Turfway Park: How to bet the $1,273 Super High 5 carryover

Winter weather can be a problem in U.S. horse racing, with tracks in the colder regions of the country canceling cards due to freezing temperatures and winter storms.

Such was the case on Friday, when an eight-race card at Turfway Park (highlighted by a $1,273 Super High 5 carryover) was called off due to cold weather. But warmer temperatures are in the forecast for Saturday, and assuming racing goes on as scheduled, we’ll have another chance to chase the $1,273 Super High 5 carryover.

The prize pool is up for grabs in Race 8, a $30,000 maiden claimer for three-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs on Tapeta. The race is overstuffed with 12 horses in the main body of the field and two on the also-eligible list. But assembling a winning ticket might not be as difficult as it appears.

We’ll start by favoring the first-time starters #9 Western Skies (3-1) and #10 Nile River Queen (3-1). Both are trained by Wesley Ward, a 33% winner with horses debuting in maiden claimers. Since 2017, Ward has gone compiled a stellar 52-20-11-3 record saddling first-time starters at Turfway Park; that means 37% of his starters have won and 57% have finished in the exacta.

Western Skies and Nile River Queen have both compiled solid work tabs, and hot jockeys Jeffrey Sanchez and Gerardo Corrales are named to ride. Sanchez has gone 3-for-9 (33%) riding for Ward over the last two months, while Corrales has gone 5-for-19 (26%) during the same timeframe.

If we count on Western Skies and Nile River Queen to run 1-2 in either order, we can afford to spread a bit deeper for the remaining slots. One of the key contenders is #3 Hideki (9-2), the fastest of the experienced runners in terms of Brisnet Speed ratings. Hideki posted a 73 Brisnet Speed rating when finishing second in a $15,000 maiden claimer at Turfway last month, beaten only half a length.

#4 Bodacious Baby (12-1) can’t be dismissed either after running second in a $30,000 maiden claimer at Turfway, earning a 67 Brisnet Speed rating. The unraced #6 Casey (15-1) offers some potential for hot trainer John Ortiz, and #11 Reina de La Rose (6-1) is an intriguing newcomer after debuting in a six-furlong maiden special weight over the Aqueduct turf course.

Here’s how we’ll bet the Super High 5:

• $1 Super High 5: 9,10 with 9,10 with 3,11 with 3,4,6,11 with 2,3,4,5,6,8,11 ($60)

Good luck!