Monday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Parx’s mandatory-payout $545,802 Pick 5

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Monday, April 21 at Thistledown and Will Rogers Downs, along with a ticket for the mandatory-payout $545,802 Pick 5 carryover at Parx Racing.

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.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $160 Parx Feeder to 4/26 Churchill Downs KDBC Qualifier
• $200 Mountaineer Feeder to 5/1 Thurby KDBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Thistledown: Race 2: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs on dirt, 1:20 p.m. ET)

#2 Coloryoureggs (2-1) ran second twice over this track and class level in mid-2024. In her debut, she finished second to future three-time stakes winner Silver Kiss.

Coloryoureggs has been freshened since July and is adding blinkers and Lasix for her three-year-old debut, setting the stage for a winning return. Let’s single her to start a double wager.

Selections

• #2 Coloryoureggs (2-1)
• #6 Over the Falls (6-1)
• #1 Red Stride (12-1)

Wagers

• $25 Double: 2 with 5

Thistledown: Race 3: $8,000 Starter Optional Claiming (one mile on dirt, 1:50 p.m. ET)

#5 Reinvest (2-1) enters in sharp form, having rallied to victory in a six-furlong $15,000 claimer at Mahoning earlier this month. Even better, his most recent start at Thistledown (in October 2024) yielded a seven-length demolition of a one-mile $5,000 claimer, for which he earned a career-best 91 Brisnet Speed rating.

Returning to the track and distance of his best performance can send Reinvest to the winner’s circle in a slight upset over morning-line favorite #6 Real Naughty (8-5). Let’s bet Reinvest to win and single him to conclude our double bet.

Selections

• #5 Reinvest (2-1)
• #6 Real Naughty (8-5)
• #2 Panthera’s Fate (7-2)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #5 Reinvest

Will Rogers Downs: Race 1: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs on dirt, 2:15 p.m. ET)

Since none of the experienced runners in this field have posted a Brisnet Speed rating close to the par winning number (75) for the conditions, we’ll take a chance betting first-time starter #4 Double Echo (8-1).

Double Echo is a son of Echo Town, who won his debut at age three before going on to take the seven-furlong H. Allen Jerkens (G1). Echo Town is siring a sharp 24% winners from first-time starters, and a series of five-furlong workouts at Will Rogers Downs should have Double Echo set for a competitive debut.

We’ll keep our strategy simple with a win bet.

Selections

• #4 Double Echo (8-1)
• #2 Devious Lover (8-5)
• #1 Palace Rock (5-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #4 Double Echo

Carryover Watch

Parx Racing: Race 6: $545,802 Pick 5 mandatory payout (2:59 p.m. ET)

The jackpot carryover in the “Philly Big 5” Pick 5 at Parx Racing is slated to be paid out in mandatory fashion on Monday. The prize pool for the 50-cent wager stands at $545,802.

Let’s take a race-by-race look at the sequence and assemble a ticket for under $50:

Race 6: $25,000 Starter Optional Claiming (one mile and 70 yards)

#3 Double Your Money (4-1) hasn’t missed the exacta in five starts since being claimed by hot trainer Felissa Dunn. Along the way, he’s earned sharp Brisnet Speed ratings in the 86-94 range. Returning to Parx after a narrow defeat in a $25,000 starter allowance at Aqueduct should make Double Your Money tough to beat, though #5 Smoke Wagon (5-1) is fast enough to surprise on his best day, so we’ll include them both.

Race 7: $25,000 Claiming (6 1/2 furlongs)

With three straight 90+ Brisnet Speed ratings under his belt, #1 Get Set (5-2) is the horse to beat in this $25,000 claimer, especially while breaking from the advantageous rail post. If there’s an upset threat in this field, it’s likely #3 Ninja Prize (8-1), who posted a 91 Brisnet Speed rating when finishing second by half a length in a $15,000 claimer over this track and distance two months ago.

Race 8: Allowance (one mile and 70 yards)

#4 Nature’s Candy (5-2) has placed at the stakes level and owns nine straight Brisnet Speed ratings in the 81-87 range. She’s the mare to beat while tackling an allowance for Pennsylvania-breds, though #2 Noisy On the Bay (4-1) exits a fast win in a $16,000 starter optional claimer over this track and distance and may have upset potential in her second start for trainer Harold Wyner.

Race 9: $16,000 Allowance Optional Claiming (six furlongs)

We’ll single #4 Latta (5-2), who enters in red-hot form. Two starts back, he crushed a $25,000 starter optional claimer at Parx with a 101 Brisnet Speed rating. Last time out, he threw down a 91 while rallying to victory in a $20,000 starter allowance at Aqueduct. Those Brisnet Speed ratings suggest Latta will be tough to beat while returning to Parx.

Race 10: $15,000 Maiden Claiming (six furlongs)

A highly competitive maiden claimer for three-year-old fillies closes out the Pick 5. You can make a case for virtually any of the entrants to win, so we’ll hit the “ALL” button and hope for an upset.

Pick 5 Wager

• 50-cent Pick 5: 3,5 with 1,3 with 2,4 with 4 with ALL ($44)

Good luck!