Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: $22,400 Super High 5 at Churchill Downs

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Friday, May 15 at Gulfstream Park, Churchill Downs, and Laurel Park, including a ticket for Churchill’s $22,400 Super High 5 carryover.

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• $80 Belmont at the Big A Feeder to 5/23 Churchill Downs Bonus Feeder
• $40 Belmont at the Big A Challenge
• $56 Charles Town Bet and Set Feeder to 5/22 Churchill Downs Bonus Feeder
• $40 Charles Town Challenge

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Gulfstream Park: Race 2: Maiden Special Weight (five furlongs on dirt, 1:22 p.m. ET)

Since 2021, trainer Carlos David has compiled an excellent 5-for-13 (38%) record debuting juveniles at Gulfstream Park prior to June.

We’ll count on David to snag another win with #5 Sheila Magic (9-5). She’s put together a lengthy string of half-mile workouts at Palm Meadows and is slated to be ridden by Miguel Vasquez, a 36% winner teaming up with David over the last two months.

A win bet is in order.

Selections

• #5 Sheila Magic (9-5)
• #2 Touch of Honor (4-1)
• #6 Sisu Spirit (2-1)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #5 Sheila Magic

Churchill Downs: Race 4: Maiden Special Weight (five furlongs on dirt, 2:13 p.m. ET)

Second-time starter #2 Smoke (9-2) looks like a strong win threat in this spot. In her April 8 debut dashing 4 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland, she finished second behind next-out Kentucky Juvenile S. winner Waggley.

Chances are, Smoke will meet an easier field in her second start. At 9-2, she’s worthy of a win bet, and we’ll also key her over first-time starter #8 Lady Chanel (5-2) in an exacta. Lady Chanel hails from the barn of Wesley Ward, who has gone 7-for-13 (54%) to start the Churchill Downs spring meet.

Selections

• #2 Smoke (9-2)
• #8 Lady Chanel (5-2)
• #1 Pierette (6-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #2 Smoke
• $5 Exacta: 2 with 8
  Total: $30

Laurel Park: Race 9: Hilltop S. (one mile on turf, 3:54 p.m. ET)

#2 Ultimate Love (4-5) is the heavy favorite. She opened her career with three decisive wins, including a four-length romp in the Selima S. over the Laurel Park turf course.

However, Ultimate Love hasn’t raced since finishing fifth in the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1). If she’s at all rusty off the layoff, #1 Use Me (7-2) can spring a surprise.

Use Me ran well in a one-mile maiden special weight at Keeneland last month, finishing quickly from behind a modest pace to triumph by two lengths. She’s progressing in the right direction and appears to have upside for trainer Brendan Walsh, who strikes at a 22% rate with last-out maiden winners.

Let’s bet Use Me over Ultimate Love in a cold exacta.

Selections

• #1 Use Me (7-2)
• #2 Ultimate Love (4-5)
• #5 Brat Pack (8-1)

Wagers

• $15 Exacta: 1 with 2

Carryover Watch

Churchill Downs: Race 2: $22,400 Super High 5 carryover (1:14 p.m. ET)

Friday’s second race at Churchill Downs features an enticing $22,400 carryover in the $1 Super High 5.

Race 2 is a $50,000 maiden claimer for fillies and mares racing 1 1/16 miles on dirt. A competitive seven-horse field has turned out, but morning-line favorite #6 Buckeye Bombshell (7-5) looks like a filly worthy building tickets around.

Wagers

• $1 Super High 5: 6 with 1,2,4 with 1,2,4,7 with 1,2,4,7 with 1,2,4,7 ($18)
• $1 Super High 5: 1,2,4 with 6 with 1,2,4,7 with 1,2,4,7 with 1,2,4,7 ($18)
  Total: $36

Buckeye Bombshell has been competing on turf as of late, recording a trio of top-four finishers in maiden special weights at Fair Grounds. But she’s also run well on dirt. In a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Colonial Downs last fall, she ran second with an 83 Brisnet Speed rating.

None of the other horses entered in Race 2 have earned a Brisnet Speed rating higher than 80. If Buckeye Bombshell brings her best while returning to dirt for hot trainer Kenny McPeek, another top-two finish is surely within reach.

Underneath, we’ll use #1 In for a Spin (7-2), #2 River Rise (8-1), #4 Watershed Moment (3-1), and #7 She’s Gotta Go (9-2).

If there’s a scratch from Race 2, Super High 5 wagering won’t be offered, since at least seven starters are required. Instead, the carryover will head to Race 3—assuming, of course, Race 3 goes off with its full seven-horse field.

Race 3 is a $12,500 starter allowance for older horses sprinting six furlongs on dirt. Eight-year-old veteran #7 Get Her Number (4-5) is a formidable favorite. Once upon a time, he was a Grade 1 talent, winning the 2020 American Pharoah (G1) and finishing second in the 2022 Bing Crosby (G1) and 2022 Cigar Mile H. (G1).

Get Her Number’s form has slipped in recent years, but he’s recaptured some of his old sparkle since transferring to the care of trainer Robertino Diodoro. Get Her Number has won four straight starts since November, and last month he wired a seven-furlong $12,500 starter allowance at Keeneland with a flashy 100 Brisnet Speed rating—his third triple-digit number in his last four starts.

If you play the Super High 5 in Race 3, we recommend keying Get Her Number on top of your tickets. He’ll be tough to beat if he brings his A game.

Good luck!