Wednesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Delaware Park Pick 5 carryovers

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Wednesday, June 12 at Horseshoe Indianapolis, along with horses to play in a pair of non-jackpot Pick 5 carryovers at Delaware Park.

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Best Bets and Quick Picks

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 3: Maiden Special Weight (7 1/2 furlongs on turf, 3:12 p.m. ET)

#7 Reining Flowers (3-1) ran strongly when debuting in a five-furlong maiden special weight over the Horseshoe Indianapolis lawn. Despite running into traffic, she gobbled up ground down the homestretch, gaining four lengths through the final furlong to finish second by three lengths.

Reigning Flowers has the pedigree to stretch out over 7 1/2 furlongs for trainer John Ortiz, who wins at a 17% rate with second-time starters, so if Reining Flowers gets a clear trip she’ll be tough to beat. A large win bet is in order.

Selections

• #7 Reining Flowers (3-1)
• #5 Total Heart (5-2)
• #8 Tigerish (4-1)

Wagers

• $50 to win on #7 Reining Flowers

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 6: Hoosier Breeders Sophomore H. (six furlongs on dirt, 4:45 p.m. ET)

#5 Noneofyourbusiness (6-5) is a logical favorite after opening 2024 with back-to-back allowance victories at Horseshoe Indianapolis, earning Brisnet Speed ratings of 82 and 80.

But #4 Firing Fast (5-1) didn’t run much slower when debuting with victory in a $20,000 maiden claimer sprinting six furlongs at Aqueduct. After tracking the early pace, Firing Fast took over to dominate by 4 1/4 lengths with a 79 Brisnet Speed rating.

Firing Fast is adding Lasix for his second start and has every chance to factor while tackling a stakes restricted to Indiana-breds. Let’s box Noneofyourbusiness and Firing Fast in the exacta.

Selections

• #4 Firing Fast (5-1)
• #5 Noneofyourbusiness (6-5)
• #1 Lil Gin N Class (4-1)

Wagers

• $18 Exacta: 5 with 4
• $12 Exacta: 4 with 5
  Total: $30

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 7: Hoosier Breeders Sophomore H. (six furlongs on dirt, 5:16 p.m. ET)

#7 Molly’s Town (8-5) is undefeated in five starts at Horseshoe Indianapolis, winning them all by margins ranging from three lengths to 8 1/2 lengths. He started 2024 with a 7 3/4-length romp over older horses in a 5 1/2-furlong non-state-restricted allowance, so winning a stakes for Indiana-bred three-year-olds should be straightforward for Molly’s Town.

Let’s bet Molly’s Town on top of a cold exacta using #6 Goodlookinjustice (5-2) for second place. Goodlookinjustice placed second behind Molly’s Town in a couple of Indiana-bred stakes last year and kicked off 2024 by wiring a 5 1/2-furlong allowance for Indiana-breds by three lengths.

Selections

• #7 Molly’s Town (8-5)
• #6 Goodlookinjustice (5-2)
• #4 Takeitandrun (6-1)

Wagers

• $25 Exacta: 7 with 6

Carryover Watch

Delaware Park: Race 1: $9,490 Pick 5 carryover (12:30 p.m. ET)
Delaware Park: Race 4: $2,790 Pick 5 carryover (2:00 p.m. ET)

Wednesday’s 50-cent Early Pick 5 at Delaware Park features a $9,490 carryover, while the 50-cent Late Pick 5 has tossed up a $2,790 prize pool.

Planning to chase both carryovers? Two critical races to decipher are Race 4 and Race 5, which are involved in both sequences. If we fail to uncover both winners, we won’t hit either Pick 5.

Race 4 is a $12,500 claimer taking place over one mile and 70 yards on dirt. Seven horses have turned out, and #2 Alabama Slammer (2-1) is the morning line favorite. He exits a third-place finish in a one-mile $12,500 claimer at Monmouth Park, for which he earned a sharp 81 Brisnet Speed rating.

But there may be chinks in Alabama Slammer’s armor. He benefited from setting a slow pace at Monmouth, yet still faded to finish 7 1/4 lengths behind the winner. And Alabama Slammer has lost nine straight starts.

Can Alabama Slammer win Race 4? Perhaps, though we prefer the chances of #4 Grand Pick (6-1). The four-year-old gelding kicked off 2024 with a subpar 10th-place finish over the Delaware Park turf, but he’d never previously tackled grass and may have disliked the surface.

Grand Pick fared better on dirt last year. He won a $28,000 claimer and a pair of $20,000 claimers, all at Delaware Park, and placed in a trio of $25,000 claimers at Delaware, Laurel Park, and Parx Racing. Along the way, he earned Brisnet Speed ratings in the 81-89 range on five occasions. Trainer Pedro Nazario wins at a 27% rate with horses switching from turf to dirt, so returning to the Delaware main track should make Grand Pick formidable. Don’t leave him off any of your tickets.

As for Race 5, it’s a maiden special weight taking place over about one mile on turf. #1 Roundtop (2-1) is the morning line choice and a must-use contender; he cracked the trifecta in both of his starts at this class level on turf last year and has every chance to shine while adding Lasix for his three-year-old debut. Trainer Graham Motion wins at a 22% rate with horses racing on Lasix for the first time and has gone 4-for-7 (57%) at Delaware Park this meet.

But there are other viable contenders. There isn’t a ton of speed in this field, so #4 Major Mack (6-1)—a pacesetter in three of his last four starts on dirt—could be dangerous while switching to turf, a surface he has the pedigree to handle. We’ll also use #5 Summer Soldier (4-1), a first-time starter from the barn of Christophe Clement, who has gone 5-1-2-0 debuting horses over the Delaware turf since 2019.

Good luck!