BEST BET: Fuji (6th race) First Race 1. Mertz 2. Jersey Rose 3. Bygollymissdolly The New Year's Day card at Gulfstream begins with a $12,500 claimer for newly turned 3-year-old fillies, a competitive race. Although MERTZ needed the help of the stewards to win her only race via disqualification, she is somewhat preferred, having speed and good numbers. JERSEY ROSE is the most accomplished of these, a filly who won her first three races, two of them narrowly, before a distant runner-up finish Dec. 5. BYGOLLYMISSDOLLY also raced in that same Dec. 5 race, finishing seventh, but after not gaining her preferred early position near the lead; likely capable of better. Second Race 1. Lion Diva 2. Salsa Queen 3. Sunny Sonata Can't get excited about anyone in this maiden $12,500 claimer...LION DIVA is narrowly preferred, coming off a runner-up finish, though beaten 10 lengths. She has improved in general over her last five dirt starts since dropping to the bottom of the maiden claiming ranks. SALSA QUEEN has been a regular factor in recent starts, running third in three consecutive races, but is a deep closer that is 0 for 41, not the kind of record that inspires confidence. SUNNY SONATA looks like the class of the field, but must overcome a lengthy stay on the sidelines, being away since November of 2017. Third Race 1. Misschief Maas 2. Day by Day 3. Gabrielleelizabeth MISSCHIEF MAAS, two for two since being claimed by trainer Jorge Navarro, is aggressively spotted in a $25,000 claimer after winning the Claiming Crown Glass Slipper. The drop is somewhat of a head scratcher, but obviously she figures to be quite tough if she maintains her form; short of speed but all five of her rivals are frontrunning types. DAY BY DAY might be the classiest of the frontrunners, a mare that went 9-2-2-1 in 2018, making $89,000. Aside for a failure on turf and a couple in stakes, she pretty much has always been right there. GABRIELLEELIZABETH has rattled off three straight since joining the Gonzalez stable, though all within the conditioned claiming ranks. Fourth Race 1. Aquaphobia 2. Night Prowler 3. Your Only Man AQUAPHOBIA enjoyed a fine year in 2018, winning three of nine races and over $175,000. Even in defeat, he often ran well - such as when third even after encountering traffic problems in the Claiming Crown Emerald. Edge in a nice field of $50,000 claimers. NIGHT PROWLER seems a good fit for this tag, but rates behind the top choice due to going winless in 10 races in 2017-2018; prone to pieces. YOUR ONLY MAN edged the top choice by a neck when second in the Emerald, a race in which he also ran into traffic. He is an honest runner but is drawn on the far outside and might lose ground with a wide trip. Fifth Race 1. Bella's Game 2. Sweet Connie Girl 3. Tiz Priceless 5-1 BELLA'S GAME has largely underachieved in three starts since breaking her maiden, but is well drawn on the inside and has picked up the pace in her recent workouts; adds Irad Ortiz Jr. and may move up. SWEET CONNIE GIRL is the most likely winner, having competitive form and Chad Brown in her corner, but figures to start at a low price. She is 7-5 on the line and likely goes off even shorter than that. TIZ PRICELESS failed to threaten in an off-the-turf race when sixth of eight last out, perhaps a forgivable loss, though a prior dirt start in August had resulted in a runner-up finish. Still, the bulk of her experience has come on grass, seemingly her preferred surface. :: Want to get the latest news with your past performances? Try DRF’s new digital PPs Sixth Race 1. Fuji 2. Velvet Isle 3. Cory Gal Hoping a shift from turf to dirt may cause FUJI to start as a slight overlay...some will question whether her move forward last out to be third at Aqueduct was related to the grass. Certainly it might have been, though the experience she gained first out when outrun on dirt may also have elevated her performance. She is training well on dirt, warranting the benefit of the doubt with the surface switch. VELVET ISLE and CORY GAL ran third and second, respectively, in a maiden race Dec. 6. 'ISLE may have more upside, now making her second start, while 'GAL, the more seasoned runner, returned to be second once again. Seventh Race 1. Lipstick City 2. Mrs. Ramona G. 3. Susie Bee Multiple stakes winner LIPSTICK CITY hasn't fired in her last two races, but at least one of those rear-half finishes is forgivable - a seventh over wet ground at Churchill in the Cardinal Nov. 22. Encouraged that her connections march on with her, rather than pull the plug and breed her - that confidence could point to a rebound. MRS. RAMONA G. won two in a row this fall in New York, though both victories came in sprints. Progeny of her sire, Kantharos, typically prefer sprints to routes, though the talent is certainly there with this miss. Late-running SUSIE BEE does best at Gulfstream, where she has recorded six victories from 14 starts. Just one for eight in 2018, but many of those starts came away from her favorite local course. Eighth Race 1. Circleofcompetence 2. Her Latest Film 3. Aspen Summer Although a non-factor in her only start, CIRCLEOFCOMPETENCE rates as the pick of the eighth with the shift to grass for trainer Chad Brown. Having the most dominant turf stable in North America, he obviously knows a grass horse when he sees one. He gave this miss a breeze on the grass at Palm Meadows, leading to this next step. HER LATEST FILM is in good form and may sit a sweet stalking trip along the inside. Whether she is good enough to win at a route is the question. She came up empty late in two prior routes, though they were early in her career; been sprinting lately. ASPEN SUMMER just missed on this course last winter before returning in an off-the-turf race at Aqueduct in November and running fifth. That race likely served the purpose of advancing her fitness after so long away. Ninth Race 1. Mr. Baker 2. Tell Me a Story 3. Tomater Gator Normally reluctant to pick a long comebacker, but making an exception with MR. BAKER, who shows a long foundation of works leading up to his return for a winning barn. Plus, he receives a waiver - he is ineligible to be claimed here after more than 180 days off, per house rules. Conditions look ripe for him to fire off the bench. TELL ME A STORY is the one most likely to capitalize if MR. BAKER is short in his comeback. He has been competitive in recent efforts, which is more than that can be said of many of his rivals. TOMATER GATOR, conversely, has struggled lately, though he does have speed and is returning to Gulfstream, where he is three for six. Tenth Race 1. Super Mama 2. Mambo Dancer 3. Bienville Street SUPER MAMA did not do anything when last seen in September at Belmont, but following a layoff of over a year and in a race that was moved from turf to dirt. She acts like strictly a grass horse, and has back class going back to 2016-2017. Take note that this filly was only a neck behind multiple stakes winner Fifty Five in a race early in her career. MAMBO DANCER is dropped in class by Pletcher and looms the primary adversary. Her lack of early speed suggests she will have to negotiate racing traffic. BIENVILLE STREET has managed four thirds from six starts on turf and might prove capable of landing another minor award.