Carryover and Tournament Picks for Saturday, Dec. 7

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares horses to play in a pair of carryovers and a trio of TwinSpires tournaments on Saturday.

Carryovers

Fair Grounds $2,163 Pick 6 carryover

The $1 Pick 6 starting in Race 4 at Fair Grounds features a non-jackpot carryover worth $2,163.

Need a single to build tickets around? Try #2 D’oro Unbridled (6-5) in Race 5, a 1 1/16-mile dirt allowance. The stoutly bred son of Medaglia d’Oro has improved significantly since stretching out around two turns. First he rallied from midfield to win a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. Then he finished second behind next-out Discovery S. winner Generous Tipper in a 1 1/8-mile Keeneland allowance.

D’oro Unbridled is picking up red-hot jockey Jose Ortiz (a 43% winner at Fair Grounds this meet) and looks tough to beat while making his second start at the allowance level.

Turfway Park $8,240 Super High 5 carryover

The first three days of the Turfway Park Holiday meet have elapsed without anyone hitting the $1 Super High 5, triggering an $8,240 carryover into Saturday’s card.

The prize pool is up for grabs in Race 9, a $30,000 maiden claimer for fillies and mares racing one mile on Tapeta. We recommend keying #5 Heart Headed Woman (7-2) on top of your tickets. She exits a runner-up finish in a $50,000 maiden claimer at Churchill Downs, brings strong Brisnet Speed ratings to the table, and placed second in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight over the Turfway Tapeta last winter. Dropping in class while returning to Turfway can trigger a winning run.

Tournaments

$400 Oaklawn KDBC Qualifier

The Oaklawn Park meet is underway, and one of the early highlights is the $400 Oaklawn KDBC Qualifier. Bet your $200 bankroll across at least five races at Oaklawn for a chance to win an entry into the 2025 Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge.

Race 9, the six-furlong Ring the Bell S., serves as the feature event. #6 Gulfport (3-1) has a good chance to shine. Placed multiple times at the Grade 1 level as a juvenile, Gulfport missed most of his sophomore season, but has returned to peak form as a four-year-old in 2024. He’s improved with every start this year and exits a victory in the six-furlong Bet On Sunshine S. at Churchill Downs.

Consider betting Gulfport to win and/or keying him on top of #1 Happy Is a Choice (2-1) in the exacta.

$100 Los Alamitos TB Challenge

You can compete for cash prizes in the $100 Los Alamitos TB Challenge, which requires betting your entire $75 bankroll across at least five races at Los Alamitos.

The feature event of the afternoon is Race 8, the Starlet (G2) for two-year-old fillies. The 1 1/16-mile Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifier has drawn a strong field led by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) runner-up #3 Vodka With a Twist (5-2).

But don’t underestimate #5 Tenma (4-1), who defeated Vodka With a Twist during the summer in the Del Mar Debutante (G1). Tenma subsequently regressed to a third-place finish in the Oak Leaf (G2), but fast workouts off a freshening should help this Bob Baffert-trained filly rebound. If Tenma’s 4-1 morning-line odds hold up, consider a win bet.

$500 Turfway Handicapping Championship Qualifier

Bet your $250 bankroll across at least five races at Turfway Park to climb the leaderboard in the $500 Turfway Handicapping Championship Qualifier and potentially earn an entry into the Dec. 14 $2,000 Turfway Handicapping Championship.

One horse to strongly consider betting is the first-time starter #7 Periculum (7-2) in Race 5, a one-mile maiden special weight on Tapeta. The stoutly bred son of Blame has turned in a pair of bullet five-furlong workouts over this track for trainer Brad Cox, who has gone 6-for-20 (30%) debuting horses in route races at Turfway since 2021.

Good luck!