Monday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: First-timers at Zia Park

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Monday, Dec. 2 at Zia Park and Turf Paradise, including a pair of first-time starters at enticing odds.

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Best Bets and Quick Picks

Zia Park: Race 7: $10,000 Maiden Claiming (six furlongs on dirt, 4:53 p.m. ET)

#10 Ulooklikeuloveme (9-2) looks ready to win first-time out. Trainer Dick Cappellucci wins at a respectable 13% rate with horses debuting in maiden claimers, and sharp workouts (including half a mile from the Zia Park starting gate in :46 4/5) suggest Ulooklikeuloveme has some talent.

Throw in the fact she’ll be guided by red-hot jockey Alfredo Juarez Jr. (a 33% winner teaming up with Cappellucci over the last two months), and Ulooklikeuloveme is worthy of a win bet.

Selections

• #10 Ulooklikeuloveme (9-2)
• #11 Caden’s Girl (7-2)
• #4 Power Nap (5-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #10 Ulooklikeuloveme

Turf Paradise: Race 8: $25,000 Allowance Optional Claiming (6 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 6:12 p.m. ET)

#5 Awesome Road (3-1) has spent much of his career competing against stakes competition. But his success has come at lower class levels. After finishing fifth in the Canadian Derby (G3), the three-year-old gelding dropped in class for a $20,000 allowance optional claimer at Turf Paradise last month, which he won by 2 1/4 lengths.

Awesome Road nabbed his lone sprint start by 2 3/4 lengths over future Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Stronghold, so we’re willing to bet Awesome Road can keep his local record perfect while cutting back to 6 1/2 furlongs.

#2 Sensical (6-1) and #7 Dialed in to Win (4-1) can battle for second place.

Selections

• #5 Awesome Road (3-1)
• #7 Dialed in to Win (4-1)
• #2 Sensical (6-1)

Wagers

• $24 to win on #5 Awesome Road
• $3 Exacta: 5 with 2,7 ($6)
  Total: $30

Zia Park: Race 10: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs on dirt, 6:17 p.m. ET)

Since 2019, trainer Todd Fincher has gone 6-for-26 (23%) debuting juveniles at Zia Park.

This bodes well for Fincher’s unraced two-year-old #11 Call Me Hollywood (8-1). A son of Hopeful (G1) winner Sporting Chance (who sires a solid 14% winners from first-time starters), Call Me Hollywood was produced by Ringback, who has already foaled four juvenile winners from six starters.

The presence of hot jockey Alfred Juarez Jr. (a 32% winner at Zia Park this meet) cements Call Me Hollywood as a threat to outrun his 8-1 morning line odds. Let’s bet him to win and play him over #1 Short Round Bound (2-1) and #4 Gamblaway (4-1) in the exacta.

Selections

• #11 Call Me Hollywood (8-1)
• #1 Short Round Bound (2-1)
• #4 Gamblaway (4-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #11 Call Me Hollywood
• $5 Exacta: 11 with 1,4 ($10)
  Total: $30

Good luck!