How to play the $27,704 Pick 5 carryover Dec. 16 at Fair Grounds

A $27,704 Pick 5 carryover awaits bettors when racing resumes at Fair Grounds on Wednesday.

The lucrative, 50-cent wager kicks off in Race 5. Let’s review the sequence, then put together a play on a ~$50 budget.

Race 5: $12,500 maiden claiming (1 mile and 70 yards, 3:56 p.m. ET)

#6 Deanos Cape (2-1) rallied to finish second sprinting 6 furlongs for a $15,000 tag at Churchill Downs last month.

The 3-year-old gelding boasts the two highest Brisnet Speed ratings in Wednesday’s field and cracked the trifecta in a pair of $30,000 maiden claiming events running long last spring.

In a field that doesn’t look deep on paper, Deanos Cape is a logical favorite for trainer Chris Hartman, who has two wins from three starts at the meet.

If there is an upset threat, it’s #1 Make’n Tracks (5-2), who was recently claimed by trainer Matt Shirer. The late-running son of Street Boss brings competitive Brisnet Speed ratings to the mix and will add blinkers Wednesday, a winning move 36% of the time for Shirer.

Race 6: $17,500 claiming (1 1/16 miles on turf, 4:25 p.m. ET)

#5 Vinyl (4-1) has won three of his last five starts for trainer Shane Wilson and hit the board in his two misses. A capable turf performer with a bevy of sharp Brisnet Speed ratings under his belt, Vinyl is versatile in terms of running style and should work out a clean trip from post 5.

For backup, we’ll include #4 Leader of Men (9-2), who fell a neck short of Vinyl in a Louisiana Downs allowance during the summer; #6 Jo’s Bold Cat (8-1), who has been facing tougher foes on the New York circuit; #7 Armchair Jockey (7-2), a starter allowance winner at Gulfstream Park; and #9 Clint Maroon (6-1), a stakes winner.

Race 7: $15,000 maiden claiming (1 mile and 70 yards, 4:54 p.m. ET)

The experienced runners in this field don’t look particularly tough, with #1 Bold Delivery (5-2) and #2 Roll Tyler (4-1) the best of the lot.

Bold Delivery finished second at this class level at Churchill last month, while Roll Tyler is switching from turf to dirt for trainer Mike Maker.

But since neither Bold Delivery nor Roll Tyler have reached the 73 Brisnet Speed rating plateau that stands as par for Wednesday’s class level and distance, we’ll play them equally with the first-time starter #4 No Exaggeration (6-1), who has shipped in from California for trainer Keith Desormeaux.

It might not take a big effort for No Exaggeration to factor at a fair price.

Race 8: $15,000 claiming (1 mile on turf, 5:23 p.m. ET)

#14 Uncapped (3-1) competed against tougher allowance company on the Kentucky circuit all summer long, so a drop down the class ladder can make him dangerous for trainer Brendan Walsh, who has won three of his nine starts at the Fair Grounds meet.

However, the outside draw in a large field sets up the potential for a wide journey. Rather than rely on Uncapped alone, we’ll add two others — #4 Days of Glory (7-2), who finished 1 1/4 lengths away from victory for a $40,000 tag at Churchill when last seen, and #2 Dreammaster (5-1), who was victorious in a $25,000 maiden claiming race two starts back.

Race 9: $10,000 maiden claiming (5 1/2 furlongs, 5:52 p.m. ET)

#2 Gilded Apple (5-2) owns the field’s best Brisnet Speed rating and will add blinkers, after she finished second at this class level and distance last month. But the 4-year-old filly is winless in 15 starts and appears to have less upside than #5 Adina (3-1).

Adina has only run twice and recently returned from a 10 1/2-month layoff to finish second for a $12,500 tag at Fair Grounds, where she was beaten just 1 3/4 lengths, after a duel for the early lead.

A drop down the class ladder — and a transition from open company into a race restricted to Louisiana-breds — should make Adina formidable. We’ll single her to end the Pick 5.

The Ticket

Race 5, 50-cent Pick 5: 1,6 with 4,5,6,7,9 with 1,2,4 with 2,4,14 with 5 ($45)

Good luck!