Monday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: 4-1 at Will Rogers Downs

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Monday, March 4 at Santa Anita and Will Rogers Downs, including a 4-1 shot from a high-percentage trainer.

Today’s special offers from TwinSpires include:

• Woodbine Mohawk 15% Trifecta Boost: Receive a 15% bonus (up to $25 per day) on winning trifecta wagers at Woodbine Mohawk during the month of March.

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Santa Anita: Race 1: $50,000 Maiden Claiming (one mile on turf, 3:30 p.m. ET)

#4 Marinas Tina (5-2) has cracked the trifecta in her last two starts racing one mile against maiden special weight company over the Santa Anita lawn. Those efforts yielded sharp Brisnet Speed ratings of 81 and 79.

Marinas Tina hasn’t run since April 2023, but trainer Phil D’Amato wins at a lofty 21% rate with horses returning from layoffs of 90 days or more, and dropping in class for a $50,000 maiden claimer should help Marinas Tina vie for victory under hot jockey Antonio Fresu. We’ll bet this four-year-old filly to win and single her to start a double wager.

Selections

• #4 Marinas Tina (5-2)
• #1 One Arrow (6-1)
• #2 Cameron Slough (9-5)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #4 Marinas Tina (5-2)
• $5 Double: 4 with 5
  Total: $30

Santa Anita: Race 2: $10,000 Claiming (one mile, 4:02 p.m. ET)

#3 Dream Princess (4-5) is the heavy favorite while plunging in class out of a $40,000 allowance optional claimer, but she hasn’t started since August 2022 and may be vulnerable to an upset off the 19-month layoff.

Perhaps #5 Flatterwithjewels (2-1) can spring a surprise. She won a $10,000 claimer at Del Mar last fall and exits top-three finishes in a pair of $12,500 claimers at Santa Anita. If Dream Princess runs below expectations, Flatterwithjewels is a perfectly logical alternative.

Let’s bet Flatterwithjewels to win and single her to conclude our double wager.

Selections

• #5 Flatterwithjewels (2-1)
• #3 Dream Princess (4-5)
• #1 Hot Rod Mama (8-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #5 Flatterwithjewels (2-1)

Will Rogers Downs: Race 8: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs, 5:24 p.m. ET)

Since 2022, trainer Michael Biehler has compiled a strong 12-for-49 (24%) record at Will Rogers Downs, which includes a 3-for-4 (75%) record during the first week of the 2023 meet.

That’s why we’re eager to back Biehler’s #1 Short Stretch (4-1) in this maiden special weight for Oklahoma-bred fillies and mares. The daughter of Caleb’s Posse placed in three of her four starts over this class level at Remington Park last year and looms as a logical contender while adding Lasix for her three-year-old debut.

We’ll keep things simple with a win bet on Short Stretch.

Selections

• #1 Short Stretch (4-1)
• #3 Hooray for Credit (7-2)
• #4 Ready (5-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #1 Short Stretch

Good luck!