Tuesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: 6-1 shot at Zia

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Tuesday, Dec. 17 at Zia Park and Turf Paradise, including a second-time starter at 6-1 odds.

Today’s special offers from TwinSpires include:

• New Players $200 Sign-Up Bonus: Open your TwinSpires.com account using the offer code BET200 to start earning a $200 bonus.

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Zia Park: Race 2: Allowance (six furlongs on dirt, 2:33 p.m. ET)

#2 Dashingly (3-5) is the big favorite. Formerly based in Southern California, the three-year-old filly impressed in her Zia Park debut for high-percentage trainer Todd Fincher, dominating a five-furlong maiden special weight by 7 1/4 lengths with an 82 Brisnet Speed rating.

But don’t underestimate her stablemate #5 Bring a Smile (4-1). She’s earned Brisnet Speed ratings of 82 and 86 while finishing second and first in six-furlong maiden special weights at Emerald Downs. Hot jockey Alfredo Juarez Jr. is picking up the mount, and he’s won at a 27% rate teaming up with Fincher over the last two months.

Let’s bet Bring a Smile to win and key her over Dashingly in a cold exacta.

Selections

• #5 Bring a Smile (4-1)
• #2 Dashingly (3-5)
• #3 Awesome Walker (5-1)

Wagers

• $15 to win on #5 Bring a Smile
• $15 Exacta: 5 with 2
  Total: $30

Zia Park: Race 4: Allowance (five furlongs on dirt, 3:29 p.m. ET)

#4 Mo Money Molly (6-1) debuted in a six-furlong maiden special weight for New Mexico-breds at Zia Park. She dueled for the lead before edging away to win by two lengths with a respectable 68 Brisnet Speed rating.

Trainer Todd Fincher strikes at a 24% rate with last-out maiden winners, and Alfredo Juarez Jr. has the riding assignment, so we’ll bet on Mo Money Molly and see if she can’t bring her record to 2-for-2 in this allowance for New Mexico-breds.

Selections

• #4 Mo Money Molly (6-1)
• #3 Shes Acting Single (4-1)
• #5 Marked Kiss (8-5)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #4 Mo Money Molly

Turf Paradise: Race 8: $12,500 Claiming (5 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 6:07 p.m. ET)

#4 Ultimate (9-2) misfired when last seen in a Sept. 6 $12,500 claimer at Del Mar, finishing last out of 10. But two starts back he won a $20,000 claimer over the same track by 2 1/4 lengths, earning a strong 96 Brisnet Speed rating.

Ultimate has been freshened for over three months and is eligible to bounce back in his first start for red-hot trainer Jose Silva Jr., a 40% winner at Turf Paradise this meet and a 19% winner with horses returning from layoffs of 90 days or more. A bullet half-mile workout in :46 on Nov. 26 at Turf Paradise suggests Ultimate is sitting on a strong showing.

At 9-2, a win bet is in order.

Selections

• #4 Ultimate (9-2)
• #7 Minister of Soul (4-1)
• #1 Paco’s Pico (6-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #4 Ultimate

Good luck!