TAMPA BAY TODAY – MAY 6

As regulars know, we lean toward big-field turf events in this space but with thunderstorms predicted, and with the amount of races taken off the turf here recently, we opted for an allowance sprint at 7 furlongs instead.

Thought I could play beat the favorite here, aka beat Antonio Gallardo, but alas…

GoGo Shoes (5-2) was going to be my upsetter, given that he has Tampa experience, an impressive maiden breaker two starts back, then I saw the replay of the faster figure–by a lot–Hopeful Growth (9-5).

When you watch the Tampa Bay Today video of the Anthony Margotta charge on MAR 21, RACE 10, at Gulfstream Park, it’s important to note two things:

First, he chased throughout 3-4 wide, mid-moved to lead on turn and held stubbornly for place, not holding off the winner but not before going down with a fight. The important factor is that he did so without changing to his correct lead.

With that added experience and today’s extra furlong, he can improve bigly in the third start of his career. The blinkers are off–a 4-for-12 move for this barn of late–and the bottom side pedigree with appreciate the extra eighth of a mile.

We’re taking Hopeful Growth to win, conceding he will be more like 6-5, we’ll box the exacta with ‘GoGo,’ an extra ticket with ‘Growth’ on top.