Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Stakes at Delta and Remington

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Friday, Nov. 8 at Churchill Downs, Delta Downs, and Remington Park, including a pair of stakes.

Today’s special offers from TwinSpires include:

• New Players $200 Sign-Up Bonus: Open your TwinSpires.com account using the offer code BET200 to start earning a $200 bonus.
• Fraser Downs $10 Money Back: Receive refunds on win bets (up to $10) if your horse finishes second in the final two races at Fraser Downs each day from Sept. 12 through Nov. 29.
• Churchill Downs $3,000 Three Pick 3 Hit It & Split It: Hit three Pick 3s at Churchill Downs on any day of the fall meet to split a $3,000 daily prize pool, starting Oct. 30.

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Churchill Downs: Race 3: $20,000 Maiden Claiming (six furlongs on dirt, 1:58 p.m. ET)

#8 Tuscaloosa (3-1) failed to challenge in his debut sprinting seven furlongs at Keeneland, finishing ninth. But that was a maiden special weight from which the winner returned to win his next start, so Tuscaloosa was facing quality competition.

Adding blinkers and dropping in class for a $20,000 maiden claimer can send Tuscaloosa to the winner’s circle for hot trainer Rodolphe Brisset, who wins at a 28% rate with second-time starters. Let’s place a large win bet on Tuscaloosa.

Selections

• #8 Tuscaloosa (3-1)
• #6 Deeply Hidden (7-2)
• #1 Remaining Nameless (8-1)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #8 Tuscaloosa

Delta Downs: Race 7: Treasure Chest S. (one mile on dirt, 8:38 p.m. ET)

#6 Free Like a Girl (4-5) is the heavy favorite; the Grade 1-placed filly boasts a 6-for-9 record at Delta Downs and enters off a decisive victory in the seven-furlong Magnolia S. over this track.

But don’t underestimate #7 Battle Cry (5-1) as an upset threat. The 13-time winner has only started twice this year, and her latest effort was a good one; she ran third in the seven-furlong Princess Rooney (G3) at Gulfstream Park behind Soul of an Angel, who came back to win the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).

That effort yielded a 93 Brisnet Speed rating, higher than any of Free Like a Girl’s last four numbers. Let’s take a shot betting Battle Cry over Free Like a Girl in a cold exacta.

Selections

• #7 Battle Cry (5-1)
• #6 Free Like a Girl (4-5)
• #3 Perfect Wish (12-1)

Wagers

• $20 exacta: 7 with 6

Remington Park: Race 8: Don C. McNeill S. (one mile on dirt, 10:53 p.m. ET)

#4 Mister Omaha (1-1) is the slim favorite after easily winning back-to-back starts at Remington Park, including the Oklahoma Classics Juvenile S. by 5 1/2 lengths with an 83 Brisnet Speed rating.

But we prefer the chances of #3 Periscope (6-5), who led all the way to win his debut in a five-furlong Remington Park maiden special weight by 10 1/2 lengths, earning an 87 Brisnet Speed rating. Trainer Francisco Bravo wins at a 20% rate with horses running long for the first time, so we’ll count on Periscope to spring the mildest of upsets over Mister Omaha, betting a cold exacta accordingly.

We’ll also throw in a trifecta using Oklahoma Classics Juvenile runner-up #6 Cajun Stoops (6-1) for third place.

Selections

• #3 Periscope (6-5)
• #4 Mister Omaha (1-1)
• #6 Cajun Stoops (6-1)

Wagers

• $20 exacta: 3 with 4
• $5 trifecta: 3 with 4 with 6
  Total: $25

Good luck!