Tuesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Double at Finger Lakes

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Tuesday, May 7 at Finger Lakes and Horseshoe Indianapolis, including a cold $30 double wager.

Today’s special offers from TwinSpires include:

• Trifecta Tuesday: Receive a 15% bonus (up to $25 per day) on winning trifecta wagers every Tuesday in April and May.

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Finger Lakes: Race 3: Allowance (4 1/2 furlongs, 2:13 p.m. ET)

#1 Cuz Ur Pretty (3-2) faltered when last seen in an August 2023 Saratoga allowance, finishing sixth after dueling for the lead. But she’d previously wired three straight allowance sprints at Finger Lakes by daylight margins, including a 4 1/2-furlong contest to kick off her 2023 campaign.

Cuz Ur Pretty should be tough to beat while tackling another 4 1/2-furlong Finger Lakes sprint for her 2024 debut. Pacesetters won 73% of 4 1/2-furlong sprints over this track in 2023, and horses starting from post 1 succeeded at a 23% rate, so those are other positives in Cuz Ur Pretty’s corner.

Let’s single Cuz Ur Pretty to start a double wager.

Selections

• #1 Cuz Ur Pretty (3-2)
• #3 Golden Moonlight (7-2)
• #5 No Chalk (5-1)

Wagers

• $30 Double: 1 with 4

Finger Lakes: Race 4: Maiden Special Weight (five furlongs, 2:42 p.m. ET)

There isn’t a ton of speed in this field, which should help #4 The Mighty Don (5-2), who has set or pressed the pace in all four of his dirt starts at Aqueduct. In his last two runs, he carved out the fractions in $30,000 maiden claimers for New York-breds before weakening to finish fourth and fifth.

Cutting back to five furlongs at Finger Lakes (down from 6 1/2 furlongs and seven furlongs at Aqueduct) should help The Mighty Don carry his speed all the way to the winner’s circle. It’s encouraging to note trainer Robert Falcone Jr. has gone 2-for-3 at Finger Lakes since 2019.

We’ll single The Mighty Don to conclude our double wager, then bet him to win.

Selections

• #4 The Mighty Don (5-2)
• #2 Solo Tonight (2-1)
• #6 Tyrannosaurus Rex (7-2)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #4 The Mighty Don

Finger Lakes: Race 5: $5,000 Claiming (4 1/2 furlongs, 3:11 p.m. ET)

#1 Bustin Pietre (4-1) hasn’t shown speed in recent starts over the bullring track at Charles Town for trainer Ollie Figgins III. But under the care of trainer Paul Barrow at Finger Lakes last year, Bustin Pietre showed considerably more tactical speed, even carving out the pace on his way to third place in an $11,000 claimer.

Bustin Pietre is returning to the Barrow barn (and to Finger Lakes) for his 2024 debut, so we’re optimistic he’ll switch back to forwardly placed tactics. There isn’t much speed in this field, and given how well pacesetters and rail runners perform sprinting 4 1/2 furlongs at Finger Lakes, Bustin Pietre offers value at 4-1.

We’ll bet Bustin Pietre to win and call it a day.

Selections

• #1 Bustin Pietre (4-1)
• #7 Devil Or Angel (5-2)
• #6 Smokin’ Alone (6-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #1 Bustin Pietre

Good luck!