Four Jan. 29 carryovers worth chasing at Laurel, Sam Houston, and Turfway

Before we head into a busy weekend of Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races, we have a bevy of enticing carryovers to chase on Friday afternoon.

Lucrative wagers are on tap all across the country. We’ve highlighted four of the most intriguing sequences while simultaneously identifying key horses to help you cash your tickets:

Laurel Park

Most carryovers these days involve jackpot-style wagers that only pay out the full carryover if a single winning ticket is sold. But check it out, the Friday card at Laurel Park features a traditional $0.50-cent Pick 5 with a carryover of $7,989, which will be dispersed among all winning bettors.

The sequence (featuring a low takeout rate of 12%) gets underway in Race 4 and contains just 39 entries, averaging 7.8 horses per race. As a result, even bettors with small budgets will have an opportunity to construct competitive tickets, particularly if they single #5 Air Token (1-1) in the opening leg.

Winner of the Concern S. at Laurel in November, Air Token is dropping down into the allowance optional claiming ranks and brings clearly the best Brisnet Speed ratings to the mix. He’ll be tough to beat at a short price.

Sam Houston

Speaking of non-jackpot exotic wagers, the Space City Pick 6 at Sam Houston fits the bill. The $0.50-cent wager has reverted to a traditional structure for 2021, and Friday’s sequence (kicking off in Race 5) features a carryover of $7,899.

If that sounds enticing, why not play along? The wager features a low takeout rate of 14%, and if you’ve opted in to the TwinSpires “Build Your Stakes Day Bankroll” promotion, betting $100 at Sam Houston on Friday will earn you $5 to bet during Sam Houston’s stakes-packed Sunday card.

Need help assembling your Pick 6 ticket? Check out our picks and plays analysis for Friday, which includes a 6-1 shot in the opening leg of Sam Houston’s Pick 6.

Turfway Park

The $0.20-cent Single 6 jackpot (which gets underway in Race 3) is steadily accumulating, with $17,135 up for grabs on Friday. While sweeping the whole pool requires holding the only winning ticket on the day, consolation payoffs can be solid—Thursday’s sequence, featuring four winning favorites, returned $4,695.80. Need help constructing your Friday ticket? James Scully has put together spot plays for three of the six races.

Also on tap at Turfway Park is a $4,726 Super Hi 5 carryover, which will be split equally among all winning bettors. The $1 wager is available in Race 8, a $5,000 maiden claiming race in which two runners appear to rank a cut above the others. #9 Autopilot (9-5) is the morning line favorite after finishing fourth for a $15,000 tag at Turfway three weeks ago, but the experienced gelding is 0-for-10 overall, making him tough to trust on the win end.

If you’re playing the Super Hi 5, I suggest using Autopilot for second and/or third place behind #10 Candy Coma (2-1). Conditioned by Turfway’s leading trainer Wesley Ward (a 37% winner this meet), Candy Coma was beaten just half a length in a $25,000 maiden claiming race at Gulfstream last month. Dropping down two or more class levels is a winning move 36% of the time for Ward, and top jockey Gerardo Corrales is slated to ride, stamping Candy Coma as the runner to beat.

Good luck!