Monday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Finger Lakes stakes plays

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for a trio of stakes on Monday, Oct. 21 at Finger Lakes and Presque Isle Downs, including horses to play in the $728 Pick 6 carryover at Finger Lakes.

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Best Bets and Quick Picks

Finger Lakes: Race 7: Jack Betta Be Rite S. (1 1/16 miles on dirt, 3:54 p.m. ET)

#8 Midtown Lights (4-1) has been competing on the tougher New York Racing Association circuit, winning three of her last five starts. She’s done well competing against New York-bred rivals, but also defeated non-state-restricted competition in a $50,000 allowance optional claimer at Aqueduct during the spring.

Tackling a stakes for New York-breds at Finger Lakes should suit Midtown Lights just fine. Let’s bet her to win and single her to start a double wager.

Selections

• #8 Midtown Lights (4-1)
• #9 Shezanarcticqueen (8-1)
• #5 Gone and Forgotten (9-2)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #8 Midtown Lights
• $5 Double: 8 with 2,4 ($10)
  Total: $30

Finger Lakes: Race 8: New York Breeders’ Futurity (six furlongs on dirt, 4:23 p.m. ET)

Two horses loom as the main contenders in this six-furlong dash for New York-bred juveniles.

#2 Under Who’s Radar (9-5) wired his debut against New York-breds over the Saratoga main track, then switched to turf to cross the wire first in the Juvenile Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs (subsequently demoted to second) and finish fourth in the Futurity (G3).

#4 Bold Fortune (4-1) was tons the best in a six-furlong maiden special weight for New York-breds at Aqueduct last month, leading all the way to win eased up by 10 1/2 lengths with a powerful 98 Brisnet Speed rating.

Let’s box Under Who’s Radar and Bold Fortune in the exacta and use them both to conclude our double wager.

Selections

• #4 Bold Fortune (4-1)
• #2 Under Who’s Radar (9-5)
• #7 In the Chase (7-2)

Wagers

• $15 Exacta: box 2,4 ($30)

Presque Isle Downs: Race 5: Mark McDermott S. (six furlongs on Tapeta, 4:48 p.m. ET)

#2 The Boy’s Warrior (6-5) is unbeaten and unchallenged in two starts. He debuted in a non-state-restricted maiden special weight sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs over the Presque Isle Tapeta and rallied to win by 2 3/4 lengths. Then he tackled the six-furlong Whistle Pig S. for Pennsylvania-breds and employed pace-tracking tactics to dominate by nine lengths over the Parx Racing dirt.

Two subsequent bullet workouts over the Presque Isle Tapeta suggest The Boy’s Warrior is sitting on another win while sticking to the Pennsylvania-bred ranks for the Mark McDermott. Let’s key him on top of an exacta using #3 Shadow Factor (7-2) and #4 Ballad of Warrior (4-1) for second place.

Selections

• #2 The Boy’s Warrior (6-5)
• #3 Shadow Factor (7-2)
• #4 Ballad of Warrior (4-1)

Wagers

• $15 Exacta: 2 with 3,4 ($30)

Carryover Watch

Finger Lakes: Race 3: $728 Pick 6 carryover (1:58 p.m. ET)

There’s a $728 carryover up for grabs in Monday’s $1 Pick 6 at Finger Lakes, and a classy sequence of races awaits bettors hoping to win a share.

Three of the six races are stakes, including the Jack Betta Be Rite S. (Race 7) and New York Breeders’ Futurity (Race 8) analyzed above. In the Jack Betta Be Rite, bettors playing on budgets can consider singling #8 Midtown Lights (4-1). In the New York Breeders’ Futurity, we recommend going two deep with #2 Under Who’s Radar (9-5) and #4 Bold Fortune (4-1).

The other stakes in the Pick 6 is Race 5, the Genesee Valley Breeders’ S. for New York-breds racing 1 1/16 miles on dirt. We suggest using a couple of horses shipping in from outside Finger Lakes: #1 Maker’s Candy (3-1) and #3 Doin’ittherightway (7-2).

Maker’s Candy has been competing on the New York Racing Association circuit. Earlier this year at Saratoga, he placed third in the Kingston S. and second in the Evan Shipman H., earning back-to-back 90 Brisnet Speed ratings. Taking his game on the road to Finger Lakes should put Maker’s Candy in win contention for trainer Mike Maker, who has gone 2-for-3 (67%) at Finger Lakes this meet.

As for Doin’ittherightway, he’s cracked the trifecta in eight straight non-state-restricted races at Delaware Park, mostly $8,000 and $10,000 starter optional claimers. He’s won four times and has posted rock-solid Brisnet Speed ratings of 92, 91, 85, 86, 87, 89, 91, and 96, suggesting he’s a win threat while tackling the New York-bred ranks at Finger Lakes.

Good luck!