Pick Pony Tip Sheet – Expert picks for Gulfstream Park, February 21, 2026.


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Race 1 Maiden Special Weight 1650Y Turf

Win: THREE TO G (7) – 56% confidence

Place: LITTLE GEORGIE (2) – 33% confidence

Show: MIA FAMILIA (10) – 22% confidence

Alternative: DEFERENCE (1) – 33% confidence

Analysts show strong agreement on THREE TO G (7) as the primary win candidate despite limited form. The place and alternative positions are more volatile, with analysts divided between several first-time starters and returning runners.


Race 2 Maiden Claiming 1210Y Dirt

Win: NASTI Z (6) – 44% confidence

Place: SWEET DREAM LADY (8) – 44% confidence

Show: POM POM (2) – 44% confidence

Alternative: AFFLUENZA (3) – 33% confidence

This race presents a competitive analytical landscape. Analysts are leaning toward NASTI Z (6) based on strong stable reports, while SWEET DREAM LADY (8) commands significant respect in the place slot due to recent Gulfstream experience.


Race 3 Claiming 1430Y Dirt

Win: GALLANT KNIGHT (6) – 56% confidence

Place: LOU THE BODY (7) – 56% confidence

Show: SOUND OF THE BEAST (1) – 44% confidence

Alternative: GOLDEN SKULL (2) – 33% confidence

A consensus is forming around GALLANT KNIGHT (6) following a string of consistent performances. The rivalry with SOUND OF THE BEAST (1) is a primary talking point among analysts, suggesting a tight finish between the top three selections.


Race 4 Claiming 1210Y Dirt

Win: LODATO (3) – 56% confidence

Place: EL MUHEET (7) – 44% confidence

Show: SAINT CLOUD (5) – 22% confidence

Alternative: GRAND JOKER (4) – 22% confidence

LODATO (3) is the analyst favorite following a recent maiden-breaking win. While EL MUHEET (7) is seen as the main challenger, the lower-tier positions show significant variance, indicating potential for an upset in the show position.


Race 5 Maiden Claiming 1100Y Dirt

Win: LITTLE GUSSIE (8) – 56% confidence

Place: CHISPUDA (11) – 44% confidence

Show: MISS CANDY GIRL (3) – 22% confidence

Alternative: UNI MERLA (1) – 33% confidence

LITTLE GUSSIE (8) holds the majority backing here. Analysts highlight CHISPUDA (11) as a dangerous threat if the favorite falters, though the depth of the field suggests caution for vertical wagering.


Race 6 Allowance Optional Claiming 8F 110Y Turf

Win: TIMELESS WONDER (4) – 44% confidence

Place: PHOENIX OF WIT (3) – 22% confidence

Show: IVORY AND EBONY (10) – 33% confidence

Alternative: HIGH SOUTH (9) – 44% confidence

Opinion is highly fragmented in this turf contest. TIMELESS WONDER (4) is the narrow consensus win pick, but HIGH SOUTH (9) has strong support from several analysts, suggesting a split-opinion outcome is likely.


Race 7 Starter Optional Claiming 1320Y Dirt

Win: JIMMIES BIG DAY (6) – 56% confidence

Place: PROUD AMERICAN (2) – 44% confidence

Show: TO THE EASTSIDE (3) – 33% confidence

Alternative: HE BE HOPPIN (1) – 33% confidence

Analysts are largely aligned on JIMMIES BIG DAY (6) as the standout performer. PROUD AMERICAN (2) is viewed as the logical second choice, making this one of the more predictable races on the card from an analytical standpoint.


Race 8 Maiden Special Weight 9F Dirt

Win: FANCY GENTLEMAN (5) – 67% confidence

Place: AUTOBAHN (7) – 44% confidence

Show: INFINITE LIGHT (3) – 33% confidence

Alternative: OVERVIEW (4) – 33% confidence

FANCY GENTLEMAN (5) commands the strongest consensus of the early card. Analysts believe the stable preparation will be the deciding factor, with AUTOBAHN (7) expected to chase the favorite home.


Race 9 Allowance Optional Claiming 8F 110Y Turf

Win: MAGGIE GO (11) – 56% confidence

Place: PRETTY LAVISH (9) – 56% confidence

Show: LA CANTERA (10) – 33% confidence

Alternative: MYSTIC SEA (7) – 33% confidence

MAGGIE GO (11) is favored to bounce back here, with PRETTY LAVISH (9) providing strong analytical competition. The consensus points toward a concentrated top-end finish among the primary market movers.


Race 10 Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes 1320Y Dirt

Win: DAMON’S MOUND (6) – 78% confidence

Place: WOUND UP (5) – 44% confidence

Show: BEELINE (4) – 33% confidence

Alternative: ROLANDO (7) – 22% confidence

DAMON’S MOUND (6) represents the single highest confidence pick on the card. Analysts are nearly unanimous in their win selection, suggesting this stakes race may offer little in the way of win-pool value but remains a critical anchor for multi-race bets.


