Tuesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Mahoning Valley Pick 3

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Tuesday, Jan. 2 at Mahoning Valley, including a cold Pick 3 play.

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• Trifecta Tuesday: Receive a 15% boost on your winning trifecta wagers (up to $25 per day) every Tuesday in January.
• 10x Points on Harness Racing: Earn 10x reward points on all harness racing wagers (excluding show bets) every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday during the month of January.

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Mahoning Valley: Race 2: $7,500 Claiming (six furlongs, 1:13 p.m. ET)

#6 Quantum Theory (6-5) has cracked the exacta in five straight races, including three recent runs at Mahoning Valley. Those Mahoning efforts (including a runner-up finish over this distance and class level on Dec. 11) yielded sharp Brisnet Speed ratings of 79, 80, and 80.

Horses racing wide have been faring well at Mahoning Valley in recent days, so the fact Quantum Theory has drawn the outside post in a six-horse field sets the stage for a favorable trip. We’ll single him to start double and Pick 3 wagers.

Selections

• #6 Quantum Theory (6-5)
• #5 Uptown Guy (5-1)
• #3 Greensfelder (4-1)

Wagers

• $20 Double: 6 with 2
• $10 Pick 3: 6 with 2 with 5
  Total: $30

Mahoning Valley: Race 3: $6,500 Claiming (one mile, 1:41 p.m. ET)

#2 Send Me On (6-5) is a Brisnet Speed rating standout in this field of Ohio-bred claimers. Whereas his rivals have struggled to earn numbers higher than 70 in recent starts, Send Me On’s last seven numbers are 80, 80, 81, 81, 75, 76, and 80.

Send Me On dominated a $5,000 claimer racing one mile at Mahoning last month, winning by eight lengths, and he should be tough to deny while tackling a $6,500 claimer for horses who haven’t won two races since July 2. We’ll single him in double wagers and our Pick 3, then key him over #7 Nambiti (3-1) in an exacta.

Selections

• #2 Send Me On (6-5)
• #7 Nambiti (3-1)
• #4 Karamel Corn (9-2)

Wagers

• $15 Double: 2 with 5
• $15 Exacta: 2 with 7
  Total: $30

Mahoning Valley: Race 4: $5,000 Maiden Claiming (one mile, 2:09 p.m. ET)

#5 Step Ahead (5-2) is dropping in class after hitting the board in all 10 of his starts against $12,500 and $20,000 maiden claiming competition at Pimlico and Laurel Park. That’s a positive since red-hot trainer Anthony Farrior (a 39% winner at Mahoning this meet) wins at a 40% rate with horses dropping multiple levels down the class ladder.

Throw in the fact Step Ahead will be ridden by hot jockey Luis Rivera (a 45% winner teaming up with Farrior over the last two months), and Step Ahead is worth betting to win and singling to conclude our double and Pick 3 wagers.

Selections

• #5 Step Ahead (5-2)
• #2 Remastered (3-1)
• #3 Royal Air Force (8-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #5 Step Ahead

Good luck!