Picks for Oaklawn tournament, Tampa Super High 5 carryover

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares picks for a Sunday tournament at Oaklawn Park and a Super High 5 carryover at Tampa Bay Downs.

Tampa Bay Downs $2,668 Super High 5 carryover

The Sunday opener at Tampa Bay Downs features a $2,668 carryover in the $1 Super High 5.

Race 1 is a $10,000 maiden claimer taking place over 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt. The 11-horse field is tough to handicap, but you won’t want to leave #10 Little Lukey (7-2) off the top of your tickets.

Little Lukey has only run twice. He never factored in his March 22 debut, but improved on April 14 in a $10,000 maiden claimer sprinting six furlongs at Tampa, engaging in an intense and prolonged speed duel before weakening to finish second against Jersey Perfection. The latter returned to win a Monmouth Park allowance by 7 3/4 lengths.

If Little Lukey picks up where he left off, he can challenge for victory in his return.

$200 Oaklawn Feeder to 12/28 Oaklawn KDBC/NHC Qualifier

Bet your entire $100 bankroll across at least five races at Oaklawn Park (minimum $10 per race) to climb the leaderboard in this qualifier for the Dec. 28 $1,000 Oaklawn KDBC/NHC Qualifier tournament. For every 10 entries in Sunday’s tournament, an entry into the Dec. 28 tournament will be awarded.

One horse you should strongly consider betting is #3 Very Cosmopolitan (9-2) in Race 3, a six-furlong maiden special weight for Arkansas-bred two-year-old fillies. The field is packed with first-time starters, but Very Cosmopolitan brings experience to the table and may prove formidable while dropping into the Arkansas-bred ranks for the first time.

Very Cosmopolitan debuted during the summer at Saratoga in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight restricted to horses who brought a final bid of $50,000 or less at their most recent auction. Facing nine rivals, Very Cosmopolitan got off to a slow start and ran into some traffic, but nevertheless rallied to finish third behind Another Cleeshay, who subsequently placed fourth in the Frizette (G1).

Very Cosmopolitan’s second start came in a six-furlong sprint over the same class level at Churchill Downs. This time, she pressed the pace before tiring to finish ninth against a deep field from which the top three finishers all returned to post next-out victories.

There’s a chance Very Cosmopolitan will find fellow Arkansas-breds easier to handle, so if her 9-2 morning-line odds hold up, a $10 (or even $20) win bet could prove to be a lucrative strategy for tournament players.

Good luck!