Welcome to the 2018 Stay Lucky season! You will notice new prizes and smoother performance for the new season, along with presenting sponsor Equestricon!

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve downloaded the app and are ready to start picking winners. If you have not yet downloaded Stay Lucky, what are you waiting for?

Get the iOS version of the app here.

The Android version of the app on Google Play can be downloaded here.

Stay Lucky offers participants the opportunity to win great prizes by stringing together winners in Thoroughbred races. Unbroken streaks of five, seven, nine, 14, 17 and 20 reward the players with a prize or choice of prizes. Terms and conditions apply.

The object is simple: pick winners from North American graded stakes races that draw at least six entrants. Races will be scored in real time but streaks will be updated only once daily to make sure they are scored in the correct order.

Pick as many races each weekend as you like, but be sure to play at least one race every weekend or your streak will be reset.

This week’s schedule features races in Florida and Southern California with a slate headlined by the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes, a Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve points race at Tampa Bay Downs.

Saturday, Feb. 10

Gulfstream Park Turf Stakes (4:10 p.m. ET): In his last start, Heart to Heart (#1) did not gain his preferred spot in front early and ran an uncharacteristically poor race. He looks like the controlling speed in this race and once he gains the lead he is hard to pass, especially at Gulfstream Park where he has four wins in six starts.

Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes (4:20 p.m. ET): There are some talented female turf horses in here, but I do think it comes down to a coin flip between Dona Bruja (#2) and Grade 1 winner La Coronel (#7). I lean toward the former, but I would only play the race if one of the two probable favorites is scratched.

Suwannee River Stakes (4:43 p.m. ET): This looks like a wide-open race with an evenly matched group. It’s a great betting race, which means it’s a toss for Stay Lucky purposes.

Sam F. Davis Stakes (4:52 p.m. ET): I’ll bet Catholic Boy (#6) gets hammered at the betting windows and also in Stay Lucky. He won the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes in his most recent start and the runner-up came back to win the Grade 3 Withers Stakes last weekend. If you like him, by all means pick him, but I just think he might be vulnerable here off a 10-week layoff and Flameaway (#2), Vino Rosso (#3), and Hollywood Star (#5) look like legitimate challengers.

Thunder Road Stakes (5 p.m. ET): I’ll give Breeders’ Cup Mile third-place finisher Blackjackcat (#3) the nod here. He’s 4-for-6 at this distance and 2-for-4 on this turf course. Both Bowies Hero (#2) and Om (#6) look like serious challengers.

Tampa Bay Stakes (5:25 p.m. ET): Last year’s Eclipse Award winner as champion turf male, World Approval (#7), makes his 2018 debut here against a group he towers over as far as talent and class. It’s not his ideal distance, but I don’t think that matters here. I expect he wins this comfortably. World Approval is my top pick this week.

San Vicente Stakes (5:30 p.m. ET): I was hoping this might be a spot where we could isolate a speedy California-based 3-year-old against a short field, but I don’t see a clear standout. I’d wager Ax Man (#1) gets most of the attention for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, but I prefer Baffert’s other runner Nero (#3) and all six entrants come into this off of a nice performance. Looking elsewhere.

Mike’s Top 2 Stay Lucky Plays 

(Two winners from four top plays in 2018)

1. World Approval (Tampa Bay Stakes)

2. Blackjackcat (Thunder Road Stakes)