Keeler Johnson's picks and plays for Jan. 11

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares $85 worth of picks and plays for Tuesday, Jan. 11 at Mahoning Valley and Turf Paradise, including exacta and trifecta tickets.

Today’s special offers from TwinSpires include:

• Trifecta Tuesday: Receive a 15% bonus (up to $25 per day) on winning trifecta tickets.

Picks and Plays

Mahoning Valley: Race 6: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs, 3:04 p.m. ET)

Speed is an asset in six-furlong sprints at Mahoning, with pacesetters winning 40% of the time. Therefore, we’ll throw our support behind the speedy gelding #3 Dexquire (8-5), who has set, pressed, or stalked the pace in all six of his starts to date.

Dexquire ran well over this track, distance, and class level on Dec. 7, chasing a solid pace before staying on to finish second behind a runaway winner. Dexquire brings competitive Brisnet Speed ratings to the mix for trainer Jeffrey Radosevich (a 23% winner in maiden special weights), so we’ll bet Dexquire over logical rival #8 Stunt Man (2-1) in a cold exacta.

• $25 Exacta: 3 with 8

Turf Paradise: Race 5: $20,000 Allowance Optional Claiming (one mile on turf, 4:44 p.m. ET)

#4 Lady Lana (7-2) has been competing on dirt at Turf Paradise, most recently coming home third in the one-mile Bell Of The Ball S. But Lady Lana has also performed well over the Turf Paradise lawn—three starts back, she ran second by less than a length in a 7 1/2-furlong allowance over this course.

Lady Lana has tactical speed and should be prominent from the outset in Tuesday’s small and largely paceless field. Throw in hot jockey Lindey Wade (a 24% winner at Turf Paradise), and Lady Lana is worth betting to win and keying over #6 Brightsideoflife (5-2) and #7 Wind Tartare (3-1) in the exacta and trifecta.

• $15 to win on #4 Lady Lana
• $5 Exacta: 4 with 6,7 ($10)
• $2.50 Trifecta: 4 with 6,7 with 6,7 ($5)
  Total: $30

Turf Paradise: Race 8: $6,250 Claiming (1 1/16 miles on turf, 6:14 p.m. ET)

There’s hardly any speed in this claiming route, so we’ll take a shot betting the 10-year-old veteran #6 Thetrailerguy (5-1), who has the potential to shake loose up front under jockey Lindey Wade.

Thetrailerguy ran strongly over this course and class level on Dec. 22. Racing one mile, Thetrailerguy dueled for the early lead before weakening slightly in the final furlong to finish second by less than a length. His reward was a respectable 79 Brisnet Speed rating.

#3 Teddy Time (5-1) can rally to complete the exacta, but assuming a modest pace unfolds, Thetrailerguy should receive the trip he needs to win the day.

• $20 to win on #6 Thetrailerguy
• $5 Exacta: 6 with 3
  Total: $25

Good luck!