Wednesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Oil Man is working fast

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Wednesday, April 17 at Tampa Bay Downs and Horseshoe Indianapolis, including a win bet on a fast-working first-time starter.

Today’s special offers from TwinSpires include:

• Hong Kong 15% Win Bonus: Receive a 15% bonus (up to $25 per day) on your winning single-horse win wagers at Happy Valley (HK) and Sha Tin (HK) every race day from March 24-April 28.
• Keeneland Double Down: Hit two double wagers in a single day at Keeneland to receive a 25% bonus (up to 50% per day) on all winning double wagers for the day, every Wednesday through Friday in April.

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Tampa Bay Downs: Race 3: $16,000 Maiden Claiming (1 1/16 miles on turf, 1:20 p.m. ET)

#3 Princess Aleska (6-5) looks mighty tough to beat. Her first two turf starts have yielded top-three finishes behind next-out winners in a pair of $32,000 maiden claimers running long at Tampa Bay Downs. Dropping in class for a $16,000 maiden claimer should send Princess Aleska to the winner’s circle for hot trainer Juan Avila.

#9 Award Tour (2-1), a well-bred first-time starter from the barn of Christophe Clement, can complete the exacta. Since 2019, Clement has gone 11-for-54 (20%) debuting horses in turf routes at Tampa.

Selections

• #3 Princess Aleska (6-5)
• #9 Award Tour (2-1)
• #5 Miss Tarisansol (6-1)

Wagers

• $20 Exacta: 3 with 9

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (5 1/2 furlongs, 4:14 p.m. ET)

Since 2021, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen has gone 4-for-17 (24%) saddling first-time starters in dirt sprints at Horseshoe Indianapolis. This bodes well for Asmussen’s unraced three-year-old filly #4 Alimony (5-2), a well-bred daughter of Uncle Mo out of a mare by Malibu Moon.

Alimony is bred to win from an early age and has put together a promising work tab capped off by a half-mile from the Turfway Park starting gate in :47 1/5. Let’s place a win bet on Alimony.

Selections

• #4 Alimony (5-2)
• #7 End of Innocence (5-1)
• #5 Just Be Quiet (12-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #4 Alimony

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 6: Maiden Special Weight (5 1/2 furlongs, 4:45 p.m. ET)

Randy Klopp won two races on opening day at Horseshoe Indianapolis, and he can keep his hot streak going with first-time starter #2 Oil Man (7-2). Klopp has compiled a respectable 9-for-55 (16%) record debuting horses in dirt sprints at Horseshoe Indianapolis since 2021, and sharp workouts (including a swift half-mile from the Horseshoe Indianapolis starting gate in :47 4/5) suggest Oil Man is ready to shine.

At 7-2, Oil Man is well worth betting to win.

Selections

• #2 Oil Man (7-2)
• #4 Tennyson Kid (10-1)
• #3 Magic in Motion (6-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #2 Oil Man

Good luck!