Louisiana Downs: How to bet the $308 Super High 5 carryover

Are you ready for more racing action the day after the Kentucky Derby (G1)? Maybe you hit it big on 80-1 longshot winner Rich Strike. Or maybe you’re looking to bounce back after missing out in the Run for the Roses.

In either instance, you’ll want to check out the Sunday card at Louisiana Downs. The second day of the 2022 Thoroughbred meet features a $308 carryover in the 50-cent Super High 5.

The carryover is up for grabs in Race 7, a $12,500 claimer for non-winners of three races lifetime. The distance is about one mile on turf, but six of the nine entrants have never won on grass, which makes handicapping rather challenging.

The morning line favorite is #8 Immortal (5-2), and understandably so. The four-year-old gelding boasts a solid 8-2-1-1 record on turf and won an allowance racing 7 1/2 furlongs over the Louisiana Downs lawn last spring. Immortal hasn’t cracked the trifecta in six starts since then (including four on turf), but he was only beaten 4 1/4 lengths when finishing a troubled sixth in a $15,000-$10,000 claimer over the Fair Grounds grass in March. Might Immortal bounce back while returning to Louisiana Downs for trainer Shane Wilson, who compiled a stellar 4-3-1-0 record on opening day?

Another logical contender is #9 Color Fast (6-1). Granted, he missed the trifecta in a pair of $15,000 claimers over the Fair Grounds dirt course during the winter. But Color Fast was on fire at Louisiana Downs last year, recording two wins and three seconds from five starts. Four of those runs came on dirt, but Color Fast also ran strongly in his lone turf start, finishing second in a $12,500 claimer for non-winners of two races lifetime. Color Fast can challenge while returning to grass.

So what if we focus our attention on Immortal and Color Fast, boxing them in the first two slots of our Super High 5? If we take this approach, we can afford to spread deeper underneath. That’s good news, because the class-dropping #7 Vincitore (3-1)—a logical contender overall—looks a bit tough to trust after misfiring in a pair of recent $15,000 claimers at Fair Grounds.

• 50-cent Super High 5: 8,9 with 8,9 with 1,3,7 with 1,3,4,7 with ALL ($45)

Good luck!