US racing tips: Tom Collins opts for in-form mare as his banker at Gulfstream

Toffen
7.15 Gulfstream Park
1pt win

Fuel The Bern
8.49 Gulfstream Park
1pt each-way

Flora Fantasy
9.21 Gulfstream Park
2pts win

Thankfully the rain is set to stop falling in Florida on Thursday night, which should mean all the turf contests remain in place rather than being switched to the main dirt track. That is great news for punters as a barrel of non-runners and small fields on the slop is far from ideal.

The first contest of note for a punting point of view is the $33,000 starter optional claimer (7.15) for three-year-old fillies run over 1m½f.

There are plenty of young, promising sorts in this field and grabbing the early lead will be paramount for the Wesley Ward-trained Jades Gelly, so hopefully she will be forced to go faster than ideal and set a good pace for the closers.

Morning line favourite Bird's Map is a main-track only runner, so will be taken out if the race remains on the turf, which helps the chances of Toffen.

Drawn in gate one, rider Joe Bravo will look to get a lead on this daughter of Holy Bull Stakes winner Cairo Prince and attempt to pounce late.

The turf track at Gulfstream is very tight, especially as they head into the straight, and saving ground is a necessity if you're on a deep closer.

Toffen showed marked improvement from her debut eighth here in December when she returned a winner in maiden claiming company after a four-month break.

Bravo was forced five-wide in that contest, so you can mark up her effort, and she finished with good effect to win with plenty in hand at the wire.

Trainer Brian Lynch pitched her into a similar race to this four weeks ago and Toffen looked unlucky not to follow up her initial victory. In the perfect position for most of the race, the leaders rather fell into her lap as they entered the straight, which caused her to steady off the heels and lose valuable momentum.

Bravo switched her to the inside and she picked up takingly, only to be chinned by an onrushing closer who also boasted an unexposed profile.

A similar effort will see Toffen go close as she looks to continue progressing. Her recent works have been good, too.

The $25,000 claimer (8.49), which will be run over the fast 5f on the turf, looks a tricky affair to assess with so much early pace on show. Basically, it looks like a quarterhorse contest in disguise.

Many of these will try to get to the front and that should enable the closers to pick up some of the pieces late. The best of those rushing at the death could be Fuel The Bern, who drops down in grade and trip having contested better races at Belmont Park, Aqueduct and here on his last four attempts.

Drawn in gate six and with plenty of pace inside (all bar Oak Bluffs who has no early zip), Fuel The Bern may be able to get an inside position heading into the first turn and can then make his challenge as others swing wide in the homestraight.

Obviously plenty of luck will be needed if this sprinter is to win, but trainer Danny Gargan has his string firing on all cylinders this year (28 winners from 79 runners), Edgard Zayas rides this track as well as most riders and an each-way play looks a wise move.

Fuel The Bern is proven over trips around seven furlongs and a mile, as well as boasting the speed to stick with these in the early stages, and should show dramatic improvement from his recent fifth given that was his first start for three months.

The final selection is the Jorge Delgado-trained Flora Fantasy in the following $41,000 allowance optional claimer (9.21).

Formerly with Jose D'Angelo and claimed by Delgado after her latest success in this grade, Flora Fantasy now bids for a four-timer.

The six-year-old mare proved consistent in higher grades before notching a couple of successes in similar grades to this in February and March. A two-month absence followed but she returned in the same great condition as she fended off a small field to reward favourite backers.

Flora Fantasy has drawn wide again in gate seven, but Irad Ortiz will look to get a good early position on the mare, who should be able to give away weight to all of her rivals. The barn switch may bring about further improvement.

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