McLean’s Selections for both Gulfstream Park & Turfway Park on Saturday, Jan. 25

We didn’t have the best of nights at Turfway Park on Friday. Thought, going in, that we might. Felt strongly compelled on several races. Just didn’t pan out as good as we wanted.

Did finish with 2 winners in the 8 races and the night with a solid $27.40 exacta for each $1 played. That healed some wounds encountered in the early goings.

Today, we have a full blast of racing action. We start with the Pegasus World Cup card down at Gulfstream Park. We finish with our regular action up at Turfway. Here is a look at some races from down South before we head home:

Gulfstream Park:

3rd: 1/2-8-6…World of Trouble Turf Sprint Stakes…Shekky Shebaz (1) sure has the look of a winner in this one. Comes off a nice win over this track on Dec. 7. Has had plenty of time to recover from that exercise and get ready for this one. In 4 races at this distance, this 5YO son of Cape Blanco has 3 wins and a third. The 3rd came in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint to the grand filly Belvoir Bay last November. So…has the credentials and the style. The post position may cause this one to move a bit early. But the jockey knows how to do that, too. I bet the 1 to win/place and then key the 1 over/under the rest of the numbers listed.

5th: 2-3/-8-1/9…Lady’s Turf Sprint Stakes…This race has definitely come up a little on the light side of things. I will give the edge to Girls Know Best (2). This one has raced over the sod at GP on 4 previous occasions. Has won 2 of them, and has added a second. In 12 starts at this speciality distance, she has a 5-2-1 record, too. Ran behind Jean Elizabeth (3) in the last out, but that was taken off the grass and run over the dirt here. Our top pick got caught late in that one. I look for more today with a return to the grass. I bet the 2 to win/place and then box the 2-3 exacta. I will key the 2 over/under the 3-8-1-9 in two smaller versions.

6th: 3-6/4-1-9/11…South Beach Stakes…Atomic Blonde (3) is 6-1 on the ML, and I would love to lock those odds in. This 4YO daughter of Scat Daddy is certainly one on the improve, and, IMO, is ready for this type of Stakes company for an expert barn/jockey combo. Over the last 10 races together, the jockey has won .30% for the trainer and the barn has won with .26% of the 69 starters this meet. Has a nice stalking style, and this one should be in a prime spot when the running turns real. Lots of speed may soften up the heavy favorite, Mitchell Road (6). The 5YO English Channel mare has 3 wins and a second in 5 races at this distance. Only time blown out? Ran up against Uni — the Eclipse Award Champ of a year ago. One to beat. I bet the 3 to win/place/show and then box the 3-6 in one exacta. I will key the 3-6 over/under the 4-1-9-11 in two smaller versions.

7th: 2-10/8/5-7-4-13/6-12…Fred W. Hooper Stakes…What a nice, competitive and intriguing race this one should turn out to be. Lots of contenders. Could be some odds. I will go with Zenden (2) in this spot — at a nice 8-1 ML price. This 4YO son of Fed Biz is coming off a 4th place finish in the G3 Mr. Prospector last time out here on Dec. 21. Was really eliminated at the very start of that one. Hammered at the beginning. Look at the replay. Never got fully on track after that. This one has faced some real good ones in the past and has a 2-1-0 record in 4 starts over this main track. Love the works coming in. Big shot, IMO. Gray Magician (10) is another price product that I am definitely going to use. I toss the last one. First start in 21/2 months. Caught a very good field when facing older for the first time in the career. Look who beat him a head in the G3 Smarty Jones at Parx. That one won the BC Dirt Mile. This one has some ability, to be sure and I love this jockey change. Love it. I bet the 2-10 across the board and then box the 2-10-8 in one exacta. I will key the 2-10 over/under the 5-7-4-13-6-12 in two smaller versions.

8th: 3-6/9-10-7-2/4-5…G3 La Prévoyante Stakes…While the race before exceeds expectations, this one falls woefully short. Field truly is not deserving of a G3 status. Not even close. It might be if the ML favorite — Lady Panama (6) — had run sometime since Nov. 24. Of 2018. Since 14 months ago. If trainer Chad Brown can have this 6YO mare ready off that layup? Wow. We know Chad is a miracle worker. Especially with the sod kind. But really? I will go with Kelsey’s Cross (3), who is coming into this one off a layup herself. Has not run since she was 7th in the G1 QE II at KEE last October. Was way wide and still managed to run 43/4 lengths behind some really good ones in that one. Ran 5 lengths behind Concrete Rose last year, too. If she can get a clean run in the late going, she may be tough at the wire. But? That might be asking a lot in this field, from this rider. Vunerable at best. I bet the 3-6 to win/place/show and then box the 3-6 in one exacta. I will key the 3-6 over/under the rest in two smaller versions.

9th: 5-7/11-6-1…G2 Inside Information Stakes…The big favorite here is Spiced Perfection (7), the California-bred who won a big one at KEE last October. She is good. Really good. But I will try to upset her with Blamed (5). This one won over this track in February of 2019. Been idle since then. But the works have been great and this one has run well off a break before. Look at the start in the G2 Raven Run in Oct. 2018. I like her off the fresh start. I bet the 5 to win/place/show and then box the 5-7 in the exacta. I key the 5-7 over/under the 11-6-1 in two smaller versions.

10th: 12-1-10/7-8-3…G3 W.L. McKnight Stakes…American Tattoo (12) has never raced over the grass and will be going for a trainer who has won with only .16% of those making the adjustment of surfaces. Has the pedigree to make this move and has the speed to be dangerous. But? Not for me, guys. Red Knight (1) will be making the first start since last November. Ran well in the final two starts of the year. Has  a win over this track and gets a huge rider switch. This one is for me. Temple (10) ran well in his last start here on Dec. 28. That was on the main track, though, when moved from the sod. In 9 career grass starts, only has 1 win. Wow. Love the jockey, though. Cross Border (7) has been on the grass 12 times and has 6 wins. I like that. I bet the 1-7 across the board and then key the 1-7 over/under the rest of the numbers listed. I also key the 1 over/under the “all button.”

11th: 12-11-1/10-3-4…Pegasus World Cup Turf…What the “Main Event” lacks in intrigue and big names, this one is full to the brim. I will give the edge to the grand Magic Wand (12). She ran 12 times last year. Only won once. But was second 6 times. Lost to the great Bricks and Mortar by less than a length. That race is good enough against these. Maybe she starts 2020 off with a win. Sacred Life (11) ran a huge one to end the 2019 year at Del Mar. Came with a late rush. Gets one of the barn’s go-to riders today. In 4 starts for Chad Brown, has never been worse than 2nd. And, is 12-1 in the ML? Kidding me? Zulu Alpha (1) is another long shot that could be a surprise. Lost by less than 2 to “Bricks” in the Breeders’ Cup. Has 2 wins in 3 starts here. Will be running late with a guy up that knows this course very well. I bet the 12-11 across the board and then box the top 3 in one exacta. I will key the 12-11 over/under the rest of the numbers listed.

12th: 3-12-2/10-8/6-1…G1 Pegasus World Cup…Who is left? Diamond Oops (3) gets the top spot by default. Omaha Beach is out. Spun to Run is out. The extravaganza is already over and they have not made the gate. But Diamond Oops won the Mr. Prospector at 7 furlongs with a nice dash of speed late. Throw out the Dirt Mile, when he lunged at the start, and this one has been ultra consistent. Has 5 wins in 6 starts over this track. Good enough for the rest of them. I bet the 3 to win/place/show and then box the top 3 numbers in one exacta. I will key the 3-12 over/under all the rest of the numbers listed.