Monday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Kitty House drops in class

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Monday, Jan. 27 at Fair Grounds, Mahoning Valley, and Turf Paradise, including a stakes horse dropping in class.

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.
• Woodbine Mohawk 15% Trifecta Boost: Receive a 15% boost (up to $25 per day) on your winning trifecta wagers at Woodbine Mohawk each Monday, Thursday, and Friday through January.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $160 Fair Grounds Feeder to 2/1 Oaklawn KDBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Fair Grounds: Race 2: $12,500 Maiden Claiming (one mile and 70 yards on dirt, 2:15 p.m. ET)

After spending his first seven starts competing against tougher competition without a top-three finish to show for it, #4 Puckster (3-1) dropped into a $12,500 maiden claimer over this track and distance and finished third. He was beaten 11 3/4 lengths, but ran into traffic multiple times during the course of the race.

With a clean trip in his second try over this configuration, Puckster has a chance to upset heavy favorite #3 Numero Siete (4-5), a class-dropping turf horse who fared poorly in his lone try on dirt.

Let’s play accordingly with a win bet and an exacta.

Selections

• #4 Puckster (3-1)
• #3 Numero Siete (4-5)
• #5 Rayfield (12-1)

Wagers

• $10 to win on #4 Puckster
• $10 Exacta: 4 with 3
  Total: $20

Mahoning Valley: Race 7: $5,000 Claiming (5 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 3:03 p.m. ET)

On Jan. 7, #1 Love the Sauce (6-5) wired a $5,000 claimer over this track and distance by 2 3/4 lengths, earning a 72 Brisnet Speed rating equal to the par winning number for Monday’s conditions.

Love the Sauce looks talented enough to win right back for the red-hot jockey/trainer duo of Erik Barbaran and Anthony Farrior, who have teamed up to win at a 37% rate together over the last two months. Let’s bet her over #6 Quick Recovery (5-2) in a cold exacta.

Selections

• #1 Love the Sauce (6-5)
• #6 Quick Recovery (5-2)
• #7 Living in Style (8-1)

Wagers

• $15 to win on #1 Love the Sauce
• $15 Exacta: 1 with 6
  Total: $30

Turf Paradise: Race 3: Allowance (5 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 3:25 p.m. ET)

#1 Kitty House (5-2) has finished second in her last two starts sprinting at Turf Paradise. One was a $75,000 allowance optional claimer, and the other was the Arizona Juvenile Fillies S.

Monday’s contest looks like an easier spot, so Kitty House is a logical choice to take home top honors under hot jockey Orlando Mojica, a 23% winner at Turf Paradise this meet. For second place, we’ll try Northern California shipper #5 Beachley (5-1), who has been freshened since August.

Selections

• #1 Kitty House (5-2)
• #5 Beachley (5-1)
• #6 Rebel Gal (4-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #1 Kitty House
• $5 Exacta: 1 with 5
  Total: $25

Good luck!