From a wagering perspective, they might have saved the best for last Saturday at Gulfstream Park when the Grade 3, $165,000 Suwannee River brings to a close an 11-race card featuring five stakes races. The Suwannee River, scheduled for one mile on turf, drew an ultra-competitive field of 12, including nine stakes winners. It also is a race that lacks an obvious favorite. A pair of South African-bred mares from top connections are intriguing. Golden Hostess, trained by Graham Motion, has already run twice in this country, narrowly beaten in an allowance at Keeneland and in the Autumn Days Stakes at Aqueduct. Both races were turf sprints. Golden Hostess displayed a strong closing kick in both races and would appear to benefit from what looks to be an abundance of speed signed on for the Suwannee River. “That’ll help her. She comes with that big late run, so some pace will help,” Motion said. Bless My Stars, a Group 1 winner in South Africa, will be making her first start since February, first start in the United States, and first start for Todd Pletcher. In South Africa, Bless My Stars twice beat Feather Boa in Group 1 races. Feather Boa finished a narrowly beaten third in an allowance race going six furlongs for Pletcher at Aqueduct in September. :: Get Gulfstream Park Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the Clocker Team. Available every race day.  “It kind of gives you a little more confidence in the form since she ran well in a pretty solid allowance race at Aqueduct at a distance that wasn’t ideal,” Pletcher said. Bless My Stars will have to overcome post 12 under Irad Ortiz Jr. “Pretty unfortunate draw for her. Hopefully, we get a race and see where she is and what we’re going to do moving forward, but she seems like a high-quality filly,” Pletcher said. Ocean Club and Breath Away finished a head apart when first and third, respectively, in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel going one mile at Aqueduct in September. Ocean Club had things her own way on the front end that day, while Breath Away came with a strong late run to just miss. Ocean Club, who figures to have more company if she races forward on Saturday, has the rail draw under Edwin Gonzalez, while Breath Away, a two-time winner over Gulfstream’s turf, is parked in post 11 under Dylan Davis. Be Your Best won the Grade 3 Long Island at 1 3/8 miles, and the original plan was to point to the Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf on Jan. 25. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. preferred to run her in between, and though this race is shortening up to a mile, he feels the 4-year-old filly is capable at the trip. “She’s in good form. She doesn’t seem like she’s too slow for a mile, she seems to have plenty of gears,” Joseph said. Joseph also sends out Be My Sunshine, whose three wins over the Gulfstream turf include the Tropical Park Oaks last December. She has not run since July 31 at Saratoga, but Joseph is more concerned about the kind of trip Luis Reyes can work out from post 10 than he is the filly’s fitness. “She needs to be covered up as long as possible,” Joseph said. “He’s going to have to get over from out there. She’s had a good steady [series] of breezes. She’s as fit as she can be.” Hollywood Walk, Ribaltagaia, Papilio, Swoonatra, Charlie’s Wish, and Saffron Moon complete the field. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.