Tuesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Five-figure Pick 5 carryovers

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Tuesday, April 23 at Horseshoe Indianapolis, including horses to play in a pair of five-figure Pick 5 carryovers.

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

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 1: $12,500 Claiming (5 1/2 furlongs, 2:10 p.m. ET)

#6 My My Munny (7-5) was in good form at Horseshoe Indianapolis last summer and fall, finishing second and first in a pair of $20,000 claiming sprints. Those efforts yielded sharp Brisnet Speed ratings of 75 and 73.

My My Munny has been freshened since October by trainer Genaro Garcia, who wins at a 60% rate with horses dropping in class off a win. My My Munny looks tough to beat in her 2024 debut, so we’ll single her to start a double wager.

Selections

• #6 My My Munny (7-5)
• #4 Beach Kitten (9-2)
• #1 Wild Tapit (7-2)

Wagers

• $15 Double: 6 with 6

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 2: $5,000 Claiming (5 1/2 furlongs, 2:41 p.m. ET)

#6 Deus Ex Machina (6-1) showed tactical speed when finishing fifth out of nine in a $10,000 claimer sprinting six furlongs at Oaklawn Park last month. Dropping into a $5,000 claimer at Horseshoe Indianapolis should put Deus Ex Machina in contention for trainer Genario Garcia, a 29% winner with horses dropping multiple levels down the class level.

A win bet is in order, and we’ll single Deus Ex Machina to conclude our double wager.

Selections

• #6 Deus Ex Machina (6-1)
• #4 Eternal Bliss (7-2)
• #1 First Crowned (9-2)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #6 Deus Ex Machina

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 3: $25,000 Claiming (5 1/2 furlongs, 3:12 p.m. ET)

#2 Crystal Snow (5-2) cracked the trifecta in a trio of $30,000 claiming sprints during the winter on Tapeta at Turfway Park, earning Brisnet Speed ratings of 82, 73, and 70. But she’s also a capable dirt campaigner; last summer at Hawthorne, she finished second by half a length after setting the pace in a $20,000 claimer.

Crystal Snow is returning to dirt at Horseshoe Indianapolis, where she’ll be guided by apprentice jockey Andres Calleja, who rides with a seven-pound weight allowance. That weight break gives Crystal Snow a chance to upset #3 She’s Inthearmynow (7-5), runner-up in a five-furlong allowance at Hawthorne last month.

Let’s bet Crystal Snow to win and key her over She’s Inthearmynow in the exacta.

Selections

• #2 Crystal Snow (5-2)
• #3 She’s Inthearmynow (7-5)
• #6 Rockabillie (8-1)

Wagers

• $16 to win on #2 Crystal Snow
• $9 Exacta: 2 with 3
  Total: $25

Carryover Watch

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 1: $33,886 Pick 5 carryover (2:10 p.m. ET)
Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 4: $45,613 Pick 5 carryover (3:43 p.m. ET)

Tuesday is shaping up to be an awesome day for racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis thanks to a pair of five-figure non-jackpot Pick 5 carryovers.

The 50-cent Early Pick 5 has tossed up an enticing $33,886 prize pool, but the carryover for the 50-cent Late Pick 5 is ever bigger at $45,613.

The two sequences overlap in Races 4 and 5, the two most critical events to handicap if you’re pursuing both carryovers. If you fail to find both winners, you won’t win a share of either carryover.

Race 4 is a $25,000 claimer for Indiana-breds sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt. #7 Metallic Man (8-5) is the favorite, but he hasn’t run since November, when he faded to finish fifth by a wide margin in a $20,000 claimer for Indiana-breds. Ascending the class ladder while simultaneously returning from a five-month layoff could be tricky for Metallic Man, so we won’t view him as unbeatable.

One alternative contender worth including is #4 Stop Hammertime (9-2), who faced tougher competition (including stakes foes) at Horseshoe Indianapolis last year. He subsequently ran some decent races against $16,000 claiming competition on Tapeta at Turfway Park, even winning a 6 1/2-furlong sprint, so returning to Horseshoe Indianapolis for a state-restricted $25,000 claimer can put him in the hunt for victory.

As for Race 5, it’s a $5,000 claimer for horses who haven’t won a race since Sept. 23. A competitive eight-horse field has turned out for the one-mile contest, and we’re hesitant to rely too heavily on morning line favorite #8 Poet of Life (2-1). He’s spent most of his career on turf and synthetic, missed the trifecta in his lone start on dirt, and exits a trio of subpar showings at Turfway Park.

One longshot we recommend is #7 Commander Compton (12-1). He didn’t run a step in four starts against $7,500 claiming competition at Turfway between December and March, but sandwiched in the midst of those defeats was a 4 3/4-length romp in a $5,000 claimer racing one mile on dirt at Mahoning Valley. Commander Compton has actually run quite well in each of his last three starts on dirt, so returning to dirt at Thistledown should help him shrug off his Turfway disappointments and vie for victory.

Good luck!