Carryover picks: Two mandatory payouts and Churchill’s Super High 5

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares horses to bet in a trio of Sunday carryovers at Churchill Downs, Gulfstream Park, and Monmouth Park, including two mandatory-payout offerings.

Churchill Downs: Race 1: $8,025 Super High 5 carryover (12:45 p.m. ET)

Sunday’s opening race at Churchill Downs, a $30,000 maiden claimer for two-year-olds racing one mile on dirt, offers $1 Super High 5 wagering with an $8,025 carryover to pursue.

#3 Midnight Escapade (1-1) is a logical favorite after finishing sixth and seventh in her first two starts against maiden special weight competition in Kentucky. Trainer Steve Asmussen wins at a 20% rate with horses tackling the maiden claiming ranks for the first time, and a top-two finish appears likely for Midnight Escapade.

The only other runner we suggest playing on top of your tickets is #4 Denial (9-2). She never factored when finishing ninth in her debut, but that was an allowance dashing 6 1/2 furlongs on turf at Kentucky Downs. Switching to dirt and plunging in class against fellow maidens should help Denial vie for victory, especially since trainer Brittany Vanden Berg wins at a 27% rate with second-time starters.

Gulfstream Park: Race 4: $35,438 Pick 6 mandatory payout (1:52 p.m. ET)

The Sunday card at Gulfstream Park is highlighted by the mandatory payout of a $35,438 carryover in the Rainbow Pick 6, and Gulfstream estimates the final pool for the 20-cent wager will reach the $750,000 range. All bettors who assemble a winning ticket will earn a share of the carryover.

If you need a single to build tickets around, try #9 Ruleroftheuniverse (8-5) in Race 8, a 6 1/2-furlong $10,000 claimer for horses who have never won two races.

Ruleroftheuniverse has been facing tougher competition. Last time out, he ran second in a $25,000 claimer sprinting seven furlongs at Gulfstream, earning a respectable 77 Brisnet Speed rating.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. wins at a 36% rate with horses dropping multiple levels down the class ladder, so Ruleroftheuniverse should be tough to beat while tackling the $10,000 level.

Monmouth Park: Race 3: $59,158 Pick 6 mandatory payout (1:54 p.m. ET)

The 20-cent Jersey Shore Pick 6 at Monmouth Park features a mandatory payout on Sunday, with a $59,158 carryover set to be dispersed.

A tough sequence is on the agenda, but bettors seeking a single can feel good about their chances backing #2 Taraj (5-2) in Race 5, a $16,000 claimer taking place over 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Formerly based in Europe, Taraj raced twice in the U.S. last year. He finished sixth in a $50,000 allowance optional claimer and ninth in an allowance, both at Saratoga.

Taraj hasn’t raced in 13 months, but trainer Jorge Delgado wins at a respectable 17% rate with horses returning from layoffs of 90 days or more, and dropping into a $16,000 claimer might be all Taraj needs to visit the winner’s circle. It helps that he’s picking up red-hot jockey Paco Lopez, a 40% winner at Monmouth this meet.

Good luck!