US expert Tom Collins thinks well-bred maiden can land the opener at Gulfstream

Magical Mike
6.00 Gulfstream Park
2pts win

Gran Omero
10.07 Gulfstream Park
1pt each-way

Gulfstream Park is back to headline Thursday's stateside racing and although it doesn't look the easiest card to pick apart, hopes are high that we can land a couple of nice bets.

Whether that will result in significant profit or not will be decided pretty early on as the best bet goes in the opening $17,000 maiden claimer (6.00) on the ten-race card.

Likely to be a well-fancied market leader, Magical Mike has crystal-clear claims with numerous factors seemingly playing into his hands in the mile turf contest.

Trained by Saffie Joseph, who has started this Gulfstream meet in incredible form (four winners from nine runners), Magical Mike has been heavily punted in all of his three career starts but failed to deliver.

A son of Magician, who won the Breeders' Cup Turf for Aidan O'Brien over 1m4f in 2013, out of Anabaa, a sprint mare whose progeny includes the phenomenal Goldikova, Magical Mike is bred in the purple with a perfect mix of speed and stamina.

He had numerous breezes before he made his debut in January, including an impressive 47.42sec 4f workout at Gulfstream in mid-December, but never travelled after a slow break on debut over 6f, which indicated he desperately needed a longer trip.

Stepped up to a mile and an eighth, Magical Mike was punted again on his next outing at Gulfstream in maiden special weight company but lost all chance when badly bumped at the start and then again at the first turn, so you can put a line through that effort.

The dirt wasn't his bag last time, either, so he can be excused another effort and comes into this contest a completely unexposed horse who looks a cut above on breeding.

He makes the classic drop from maiden special weight to maiden claiming company, is back on the turf over his ideal trip and has drawn stall one. Everything is in line for a huge run.

Comparatively, my other selection on the card has drawn widest of all in stall nine. That runner is Gran Omero, who runs in the feature $46,000 allowance-optional claimer (10.07) for trainer Oscar Gonzalez.

The four-year-old colt has won nine of 13 races in an impressive career, all of his successes coming at Venezuelan track La Rinconada.

He is a champion in his native country and almost made an instant impact on his US debut when second in a $300,000 stakes race back in December.

The way his two subsequent races have panned out hasn't favoured this late closer at all, but there appears to be an abundance of early speed in this nine-runner contest and that can play into his hands.

His draw isn't a problem given he will drop to the rear anyway, and although Moretti is probably the most likely winner I would rather play an each-way wager on Gran Omero at a forecast price of 8-1. He will be there to pick up the pieces.

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