Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: 3 stakes at 2 tracks

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Friday, March 28 at Sunland Park and Oaklawn Park, along with horses to play in the $1,401 Super High 5 carryover at Turfway Park.

Today’s special offers from TwinSpires include:

• New Players $200 Sign-Up Bonus: Open your TwinSpires.com account using the offer code BET200 to start earning a $200 bonus.
• 8x Points at The Meadowlands: Receive 8x reward points on all wagers (excluding show bets) at The Meadowlands each racing day from Feb. 21 through March 29.
• Oaklawn Park 15% Across the Board Boost: Receive a 15% bonus (up to $25 per day) on winning individual win, place, and show wagers—or combination of win, place, and show wagers—at Oaklawn Park each Friday in March.
• 10x Points at Fraser Downs: Receive 10x reward points on all wagers (excluding show bets) at Fraser Downs each Friday.
• Sydney Racing Carnival Leaderboard: Place $10+ win bets on races at selected Australian tracks to climb the leaderboard and compete for a spot in the 2025 Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge. You can also earn your share of a $1,000 weekly prize pool.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $320 Oaklawn Bonus Feeder Friday to 3/29 Arkansas Derby KDBC Qualifier
• $200 Turfway Feeder to 4/5 Blue Grass KDBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Sunland Park: Race 8: New Mexico Breeders’ Derby (1 1/16 miles on dirt, 5:23 p.m. ET)

#3 B Bold Charlie (5-2) has shown fine form running long. After winning the one-mile and 70-yard Hobbs Fall Classic at Zia Park over a next-out winner, he closed a ton of ground in the final furlong of the one-mile Red Hedeman Mile at Sunland to finish second by three-quarters of a length.

Red Hedeman Mile winner #1 Mojica (2-1) was making his route debut and grew a bit leg-weary through the homestretch. I’m optimistic B Bold Charlie can turn the tables while stretching out over 1 1/16 miles.

Let’s place win and exacta bets.

Selections

• #3 B Bold Charlie (5-2)
• #1 Mojica (2-1)
• #6 Holy Hank (7-2)

Wagers

• $22 to win on #3 B Bold Charlie
• $8 Exacta: 3 with 1
  Total: $30

Sunland Park: Race 10: New Mexico Breeders’ Oaks (1 1/16 miles on dirt, 6:15 p.m. ET)

#2 Forty Five (3-1) was tons the best when making her route debut in the one-mile Peppers Pride S. at Sunland last month. She led all the way to trounce nine rivals by 6 3/4 lengths, earning a career-best 86 Brisnet Speed rating.

None of Forty Five’s rivals in the New Mexico Breeders’ Oaks field have posted a Brisnet Speed rating higher than 80. It’s going to be difficult for anyone to take down Forty Five, so let’s key the favorite on top of trifecta and superfecta tickets using #4 Sensuous Woman (7-2), #6 Sirrah (8-1), and #8 Thatsaterribleidea (4-1) for the minor awards.

Selections

• #2 Forty Five (3-1)
• #4 Sensuous Woman (7-2)
• #8 Thatsaterriblidea (4-1)

Wagers

• $4 Trifecta: 2 with 4,6,8 with 4,6,8 ($24)
• $1 Superfecta: 2 with 4,6,8 with 4,6,8 with 4,6,8 ($6)
  Total: $30

Oaklawn Park: Race 10: Temperence Hill S. (1 1/2 miles on dirt, 6:19 p.m. ET)

#11 Lambeth (5-1) was much the best in a 1 1/16-mile allowance at Oaklawn last month, pressing the pace before taking over to win by 4 1/2 lengths with a flashy 97 Brisnet Speed rating.

As a son of champion and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Arrogate out of a mare by three-time leading North American sire Tapit, Lambeth is bred to thrive while stretching out over 1 1/2 miles. Let’s try a win bet on this up-and-coming four-year-old.

Selections

• #11 Lambeth (5-1)
• #4 Masqueparade (9-2)
• #3 Time for Trouble (6-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #11 Lambeth

Carryover Watch

Turfway Park: Race 8: $1,401 Super High 5 carryover (9:25 p.m. ET)

No one hit the $1 Super High 5 on Thursday at Turfway Park, which means the final race on Friday’s card features a $1,401 carryover.

The prize pool is up for grabs in Race 8, a $50,000 maiden claimer for three-year-old fillies dashing 6 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta. An overflow field of 14 horses (including two also-eligibles) has entered; assuming a dozen horses start, there are 95,040 possible Super High 5 outcomes to analyze.

Here are four horses you won’t want to leave off your tickets:

#1 Menu Please (5-1): Menu Please debuted in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight over the Fair Grounds turf course. After settling a couple lengths off the pace, she tired to finish seventh. Trainer Brendan Walsh wins at a lofty 27% rate with horses dropping from maiden special weight to maiden claiming company, so descending in class should allow Menu Please to vie for victory. The surface switch from turf to Tapeta may also trigger improvement.

#2 Hevel (8-1): Trainer William Morey wins at a solid 18% rate with horses debuting in maiden claimers, so look for Hevel to factor on debut. A daughter of Bolt d’Oro (who sires an excellent 16% winners from first-time starters), Hevel has shown some speed in the mornings, most notably breezing a bullet half-mile in :48 1/5.

#7 Austin High (6-1): Austin High is another first-time starter worth respecting. The daughter of early-maturing sprinter/miler Instagrand hails from the barn of Thomas Drury Jr., a 17% winner with first-time starters and a 22% winner at Turfway Park since December. Throw in the presence of hot apprentice jockey Irving Moncada (who rides with a five-pound weight allowance), and there’s a lot to like about Austin High.

#12 Ton a Laughs (7-2): Ton a Laughs has cracked the trifecta in her last two starts at Turfway Park. Both of those were $30,000 maiden claimers taking place over one mile, and the 78 Brisnet Speed rating she posted in her latest try is the highest number in Friday’s field. Trainer Susan Anderson wins at a 21% rate with horses cutting back from a route to a sprint, so there’s a clear path to victory for Ton a Laughs.

Good luck!