Race 11 Claiming 8F 70Y Dirt

Win: COMPASS RISES (1) – 33% confidence

Place: GEAUX AMY (2) – 33% confidence

Show: U KNOW WHEN U KNOW (3) – 22% confidence

Alternative: ONE OF ONE (10) – 33% confidence

The analytical community is deeply divided on this claiming event. COMPASS RISES (1) and GEAUX AMY (2) are tied in support, making this a high-volatility race where exotic coverage is highly recommended by analysts.


Race 12 Maiden Special Weight 1650Y Turf

Win: VEKOMA VIEW (4) – 33% confidence

Place: SHE REIGNS (2) – 33% confidence

Show: CELEBRITY WARRIOR (8) – 22% confidence

Alternative: LET’S GO BARBIE (5) – 44% confidence

A wide-open finale has analysts searching for value. While VEKOMA VIEW (4) is the technical consensus win pick, the high confidence in LET’S GO BARBIE (5) in the alternative slot suggests a significant segment of analysts expects an upset.


Recommended Exotic Plays by Race

In the opening Maiden Special Weight, analysts suggest an Exacta Box featuring THREE TO G (7) and COPACABANA (3) to account for the lack of established form. For the Sprint Stakes in Race 10, the extreme confidence in DAMON’S MOUND (6) makes it a primary candidate for Trifecta and Superfecta keys, using WOUND UP (5) and BEELINE (4) in the lower positions to boost potential payouts.

In the more volatile races like Race 6 and Race 11, analysts recommend wider coverage. A Trifecta Box in Race 11 using COMPASS RISES (1), GEAUX AMY (2), and MORE THAN GLORY (4) is suggested to capture the split opinion in the win pool. For the finale, analysts are looking at a 10-cent Superfecta wheel centered on VEKOMA VIEW (4) and LET’S GO BARBIE (5) to manage the large field size and unpredictability.


Value Play Observations

In Race 11, ONE OF ONE (10) emerges as a significant value play. While the morning line may favor the inside speed, multiple analysts have identified this runner as a strong win contender, suggesting the current price may represent an overlay. Conversely, THREE TO G (7) in the first race may be slightly underlaid given the high consensus but lack of recent racing data, prompting some analysts to look toward MIA FAMILIA (10) for value.

Race 6 presents a clear value opportunity with HIGH SOUTH (9). Despite not being the primary consensus favorite, the analyst support is concentrated among high-performing handicappers, indicating that the horse’s probability of winning exceeds its likely market price. Analysts also note that LOU THE BODY (7) in Race 3 frequently appears in the place and show positions, offering potential value in vertical exotics if the favorite finishes outside the top two.


Overall Wagering Strategy

The Gulfstream Park card for February 21 presents a clear divide between high-certainty anchors and high-volatility betting puzzles. The strongest consensus of the day is found in Race 10, where DAMON’S MOUND (6) commands nearly 80 percent confidence. This horse should serve as the primary anchor for all multi-race sequences, including the Late Pick 4 and Pick 5. Race 8 also offers strong stability with FANCY GENTLEMAN (5), though the field depth requires slightly more defensive coverage in vertical exotics compared to the stakes feature.

Wagering tension is most evident in the middle of the card and the finale. Race 6 and Race 11 are identified as split-opinion races where no single horse commands a dominant share of analyst backing. In these instances, bettors should avoid narrow construction and instead utilize multi-horse combinations or boxes. The presence of several competing 30-40 percent confidence picks suggests that these races are the most likely to produce price-driven results that could significantly inflate Pick 6 or Late Pick 5 payouts.

For multi-race sequence construction, a Pick 3 starting in Race 8 looks particularly attractive. By leveraging the strong consensus on FANCY GENTLEMAN (5) in the first leg and MAGGIE GO (11) in the second, bettors can concentrate their capital on the more contested ninth and eleventh races. The final race of the day, a wide-open maiden special weight, serves as a high-volatility closer where analytical variance is at its peak. Using a four-horse combination in the final leg of multi-race bets is recommended to capture potential upsets at minimal incremental cost.

Environmental factors remain standard for South Florida, with fast dirt and firm turf expected. Analysts prioritize horses with established track records at Gulfstream, particularly in the claiming and allowance ranks where course familiarity often outweighs raw speed figures. The primary takeaway for bettors should be the utilization of the high-confidence anchors in Races 8 and 10 to afford wide coverage in the sequence-breaking eleventh and twelfth races. Focus on vertical exotics in the stakes race to maximize the return on a heavy favorite.

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