Monday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Presque Isle opening day

Racing at Presque Isle Downs (Photo by Coady Media)
Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Monday, May 20 at Horseshoe Indianapolis and Presque Isle Downs, including an 8-1 longshot on Presque Isle’s opening-day card.
Today’s special offers from TwinSpires include:
- Assiniboia Downs 15% Win Bonus: Receive a 15% bonus (up to 25% per day) on winning single-horse win bets every Monday and Tuesday at Assiniboia Downs from May 20-28.
Best Bets and Quick Picks
Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 1: Maiden Special Weight (4 1/2 furlongs, 2:10 p.m. ET)
First-time starter #3 Tank Walk (5-1) has shown speed in the mornings for trainer Michelle Elliott, who has gone 7-for-30 (23%) debuting horses in dirt sprints at Horseshoe Indianapolis since 2021. On May 1, Tank Walk clocked half a mile from the starting gate in :47 3/5. On May 8, he traveled the same distance in a bullet :47 2/5.
It can be tricky for inexperienced horseplayers to bet on maiden races filled with unraced horses. How is it possible to predict the performances of horses who have never run?@J_Keelerman is here to help ⤵️ https://t.co/9wjSr6vjBK
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) October 6, 2022
Tank Walk’s 5-1 morning line odds are enticing, so a win bet is in order.
Selections
- #3 Tank Walk (5-1)
- #7 Catch a Nite Train (3-1)
- #1 Bitofjustice (8-1)
Wagers
- $25 to win on #3 Tank Walk
Presque Isle Downs: Race 4: Maiden Special Weight (5 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta, 4:21 p.m. ET)
#10 Reigert Girls (3-1) ran reasonably well in a pair of starts over the Presque Isle Downs Tapeta last year. After closing ground to finish fourth by 1 3/4 lengths in a six-furlong maiden special weight, she finished fourth against a 10-horse field in the six-furlong Finest City S.
Both of those races were restricted to horses bred in Pennsylvania. Reigert Girls wrapped up 2023 with a couple of tries on dirt against non-state-restricted competition, most notably finishing second by a neck in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Penn National.
Reigert Girls is returning to the Pennsylvania-bred ranks for her 2024 debut. Trainer Brandon Kulp wins at a 24% rate with horses returning from layoffs of 90 days or more, and Reigert Girls is adding Lasix, so there’s a lot to like about the chances of this three-year-old filly, even while taking on male rivals.
Let’s bet Reigert Girls to win and key her over #4 Change the Hour (7-2) in the exacta.
Selections
- #10 Reigert Girls (3-1)
- #4 Change the Hour (7-2)
- #5 Mac’s Cat (5-1)
Wagers
- $20 to win on #10 Reigert Girls
- $10 Exacta: 10 with 4
Total: $30
Presque Isle Downs: Race 7: Allowance (six furlongs on Tapeta, 5:42 p.m. ET)
#6 Shy Da Runner (8-1) fits reasonably well against this allowance field from a Brisnet Speed rating perspective. He’s cracked the trifecta in four of his six starts over the Presque Isle Tapeta, including when wiring a $25,000 claimer sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs last summer.
Trainer Tim Girten wins at a 24% rate in allowances and went 4-for-12 (33%) during the first two weeks of the 2023 Presque Isle meet, so Shy Da Runner is eligible to fire a strong shot while returning to Presque Isle off a four-month layoff.
At 8-1, we’ll bet Shy Da Runner to win and call it a day.
Selections
- #6 Shy Da Runner (8-1)
- #7 Grande Tortugon (5-2)
- #1 Luv to Win (7-2)
Wagers
- $20 to win on #6 Shy Da Runner
Good luck!
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