Wednesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: $2,329 Super High 5

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Wednesday, Feb. 21 at Gulfstream Park, Charles Town, and Turfway Park, including a ticket for Turfway’s $2,329 Super High 5 carryover.

Today’s special offers from TwinSpires include:

• 10x Points on Harness Racing: Earn 10x reward points on all harness racing wagers (excluding show bets) every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday during the month of February
• Winning Wednesdays: Receive a 25% bonus (up to $25 per day) on your winning single-horse win wagers at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs every Wednesday in February.

Picks and Plays

Gulfstream Park: Race 4: Maiden Special Weight (seven furlongs, 1:40 p.m. ET)

Four-year-old #7 Yorkshiremen (5-2) has yet to race, but the $500,000 yearling acquisition has put together a sharp work tab this winter, highlighted by a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 at Palm Beach Downs. Five-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has been named to ride by Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, so the stage appears set for a winning debut.

Yorkshiremen is the third choice on the morning line, and if his odds hold up, we’ll capitalize on the Winning Wednesdays promotion and place a win bet on Yorkshiremen.

Selections

• #7 Yorkshiremen (5-2)
• #6 Unlimitedpotential (8-5)
• #1 Pourquoi Pas (2-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #7 Yorkshiremen

Charles Town: Race 2: $5,000 Claiming (4 1/2 furlongs, 7:30 p.m. ET)

#4 Cruz in the Castle (3-1) has set the pace in nine of her last 10 starts, which is significant since pacesetters have won 60% of 4 1/2-furlong sprints at Charles Town since Jan. 3. Cruz in the Castle hasn’t missed the exacta in her last five starts (including two over this track, distance, and class level), so if she makes the lead she’ll have every chance to wire Wednesday’s field.

A win bet is in order. 

Selections

• #4 Cruz in the Castle (3-1)
• #2 True Heiress (2-1)
• #1 Scarlet Tanager (5-2)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #4 Cruz in the Castle

Turfway Park: Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (one mile on Tapeta, 7:55 p.m. ET)

#7 Aldora (5-1) has shown speed in a pair of six-furlong maiden special weights at Turfway Park, finishing third and fifth with respectable Brisnet Speed ratings of 80 and 75. Her fifth-place finish came in a competitive contest from which the top three finishers returned to win.

As a daughter of Gun Runner, Aldora has the pedigree to stretch out over one mile. There isn’t much speed in Wednesday’s field, so if Aldora sets or stalks a slow pace, she’ll have every chance to vie for victory down the homestretch.

We’ll place a win bet on Aldora and call it a day.

Selections

• #7 Aldora (5-1)
• #3 Moonlight Gambler (3-1)
• #1 Guinevere (4-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #7 Aldora

Carryover Watch

Turfway Park: Race 9: $2,329 Super High 5 carryover (9:55 p.m. ET)

It can be difficult to hit the Super High 5 at Turfway Park. The $1 wager is offered on the final race of each card and frequently goes unsolved, generating non-jackpot carryovers.

Wednesday’s card features a $2,329 Super High 5 carryover, and winning a share might be a bit easier than usual. The prize pool is available to chase in Race 9, a $7,500 maiden claimer for three-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs on Tapeta. A full field has entered, but sorting through the contenders appears relatively straightforward.

We’ll start by keying the first-time starter #10 Mesmerizing Me (7-2) on top. That might seem like a risky strategy, but she’s a daughter of Hootenanny (who sires a lofty 30% winners from first-time starters), and trainer Wesley Ward has gone 23-for-60 (38%) debuting horses in sprints at Turfway since 2019.

Underneath Mesmerizing Me, we’ll emphasize three horses: #2 Seau N’Tap (4-1), #6 Piccante (5-1), and #9 Tambarella (9-2). Seau N’Tap has cracked the top five in both of her starts sprinting against $7,500 maiden claiming competition at Turfway Park, earning Brisnet Speed ratings of 60 and 66 that stack up favorably against Wednesday’s field. She has tactical speed and figures to factor once again.

Piccante also showed speed when finishing sixth in a $30,000 maiden claimer sprinting six furlongs at Turfway earlier this month. Trainer Mike Maker wins at a 29% rate with horses dropping multiple levels down the class ladder, so descending into a $7,500 maiden claimer should put Piccante right in the hunt.

As for Tambarella, he exits a fourth-place finish in a $15,000 maiden claimer sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs at Turfway. Like with Piccante, dropping in class opens the door for Tambarella to challenge for a major piece of the purse.

Other logical contenders include #7 Lindsey (5-1), who finished 2 1/2 lengths behind Seau N’Tap when third in a $7,500 maiden claimer at Turfway last month; #3 Little Music (8-1), the fifth-place finisher from that same race; and #13 Interception (8-1), an also-eligible entrant dropping in class off a sixth-place finish in a $15,000 maiden claimer at Turfway.

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

• $1 Super High 5: 10 with 2,6,9 with 2,6,9 with 2,6,7,9,13 with 2,3,6,7,9,13 ($54)

Good luck!