Turfway Park: How to bet the $3,675 Super High 5 carryover

You’re going to need a bit of racing luck if you want to hit a share of Sunday’s $3,675 Super High 5 carryover at Turfway Park.

The prize pool for the $1 wager is up for grabs in Race 8, a $7,500 maiden claimer for three-year-olds racing one mile. On paper, the race looks extraordinarily difficult to handicap—14 horses (including two also-eligibles) have been entered, and many exit defeats by double-digit margins. With established $7,500 claiming competitors squaring off against rivals dropping in class from all different levels, there’s no telling what might happen.

But since $1 Super High 5 wagers can quickly grow expensive to play, we’ll have to take a stand somewhere to keep ticket costs reasonable. And our stand will come with the three morning line favorites: #9 Serpentine (4-1), #10 Verrucarol (7-2), and #11 True Dakotan (4-1).

In a race where many of the contenders have yet to produce a single competitive effort, the three favorites at least offer hints of potential. Serpentine, for example, ran sixth in his debut for a $30,000 tag sprinting six furlongs at Turfway. He’s eligible to improve while stretching out in distance, adding Lasix, and dropping blinkers in his first start as a gelding for trainer William Morey, who wins at a 28% rate with second-time starters.

Meanwhile, Verrucarol is proven at the $7,500 claiming level, finishing second in a one-mile heat on Dec. 10 at Turfway. And True Dakotan has placed three times against tougher $20,000 and $16,000 claiming company at Delaware Park, so if he handles the switch from dirt to Tapeta, he can challenge for victory.

Of the trio, I prefer the chances of True Dakotan, whose trainer—Sarah Hamilton—has gone 2-for-6 (33%) at Turfway so far this winter. The fact True Dakotan has already run three competitive races is enticing, and the class drop might be all he needs to produce a winning effort.

So how should we bet the Super High 5? Let’s key True Dakotan on top, then emphasize Serpentine and Verrucarol underneath. For the final slots, we’ll spread as deep as possible while still keeping the ticket cost under $50:

• $1 Super High 5: 11 with 9,10 with 9,10 with 2,7,8,12 with 2,7,8,12 ($24)
• $1 Super High 5: 11 with 9,10 with 2,7,8,12 with 9,10 with 2,7,8,12 ($24)
  Total: $48

Good luck!