Harlan’s Holiday Stakes Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2022 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2022 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes is set for December 31 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
Harlan’s Holiday Stakes Preview
- Race: Harlan’s Holiday Stakes
- Purse: $150,000
- Track: Gulfstream Park
- Date: December 31
- Post Time: 4:40 PM (ET)
- Live: Harlan’s Holiday Stakes Odds: Click Here
2022 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes Handicapping
On the final day of 2022, Gulfstream Park is presenting an excellent afternoon of racing with five graded stakes, including the (G3) Harlan’s Holiday.
Named after the 2002 Florida Derby winner, the Harlan’s Holiday is run at 1 1/16 miles on the Gulfstream dirt, and is the local prep for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup, to be run at Gulfstream on January 28.
The 2022 Harlan’s Holiday has drawn a solid field of eight starters.
Odds listed here are provided by the Gulfstream Park track oddsmaker.
2022 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: O’Connor Race Odds: 8-5
A winner of 10 races in 19 starts in his native Chile, O’Connor will be making his second North American start and second start on the Gulfstream dirt.
After shipping north this past fall, O’Conner made his US debut in an allowance-level race going this same 1 1/16 miles distance and was an easy six-length winner. A bit slow out of the gate, he made a strong move into the final turn and started to open up on the field at the top of the stretch.
Saffie Joseph Jr. trains, the rider is Edgar Zayas.
2022 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Skippylongstocking Race Odds: 4-1
The winner of the (G3) West Virginia Derby back in August, Skippylongstocking may have found himself in water that was a bit too deep next out when finishing ninth in the (G1) Pennsylvania Derby.
While not one that needs to be on the lead, he will likely be pressing the early pace. He’s won three of 13 lifetime, and also ran third in the 2022 Belmont Stakes.
He’s another Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee, while Irad Ortiz Jr. will be in the saddle.
2022 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Simplification Race Odds: 5-1
After hitting the board in all three Florida preps for the 2022 Kentucky Derby – including a win in the (G2) Fountain of Youth Stakes – Simplification was a bit of a buzz horse going into the Derby, where he managed a fourth-place finish.
He’s been tackling some pretty strong company over the season, and last out ran in the (G1) Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. However, he’s failed to find the winner’s circle in his last six starts, going back to the FOY victory.
Antonio Sano trains, Junior Alvarado gets the mount.
2022 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: South Bend Race Odds: 6-1
Second in this race last year, South Bend is another that has been rather win shy in his career, as he’s 0-for-8 this season and without a stakes win since 2019.
That being said, he does show some degree of back class and has hit the board in exactly half of his 30 lifetime starts. In this field he does have as good chance as any of getting a piece of it once again.
The trainer is Bill Mott, Joel Rosario will be in the irons.
Here’s My 2022 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes Free Pick.
While South America has produced some top-notch race horses over the past few years, racing in Chile is no where near the level of racing in the US. So I’m always skeptical of horses from the southern hemisphere with impressive win records coming north.
While O’Connor did get the easy win last out at Gulfstream, I’m not sure of the quality of the field he faced, and at low odds I’m going to look elsewhere.
Simplification has done all his best running in south Florida, and with five of his last six starts coming at the Grade 1 level, I think he can benefit from what is a significant class drop here. He’s my pick to win.
Full Field: Harlan’s Holiday Stakes Odds
By post position
- #1 – O’Connor 8-5
- #2 – Pioneer of Medina 6-1
- #3 – Cooks Creek 20-1
- #4 – Simplification 5-1
- #5 – South Bend 6-1
- #6 – Strike Hard 20-1
- #7 – Skippylongstocking 4-1
- #8 – Clapton 8-1
Register here for a FREE Sports Betting Account Now for Daily Free Picks & More Special Offers!
OUR Top 3 Racebooks are — MYBookie — Bovada — BetOnline