How to bet Turfway Park's $3,479 Super High 5 carryover

The Turfway Park Holiday Meet has been underway for three days, but so far, not one bettor has managed to assemble a winning Super High 5 ticket.

This means a triple carryover worth $3,479 is up for grabs on Sunday. As usual, the wager will be offered on the final race of the day—in this case, Race 8, a maiden special weight slated to be contested over one mile on Tapeta.

With a dozen horses in the entries, constructing a winning ticket won’t be easy. The $1 minimum bet amount means tickets can quickly grow expensive. But we can keep costs to a reasonable range if we’re willing to key #1 Buck Moon (3-1) on top.

Conditioned by high-percentage trainer Larry Rivelli (who has gone 1-for-3 to start the meet), Buck Moon hasn’t missed the board in three starts so far. The three-year-old gelding recently returned from a nine-month break to finish third in a six-furlong maiden special weight over the Woodbine Tapeta, earning a sharp 87 Brisnet Speed rating.

Buck Moon is the field’s fastest runner on paper, and as a half-brother to 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2) winner Keen Pauline, stretching out in distance at Turfway shouldn’t be an issue. Throw in the fact Rivelli wins at a 34% rate with horses running back for the second time following a layoff, and Buck Moon should be tough to deny under hot jockey Gerardo Corrales (8-for-17 so far this meet).

Underneath Buck Moon, #4 Engrave (5-1) is one to emphasize. He’s shown promise against maiden special weight company on both dirt and turf, most recently running third over the Keeneland main track. The half-brother to three-time Grade 1-winning grass star Beach Patrol will drop blinkers and try Tapeta on Sunday, opening the door for an improved performance.

#5 Simply Jack (8-1) is likewise worth a long look. The son of Hard Spun was only beaten 2 3/4 lengths when finishing sixth in his debut racing 1 1/16 miles over the Keeneland turf course. If he improves at all in his second run under colors, he can factor for a top-four finish.

Meanwhile, #12 Hometown Hero (10-1) is a longshot worth considering. He recently returned from a long layoff to run third in a $50,000 maiden claimer sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs over the Keeneland main track. It wasn’t the most eye-catching performance, but two starts back, Hometown Hero ran second in a maiden special weight over the Turfway Tapeta. A return to this level of form can put Hometown Hero in the mix at enticing odds.

Here’s how we’ll bet the Super High 5:

$1 Super High 5: 1 with 4,5,12 with 4,5,12 with 4,5,12 with 2,3,8,9,10 ($30)
$1 Super High 5: 1 with 4,5,12 with 4,5,12 with 2,3,8,9,10 with 4,5,12 ($30)

Good luck!