Turfway: Betting the mandatory payout $233,156 Pick 6 carryover

Saturday is closing day at Turfway Park, which means the massive $233,156 jackpot carryover in the 20-cent Pick 6 is slated for mandatory payout. All bettors who select the highest number of winners (presumably six) will win a share of the carryover.

Let’s take a race-by-race look at the sequence (which starts at 6:55 p.m. ET) and plan our plays:

Race 3: $16,000 Claiming (6 1/2 furlongs)

A competitive claimer starts the Pick 6. There are many viable contenders, so we’ll cover a lot of bases with #1 Major Wager (6-1), #2 P H Factor (4-1), #3 Soulmate (9-2), #4 Dowagiac Chief (7-2), #8 Tiz of Thee (5-1), and #9 Akamai (8-1), and #10 Silent Sunday (20-1).

Race 4: Maiden Special Weight (one mile)

#9 Army Officer (5-2) failed by only a nose to break his maiden in a 1 1/16-mile contest over this track and class level last month. He has every chance to graduate on Saturday, though competition runs deep. We see paths to victory for runners as diverse as #1 American Memories (6-1), #3 Phreddie Mac (7-2), and #7 Austin Strong (20-1).

Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs)

Since 2019, trainer Wesley Ward has compiled a 4-for-8 (50%) record debuting older horses in sprints at Turfway. This bodes well for #9 Schnittker (3-1), a speedily bred four-year-old who enters off a series of sharp workouts at Turfway. He’s the horse to beat, though #1 Blast Furnace (12-1), #7 Rocky Joy (4-1), and #12 Tapit for the Win (10-1) are other viable contenders if Schittker doesn’t run to expectations.

Race 6: Serena’s Song S. (six furlongs)

#8 Nice as Pie (4-5) has gone 3-for-3 at Turfway this winter, most recently rallying to an easy 2 1/4-length win in the 6 1/2-furlong Valdale S. She’s the fastest entrant from a Brisnet Speed rating rating perspective and should get plenty of pace to chase, so we’ll single Nice as Pie.

Race 7: $40,000 allowance optional claiming (1 1/4 miles)

#2 Avenue (8-5) is a logical favorite after finishing second in his last two starts over this track, distance, and class level, but there are a few other entrants with the Brisnet Speed ratings to challenge on their best day. #5 Common Bond (6-1) won a 1 1/4-mile contest at Turfway two starts back, #11 Value Engineering (5-1) nabbed the Mac Diarmida (G2) on turf last year, and #1 Chantry Flats (12-1) boasts a 4-for-6 record at Turfway.

Race 8: $30,000 Maiden Claiming (six furlongs)

We’re keen to back the unraced three-year-old filly #6 City of Glitter (12-1), since trainer Paulo Lobo has compiled a phenomenal 7-for-14 (50%) record debuting three-year-olds in Turfway sprints since 2022. But we’ll back her up with experienced runners like #1 Bolt On the Rocks (12-1), #2 She’s Always Rosie (3-1), and #9 Caladium (7-2).

• 20-cent Pick 6: 1,2,3,4,8,9,10 with 9 with 1,7,9,12 with 8 with 1,2,5,11 with 1,2,6,9 ($89.60)
• 20-cent Pick 6: 1,2,3,4,8,9,10 with 1,3,7,9 with 9 with 8 with 1,2,5,11 with 1,2,6,9 ($89.60)
  Total: $179.20

Good luck!