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Jeff Siegel: National Best Plays | Saturday, December 9, 2023

by Jeff Siegel

December 9, 2023

Gulfstream Park – Sixth Race (2:34 ET)
6-Milliat (Ire) (8-1)


The Jack Sisterson-trained import won her debut in Ireland like a quality filly and will get tested for class in her U.S. debut in this year’s edition of the Wait a While Stakes, a highly competitive two turn grass affair for 2-year-olds. The daughter of Kodiac was visually quite pleasing in a recent team grass drill at Palm Meadows to indicate she is fit and ready and could very well be this good. At 8-1 on the morning line, she’s worth a gamble in the win pool and in the various rolling exotics. Exacta players can hook her up with the equally dangerous Great Venezuela, also listed at 8-1 on the program. A daylight winner of her last two starts, the daughter of Neolithic stretches out and tries turf for the first time, but her all-weather sprint form makes her a “must use” despite the change in surface and trip.

Gulfstream Park – Tenth Race (4:32 ET)
3–Nic’s Style (9/2)


This speedy sophomore filly won her only start here under cruise control by more than six lengths in May of her juvenile campaign but then disappeared and will be making her first start in 18 months in this first level allowance dirt sprint. She returns with Lasix and work tab that should have her plenty fit, so if the Ralph Nicks-trained filly returns as well as she left she can pick up where she left off. In a race that she appears to be the quickest of the quick, the daughter of Uncaptured should be capable of controlling the field gate to wire while offering plenty of value at or near her morning line of 9/2.

Los Alamitos - Ninth Race (4:30 PT)
5-Chatalas (2-1)


She had no chance after being slammed hard and pinched back at the start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies-G1 at Santa Anita last month, and then encountered additional trouble down the backstretch before tossing in the towel at the head of the lane. We’ll ignore that race out and focus on her extra game win the Chandelier S.-G2 in October and a recent main track team workout (5f, 1:00.3h, Dec. 2) that shows she ready for another top effort. The daughter of Gun Runner has good tactical speed and can win on the lead or from a stalking position, so no matter what the pace flow turns out to be the Mark Glatt-trained filly should be able to adjust. Listed as the second choice on the morning line at 2-1, she’s a solid win play and rolling exotic single.