Thursday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Turfway’s $6,428 Super High 5

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Thursday, Dec. 28 at Turfway Park and Delta Downs, including horses to play in Turfway’s $6,428 Super High 5 carryover.

Today’s special offers from TwinSpires include:

• Bayou & Bluegrass 10x Points: Receive 10x reward points on all wagers (excluding show bets) at Fair Grounds and Turfway Park from Nov. 29 through Dec. 31.

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Turfway Park: Race 3: $5,000 Claiming (one mile on Tapeta, 6:55 p.m. ET)

#1 Go Stormin Girl (15-1) has been facing tougher competition at Horseshoe Indianapolis and Hawthorne, most recently finishing fourth and eighth in $12,500 claimers sprinting six furlongs. Dropping in class, stretching out in distance, and switching to Tapeta should open the door for improvement at enticing odds.

Let’s place a win bet on Go Stormin Girl.

Selections

• #1 Go Stormin Girl (15-1)
• #2 Hardly Mischievous (7-2)
• #9 Divine Exchange (5-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #1 Go Stormin Girl

Turfway Park: Race 5: $30,000 Maiden Claiming (six furlongs on Tapeta, 7:55 p.m. ET)

#7 Prince Colton (20-1) hasn’t started since June, when he reared at the start of a five-furlong maiden special weight over the Horseshoe Indianapolis dirt. Despite that poor break, Prince Colton gained back quite a bit of ground to finish fifth by 8 3/4 lengths.

Prince Colton had shown speed in his two previous starts, including when finishing fourth by two lengths in a five-furlong maiden special weight over the Horseshoe Indianapolis turf. He’s put together an encouraging work tab in preparation for his return and is eligible to outrun expectations while dropping down in class and switching to Tapeta.

We’ll take a shot betting Prince Colton to win.

Selections

• #7 Prince Colton (20-1)
• #3 Money Memolo (3-1)
• #11 Woodford Holler (8-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #7 Prince Colton

Delta Downs: Race 6: $7,500 Starter Optional Claiming (five furlongs, 8:28 p.m. ET)

#3 Track Smart (7-2) was beaten to fifth place after setting the pace in the 5 1/2-furlong Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Starter S. at Fair Grounds earlier this month. But two starts back, Track Smart conquered Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Starter winner #6 Serape (5-2) by 1 3/4 lengths in a $5,000 starter allowance sprinting five furlongs at Delta Downs.

Track Smart boasts a sharp 17-5-4-2 record at Delta Downs and has wired her last two starts over this track and five-furlong distance. Returning to Delta can help her turn the tables on Serape at a fair price.

A win bet with an exacta is the way we’ll play.

Selections

• #3 Track Smart (7-2)
• #6 Serape (5-2)
• #2 Lil Adeau (10-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #3 Track Smart
• $5 Exacta: 3 with 6
  Total: $25

Carryover Watch

Turfway Park: Race 9: $6,428 Super High 5 carryover (9:55 p.m. ET)

The ever-elusive Super High 5 at Turfway Park went unsolved on Wednesday evening. No one managed to hit it last Saturday either, which means Thursday’s card features a double Super High 5 carryover worth $6,428.

The $1 wager is available to play in Race 9, a $15,000 maiden claimer taking place over six furlongs on Tapeta. A field of 14 (including two also-eligible entrants) has turned out, so assuming a dozen runners start, there will be 95,040 possible Super High 5 outcomes.

Narrowing down the contenders isn’t easy, though the two morning line favorites seem likely to vie for victory and finish in the top five, making them solid choices to build Super High 5 tickets around.

The top choice on the morning line is #1 Spanish Doubloon (3-1), hailing from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. The three-year-old son of Malibu Moon has been running well against tougher competition on dirt, finishing second in a $20,000 maiden claimer sprinting six furlongs at Keeneland before placing third in a $30,000 maiden claimer traveling 6 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs.

Casse wins at a 23% rate with horses dropping multiple levels down the class ladder, and jockey Luan Machado is winning with 24% of his mounts at Turfway Park this meet, so Spanish Doubloon has hot connections in his corner. Descending in class and switching to Tapeta can trigger a strong showing.

The second choice is #12 Run for Reagan (4-1), a three-year-old son of champion sprinter Runhappy. He exits a respectable fourth-place finish in a $30,000 maiden claimer sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs, beaten only four lengths. Both the runner-up and the third-place finisher returned to win, flattering the form.

Both Spanish Doubloon and Run for Reagan have recently posted Brisnet Speed ratings of 77, stamping them as the two fastest horses in Thursday’s field. If we count on one to win and the other to finish in the top five, we should have a good chance to cash a winning Super High 5 ticket.

Good luck!