Wednesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Cold Pick 3 at Turfway Park

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Wednesday, March 12 at Turfway Park, along with horses to play in carryovers at Tampa Bay Downs and Fair Grounds.

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.
• 5x Points on Harness Racing: Receive 5x rewards points on all bets at harness tracks (excluding show bets) each Monday through Wednesday from Feb. 17 through March 26.
• Winning Wednesday: Receive a 25% bonus (up to $25 per day) on winning single-horse win bets at selected tracks every Wednesday in March. Today’s track is Gulfstream Park.
• Cheltenham $10 Money Back: Receive $10 back on your first single-horse win bet if your horse runs second or third in all eligible races at Cheltenham Racecourse from Tuesday through Friday.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $200 Tampa Bay Downs Feeder to 3/15 Virginia Derby/Oaklawn KDBC Qualifier
• $200 Turfway Feeder to 3/22 Louisiana Derby/Jeff Ruby Steaks KDBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Turfway Park: Race 7: $5,000 Claiming (6 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta, 8:55 p.m. ET)

#5 Classic Dancer (8-5) is the horse to beat after finishing sixth in back-to-back $16,000 claimers sprinting six furlongs at Turfway. Those efforts yielded matching Brisnet Speed ratings of 77, the two highest numbers that any of the Race 7 entrants have posted in their last two starts apiece.

Trainer Jesus Esquivel wins at a lofty 25% rate with horses dropping multiple levels down the class ladder, so descending into a $5,000 claimer should make Classic Dancer formidable. Let’s single him to start double and Pick 3 wagers.

Selections

• #5 Classic Dancer (8-5)
• #3 Cog (3-1)
• #1 Vagabond Shoes (7-2)

Wagers

• $15 Double: 5 with 1
• $5 Pick 3: 5 with 1 with 6
  Total: $20

Turfway Park: Race 8: $7,500 Claiming (6 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta, 9:25 p.m. ET)

#1 Sally’s Gold (7-5) has shown pace-pressing speed in two recent starts over this track and distance. First, she won a $15,000 maiden claimer by two lengths. Then, she finished sixth in a $30,000 claimer.

Dropping in class for a $7,500 claimer should help Sally’s Gold return to the winner’s circle for trainer Mike Maker, a 32% winner with horses descending multiple levels down the class ladder. We’ll single her in our double and Pick 3 wagers from Race 7, then start a new double wager as well.

Selections

• #1 Sally’s Gold (7-5)
• #8 Italian Ivy (7-2)
• #3 Yaree D Tat (12-1)

Wagers

• $20 Double: 1 with 6

Turfway Park: Race 9: $5,000 Claiming (1 1/16 miles on Tapeta, 9:55 p.m. ET)

#6 Cool Rags (2-1) has turned in some fine efforts recently against tougher competition at Turfway. In January, he rallied to win a one-mile $12,500 claimer by 2 1/2 lengths with a 79 Brisnet Speed rating. Last time out, he tracked the pace on his way to third place in an $8,000 claimer, earning an 80 Brisnet Speed rating.

Tackling the $5,000 level should allow Cool Rags to win. We’ll single him to conclude our double wagers, then bet him over hot $5,000 claimer #2 Temper Tantrum (5-2) in the exacta.

Selections

• #6 Cool Rags (2-1)
• #2 Temper Tantrum (5-2)
• #5 Ghost Bike (10-1)

Wagers

• $10 Exacta: 6 with 2

Carryover Watch

Tampa Bay Downs: Race 1: $2,948 Super High 5 carryover (12:30 p.m. ET)

The Wednesday card at Tampa Bay Downs gets underway with a $2,948 carryover up for grabs in the $1 Super High 5.

Race 1 is a $5,000 claimer for fillies and mares sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on dirt. The nine-horse field hasn’t come up especially tough on paper, so #1 Syllabus (30-1) is a live longshot worth considering.

Syllabus has competed in six straight $8,000 claimers at Tampa Bay Downs. She typically finishes midfield or so, but three starts back, she ran second in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint, earning a respectable 69 Brisnet Speed rating that stacks up well against Wednesday’s field.

Dropping in class for a $5,000 claimer may allow Syllabus to outrun her morning-line odds and finish in the top five or even the top three. Don’t leave her off your tickets.

Fair Grounds: Race 3: $1,371 Pick 6 carryover (2:45 p.m. ET)

The highlight of the Wednesday card at Fair Grounds is a $1,371 carryover in the $1 Pick 6.

One of the most interesting legs of the six-race sequence is Race 4, a $12,500 maiden claimer for older horses racing one mile and 70 yards on dirt. There isn’t an overabundance of speed entered in the eight-horse field, so #4 Amentum (3-1) is a formidable win contender.

Amentum carved out the pace in a six-furlong sprint over this track and class level on Jan. 31 before weakening to finish third by 2 3/4 lengths., earning a 73 Brisnet Speed rating that fits well in Race 4. Amentum was claimed out of that effort by Keith Bourgeois, a 20% winner with horses running for the first time following a claim.

Stretching out over one mile and 70 yards should give Amentum a strong chance to lead Wednesday’s field in gate-to-wire fashion. He’s shown decent form running long in the past and is slated to be ridden by jockey Emanuel Nieves, a respectable 15% winner in route races. We recommend taking a stand and making Amentum a Pick 6 single.

Good luck!