Monday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Turf Paradise Pick 3 play

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Monday, Jan. 6 at Turf Paradise, including a Pick 3 ticket.

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:

• $80 Parx Feeder to 1/18 Lecomte KDBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Turf Paradise: Race 6: $8,500 Claiming (six furlongs on dirt, 4:35 p.m. ET)

#1 Magic Tip (3-1) faltered in a $20,000 allowance optional claimer at Turf Paradise last month, finishing seventh. But she’d previously trounced an $8,500 maiden claimer by six lengths over a next-out winner, earning an 81 Brisnet Speed rating.

The par winning Brisnet Speed rating for Monday’s conditions is 71, so Magic Tip is plenty fast enough to win if she brings her A game for the red-hot jockey/trainer duo of Luis Negron and Justin Evans. Let’s bet her to win and single her to start Pick 3 and double wagers.

Selections

• #1 Magic Tip (3-1)
• #5 Valley Echo (9-2)
• #4 Ila Veiw Too (5-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #1 Magic Tip
• $10 Double: 1 with 4,7 ($20)
• $5 Pick 3: 1 with 4,7 with 9 ($10)
  Total: $50

Turf Paradise: Race 7: $40,000 Allowance Optional Claiming (6 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 5:04 p.m. ET)

#7 Midnight Mammoth (5-2) is favored off a 10 1/4-length win in the Cougar II (G3) at Del Mar, but that race took place over 1 1/2 miles in July, and Midnight Mammoth hasn’t run since. Cutting back to 6 1/2 furlongs off a layoff won’t necessarily be a recipe for victory, even while dropping in class.

For backup in double and Pick 3 wagers, we’ll use #4 Coastal Jazz (7-2). The Evans trainee wired a 6 1/2-furlong $25,000 allowance optional claimer at Turf Paradise last month with an 89 Brisnet Speed rating, his third straight number in the 89-93 range. That’s meaningful since the par winning number for Monday’s conditions is 88.

Selections

• #4 Coastal Jazz (7-2)
• #7 Midnight Mammoth (5-2)
• #3 Bridleuptothebar (5-1)

Wagers

• $10 Double: 4,7 with 9 ($20)

Turf Paradise: Race 8: $4,000 Starter Optional Claiming (one mile on turf, 5:33 p.m. ET)

#9 Abraaj Mirage (5-2) ran strongly in a $5,000 starter optional claimer racing about one mile over the Turf Paradise grass last month, vying for command before staying on to finish second behind a next-out winner.

Abraaj Mirage finished well clear of many of the rivals he’ll face on Monday. Dropping into a $4,000 starter optional claimer can send this six-year-old gelding to the winner’s circle, so we’ll bet him to win and single him to conclude our double and Pick 3 wagers.

Selections

• #9 Abraaj Mirage (5-2)
• #8 Emperorofthenorth (9-2)
• #5 Fort Langley (7-2)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #9 Abraaj Mirage

Good luck!