Thursday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Double-digit longshots

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Thursday, May 30 at Horseshoe Indianapolis and Churchill Downs, including a pair of double-digit longshots.

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• Churchill Downs $2,500 Thursday Leaderboard: Place $10+ win wagers at Churchill Downs on Thursday to accumulate points and compete for your share of $2,500 in prizes.
• 10x Points on Harness Racing: Receive 10x reward points on all harness racing wagers (excluding show bets) on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
• Hoosier Park $1,000 Late Pick 4 Hit It & Split It: Hit the Late Pick 4 at Hoosier Park on any Thursday in May to win your share of a $1,000 daily prize pool.

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 3: Maiden Special Weight (1 1/16 miles on turf, 3:12 p.m. ET)

The unraced #5 Redemption Speight (12-1) hails from the barn of Paulo Lobo, a 23% winner with first-time starters. Since 2021, Lobo has compiled an excellent 2-for-5 (40%) record debuting horses in turf routes at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Redemption Speight capped off a lengthy string of workouts with a bullet three furlongs in :36 1/5, and jockey Evin Roman (a 33% winner teaming up with Lobo over the last two months) is named to ride, so there are reasons to support Redemption Speight at his 12-1 morning line odds. A win bet is in order.

Selections

• #5 Redemption Speight (12-1)
• #3 Mohtafil (6-1)
• #1 Gold Aspen (5-2)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #5 Redemption Speight

Churchill Downs: Race 1: Maiden Special Weight (5 1/2 furlongs, 5:00 p.m. ET)

First-time starter #6 I Got Game (5-1) has put together a sharp work tab for trainer Tom Amoss, who has gone 10-for-29 (29%) debuting horses at Churchill Downs since 2021. On May 16, I Got Game clocked a half-mile from the Churchill Downs starting gate in :47 3/5. On May 23, he traveled five furlongs over the same track in 1:00 4/5.

As a son of champion two-year-old male Game Winner, I Got Game has the potential to shine from an early age. His 5-1 morning line odds are appealing, so let’s bet I Got Game to win.

Selections

• #6 I Got Game (5-1)
• #8 The Toner (7-2)
• #2 Predecessor (3-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #6 I Got Game

Churchill Downs: Race 4: $20,000 Maiden Claiming (6 1/2 furlongs, 6:27 p.m. ET)

#9 Baule Del Tesoro (10-1) has shown some speed in the mornings, most notably working a half-mile over the Churchill Downs training track in a near-bullet :47 4/5. The unraced four-year-old son of Union Rags is trained by Michael Puhich, a 27% winner with horses debuting in maiden claimers.

Since 2022, Puhich has gone 2-for-7 (29%) saddling first-time starters at Churchill Downs. One of those was an 8-1 shot who prevailed in a $20,000 maiden claimer. There are enough positives in Baule Del Tesoro’s corner to make his 10-1 morning line odds appealing, so we’ll round out our daily plays with a $20 win bet.

Selections

• #9 Baule Del Tesoro (10-1)
• #2 Patriarchal (9-2)
• #11 Chulligan (7-2)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #9 Baule Del Tesoro

Good luck!