quereme Pass and should win this race with jockey Ayuso, who was aboard in the last race.
Quereme Pass is the earlier horse, and won his last turf sprint over seven furlongs last September in a tough race at Kentucky Downs. He gets the hot jockey Jaramillo, who, before leaving Florida for California, won nearly 20% of 74 races with this trainer. He could also be bet for second with Sorrento Sky and Sumter.
Handicapper Picks
Win bets: Gran Oriente at odds of 3 to 2 or higher.
Exactas: Gran Oriento over Sumter, Quereme Pass, and Sorrento Sky.
The Capitva Island Stakes – Race 12 at Gulfstream Park – Post Time 6:25 PM Eastern
Top Win Contenders: Twirling Queen, Moon Spun
Twirling Queen is excellent at these short distances, including turf and all-weather tracks, where she has won seven of 18 races. She lost her last two races, on November 30 and February 7, when she finished fourth behind Moon Spun. Both those races had different jockeys. Jockey Saez last rode her to win on October 23. That race was a classified allowance with a higher purse ($145K) than this stakes race ($125K). She has six of her seven wins out of 10 races with Saez. One of her best efforts with Saez was in the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes at this five-furlong distance, where she posted a career-best 108 Equibase Speed Figure. If she rebounds with Saez riding her again, she could beat the favorite, Moon Spun.
Moon Spun has won three consecutive five-furlong turf races. Her first race on November 27, after a 13-month break, was on turf but was moved to all-weather, and she won easily. Her next two races, both on turf and stakes, are similar to this race. She has early speed, likes the rail, and is tough to beat. Her race on December 27 earned a 105 figure, but a race after that earned a 102. She will be the favorite, and Twirling Queen will try to catch her if she can.
Handicapper Picks
Win: Both Twirling Queen and Moon Spun can bet at odds of 8 to 5 or higher.
Trifecta: Twiring Queen, Moon Spun over Twiring Queen, Moon Spun over Karaya, Great Venezuela, Flamingo, Mo Governor, Pandora’s Gift