Pleasant Acres exactas reap great profits

Add this to any list of solid handicapping principles: If there are two runners in a race – both by Pleasant Acres stallions – combine them in an exacta box and sit back and relax. It happened in the fifth race at Gulfstream Park yesterday with 4-1 Treasure for Gold (Treasure Beach) and 5-1 Spicy Nelly (Beau Choix), competing in a $47,000 allowance optional claimer at “about” 7 1/2 furlongs on the grass. 

Tyler Gaffalione took Treasure for Gold away quickly and settled the filly comfortably into second place. Leonel Reyes was more patient, and had Spicy Nelly well back in the pack, on the rail. Gaffalione made his move on the turn, going after the leader with a powerful run, and the duo took over the lead heading down the stretch. Reyes, meanwhile, picked up one rival after another with a smooth rail run, and went after Treasure for Gold in deep stretch, but fell one-half length short at the wire. The all-Pleasant Acres exacta paid $61.20 and a $20 box on the pair would have returned $612. 

Treasure for Gold, owned and bred by Robyn Thompson, earned $28,900 for her second straight victory – she’s now her sire’s leading money-winner with $103,850 in the bank, and a record of 3-0-1 in six starts. Spicy Nelly is 3-4-1 in 11 tries and the $9,400 runner-up check raised her earnings to $90,957, best for Beau Choix.