The Miracle Wood Stakes – Race 8 at Laurel – Post Time 3:22 PM Eastern
Top Win Contenders: Close the Gate, Higher Sense
Close the Gate has won once and finished second twice in three races. His second career start came at Laurel over seven furlongs, the same distance as this race. In that race, he made a bid at the quarter pole, advanced to take the lead with a strong rally, was in front by three half-lengths at the eighth pole, and won by 10 lengths. He earned a career-best 90 Equibase Speed Figure. Moving into similar stakes in his next race, the Spectacular Bid Stakes, he made the same move and took the lead at the quarter, but he was outkicked and finished second. His top trainer, Salzman, won the Miracle Wood in 2022 and 2023 with horses that finished third (Local Motive) and second (Coffeewithchris) in the Spectacular Bid. Trainer Salzman can win this race for a third time.
Higher Sense is the horse Close the Gate needs to catch in order to win, because Higher Sense won his last race with a 90 figure, leading from start to finish and winning by nine lengths. That was his first win at Laurel, and once again, he’s the early horse, so he has a shot.
Handicapper Picks:
Win bets: Close the Gate, Higher Sense at odds of 2 to 1 or higher.
Exactas: Close the Gate, Higher Sense over Close the Gate, Higher Sense, Taj Mahal, Balboa, Let’s Go Lando
The Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes – Race 10 at Gulfstream Park – Post Time 4:50 PM Eastern
Top Win Contender: Can Compania
Next contender: Beeline
Other contenders: Damon’s Mound (favorite) and Jack’s Promise
Can Compania won six of 11 at Gulfstream on dirt. He also won three of five one-turn sprints at Gulfstream. His last race (December 20) was a two-turn and a graded stakes, so it doesn’t carry weight here. However, he won his best one-turn race (October 18) from the outside post, just like today. In that race, he earned a 96 Equibase Speed Figure, and his most recent wins earned 98 and 97. He is consistent and can win in the lead or from just off the pace.
Beeline won three of six races at six furlongs, with two of the three at Gulfstream. His best race came on October 25, earning a 100 figure. In his last race, he earned a 95 figure, where he finished third, beaten a head by the runner-up and half a length to the winner. He also won a stakes at Gulfstream at this distance early in his career.
Damon’s Mound is likely to be the favorite because he won the Sunshine Sprint Stakes on January 17 and the Bold Ruler Stakes in November. He won five of nine at this distance, and overall, he won seven of 18 races, including the 2025 Sunshine Sprint. However, the best figures for his wins earned 95, 97, and 93, so he is only as fast as Can Compania and Beeline.
Jack’s Promise won a classified race in December, earning a 94 figure. He also won on October 30 at this distance and on a sloppy track, earning a 100 figure. He recently put in a fast workout, the best of 48 on the day. Jack’s Promise has won or finished second seven times in 12 races on dirt. However, he comes off Lasix, and none of his wins have been without Lasix. Still, he is a consistent horse, and his odds have run well at 4 to 1, 12 to 1, and 7 to 1 for his latest wins.
Handicapper Picks:
Win bets: Can Compania at odds of 5 to 2 or higher.
I would consider Beeline at odds of 7 to 2 or higher.
I would consider Jack’s Promise at odds of 4 to 1 or higher.
Exactas: Can Compania over Beeline, Damon’s Mound, Jack’s Promise
Exactas: Box Can Compania over Beeline, Jack’s Promise
Wishing Well Stakes – Race 7 at Santa Anita – Post Time 6:30 PM Eastern
Top Win Contender: Egyptian Mau
Other contenders are Imaboutago and Gratefully
Egyptian Mau has had trouble in all four U.S. races, all turf sprints, but she finished first, second, third, and fourth. Her best win came last October, when she rallied from seventh or eighth to win, earning a 102 Equibase Speed Figure. Her best figure was111, achieved when she started ninth and was beaten by a neck. She ran her last race in the Grade 3 Las Ciengas Stakes on January 11, finishing fourth ahead of Nay V Belle (fifth) and Antifono (ninth). Juan Hernandez rode Egyptian Mau for the first time, moving off Amorita, on which Hernandez won and finished second in two stakes. This makes me believe Hernandez favors Egyptian Mau. Additionally, she moves from inside to outside, where she should have no trouble, and her late kick could help her win.
Imaboutago ran her career-best race two weeks ago (February 6), in the same class that Egyptian Mau recently won, earning a 103 figure. She also has a powerful kick, as she should when rallying from fifth, four lengths behind at the eighth pole and winning by a neck. This will be her third race after a layoff, so she can improve again.
Gratefully posted her last best race on January 8, winning in the same allowance class as both Egyptian Mau and Imaboutago. Gratefully won over Imaboutago by nearly four lengths on January 8, which was flattered by Imaboutago on February 6. That effort earned Gratefully a career-high 99 figure. It was her first race at Santa Anita, and she is undefeated in four starts, so she has a good chance to stay unbeaten.
Handicapper Picks:
Win bets: Egyptian Mau at odds of 2 to 1 or higher.
Imaboutago at odds of 3 to 1 or higher.
Exactas: Box Egyptian Mau, Imaboutago, Gratefully