Wednesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Ticket for the $10,251 Super High 5

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Gulfstream Park, Tampa Bay Downs, and Turf Paradise, including a ticket for Gulfstream’s $10,251 Super High 5 carryover.

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.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $200 Tampa Bay Downs Feeder to 2/23 Rebel KDBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Gulfstream Park: Race 4: $12,500 Maiden Claiming (5 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta, 2:26 p.m. ET)

Three horses offer appeal in this maiden claimer for three-year-old fillies.

#1 Nanananabooboo (5-2) is dropping in class off a sixth-place finish in a $25,000 maiden claimer sprinting five furlongs over the Gulfstream Tapeta track.

#5 Nvdia (6-1) ran second by a neck in a dirt race over this distance and class level on Jan. 4. Last fall, she was beaten only 2 1/4 lengths when fifth in a $16,000 maiden claimer dashing five furlongs over Gulfstream’s Tapeta.

#6 C C Girl (9-5) finished fifth in a 5 1/2-furlong Tapeta maiden special weight on Jan. 8 at Gulfstream, her lone start so far over a synthetic track.

Let’s box these three in the trifecta.

Selections

• #1 Nanananabooboo (5-2)
• #6 C C Girl (9-5)
• #5 Nvdia (6-1)

Wagers

• $5 Trifecta: box 1,5,6 ($30)

Tampa Bay Downs: Race 8: $25,000 Maiden Claiming (six furlongs on dirt, 4:15 p.m. ET)

First-time starter #3 Just Buu (5-2) has turned in a lengthy string of half-mile workouts in preparation for his debut. Trainer John Rigattieri has gone 3-for-10 (30%) saddling first-time starters in recent years, which includes a 1-for-3 (33%) tally at Tampa Bay Downs, so expect Just Buu to deliver a competitive performance in his first start.

It helps that Just Buu is a son of Bucchero (who sires a sharp 17% winners from first-time starters) out of Carolinaonmymind, who has foaled three winners from three starters.

A win bet on Just Buu is in order.

Selections

• #3 Just Buu (5-2)
• #6 Hightail Fox (3-1)
• #1 Words of Fortune (4-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #3 Just Buu

Turf Paradise: Race 7: Luke Kruytbosch S. (7 1/2 furlongs on turf, 6:03 p.m. ET)

#4 Bodi Zafa (5-2) hasn’t been seriously challenged in two starts over the Turf Paradise lawn. He won a $30,000 maiden optional claimer by 2 1/4 lengths with a 73 Brisnet Speed rating, then trounced a $75,000 allowance optional claimer by 3 1/4 lengths with a 78 Brisnet Speed rating.

None of Bodi Zafa’s Wednesday rivals have earned a Brisnet Speed rating higher than 77 on turf, so we’ll count on Bodi Zafa to add the Luke Kruytbosch to his win tally.

Selections

• #4 Bodi Zafa (5-2)
• #5 Border Vigil (6-1)
• #3 Don’t Fly Stand By (3-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #4 Bodi Zafa

Carryover Watch

Gulfstream Park: Race 5: $10,251 Super High 5 carryover (5:06 p.m. ET)

If you can select the top five finishers, in order, in Wednesday’s ninth race at Gulfstream Park, you can win a share of the $10,251 carryover up for grabs in the $1 Super High 5.

How difficult is the task? Medium, we’d say. Race 9 is a $17,500 starter optional claimer for three-year-olds sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta. Nine horses have entered, so there are 15,120 possible Super High 5 outcomes.

We’re on board the #9 Hollywood Mayhem (7-2) bandwagon. He showed speed when debuting in a $35,000 maiden claimer on dirt at Gulfstream, but tired to finish fifth. He subsequently switched to Tapeta and has proven unbeatable over Gulfstream’s synthetic surface.

In a $17,500 maiden claimer dashing 5 1/2 furlongs, Hollywood Mayhem dueled for the lead before taking command to win by 2 1/4 lengths with a 74 Brisnet Speed rating. He ran even better when tackling a five-furlong $17,500 claimer, pressing the pace before drawing off to score by 3 1/4 lengths with an 80 Brisnet Speed rating.

The other major win threat is #7 Dios Will (3-1). He’s set the pace in all three of his starts sprinting over the Gulfstream Tapeta. First, he trounced a $16,000 maiden claimer by 5 1/4 lengths, earning an 85 Brisnet Speed rating. Then he finished second in back-to-back $35,000 starter optional claimers, earning Brisnet Speed ratings of 77 and 78.

We recommend building Super High 5 tickets around Hollywood Mayhem and Dios Will, boxing them to finish first and second in either order.

Who else should you use? Certainly #1 My Sergeant (4-1), who earned a 78 Brisnet Speed rating when graduating in a 5 1/2-furlong $17,500 maiden claimer over the Gulfstream Tapeta. #6 Carcone (6-1) ran second to Hollywood Mayhem in the latter’s $17,500 claiming win and has every chance to finish in the top three or four on Wednesday. And #4 Western Shaft (30-1) could be a live longshot while adding Lasix and cutting back in distance.

Here’s how we’ll bet the Super High 5:

• $1 Super High 5: 7,9 with 7,9 with 1,4,6 with 1,2,4,6 with 1,2,4,6,8 ($54)

Good luck!