Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: $37,863 Pick 5 carryover at Horseshoe Indianapolis

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Friday, Aug. 29 at Gulfstream Park, Horseshoe Indianapolis, and Del Mar, including a horse to single in the $37,863 Pick 5 carryover at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Today’s special offers from TwinSpires include:

• New Players $200 Sign-Up Bonus: Open your TwinSpires.com account using the offer code BET200 to start earning a $200 bonus.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $50 Colonial Downs Challenge
• $100 Colonial Downs Feeder to 9/13 Woodbine Mile/Churchill Downs KDBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Gulfstream Park: Race 2: $35,000 Maiden Claiming (one mile on turf, 1:20 p.m. ET)

#8 Chabelita (15-1) ran evenly when debuting in a five-furlong $35,000 maiden claimer over the Gulfstream Park Tapeta track, finishing fifth.

As a son of Raging Bull, who won three Grade 1 grass races over distances from one mile to 1 1/8 miles, Chabelita has the potential to shine while stretching out over one mile on turf. Throw in the presence of apprentice jockey Yolber Torres (who rides with a seven-pound weight allowance), and Chabelita is worthy of a win bet.

Selections

• #8 Chabelita (15-1)
• #7 Well Shaken (9-5)
• #10 Adsila (6-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #8 Chabelita

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (five furlongs on turf, 4:14 p.m. ET)

Trainer Brian Lynch has done well debuting two-year-olds in turf sprints at Horseshoe Indianapolis, compiling a 4-1-1-1 record (25% wins, 75% in-the-money) since 2020.

This bodes well for #7 Italian Wine (6-1), an unraced son of talented sprinter/miler Munnings. The chestnut colt breezed a sharp half-mile from the Churchill Downs starting gate in :48 1/5 last month and looms as a nice-priced win contender under hot jockey Nik Juarez, who has gone 2-for-4 (50%) at Horseshoe Indianapolis this meet.

We’ll keep our strategy simple with a win bet.

Selections

• #7 Italian Wine (6-1)
• #2 Tazzy (4-1)
• #3 Montalbano (30-1)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #7 Italian Wine

Del Mar: Race 7: I’m Smokin S. (5 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 9:01 p.m. ET)

#5 Thirsty Rebel (3-1) impressed when debuting in a five-furlong maiden special weight at Del Mar. After settling in third place, he took over in the homestretch to dominate by 3 3/4 lengths, earning a sharp 90 Brisnet Speed rating.

The form of Thirsty Rebel’s maiden win was flattered when runner-up Can’t Help Myself returned to win his next start over the same track and class level.

With a small step forward, Thirsty Rebel can topple undefeated Graduation S. winner #1 Sammy Davis (5-2) to spring a mild upset in the I’m Smokin. Let’s bet an exacta accordingly.

Selections

• #5 Thirsty Rebel (3-1)
• #1 Sammy Davis (5-2)
• #3 Saul Elliott (4-1)

Wagers

• $25 Exacta: 5 with 1

Carryover Watch

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 4: $37,863 Pick 5 carryover (3:43 p.m. ET)

Arguably the best non-jackpot carryover available to pursue on Friday can be found at Horseshoe Indianapolis, where the 50-cent Late Pick 5 has tossed up a lucrative $37,863 prize pool.

To win a share, you’ll have to solve a complex sequence. The five races have drawn a total of 46 horses (averaging 9.2 per race) before scratches, and there are 60,480 possible outcomes.

If you need a single to reduce ticket costs, we suggest opting for #6 Night Kiss (9-5) in Race 6, an $8,000 starter optional claimer for fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs on dirt.

Night Kiss is a picture of consistency when competing on dirt, compiling a 20-9-5-1 record. She’s especially strong sprinting six furlongs, boasting a 13-7-2-1 tally over this trip.

Many of Night Kiss’ recent races have been dirt routes or Tapeta sprints. But if you exclude those races and focus on her dirt sprints, wow, her record is impressive. She’s prevailed in six of her last eight dirt sprints while finishing second in her two defeats. Notably, all of those efforts came at Horseshoe Indianapolis, where her lifetime record stands at 19-9-5-1.

Night Kiss was sharper than ever in her most recent start. On Aug. 21, she launched a last-to-first rally to smash a six-furlong $20,000 starter optional claimer at Horseshoe Indianapolis by 4 3/4 lengths, earning a career-best 91 Brisnet Speed rating. Only one of her Friday rivals has ever posted a higher number, that being #7 Beach Kitten, who earned a 92 earlier this year. But Beach Kitten and Night Kiss have met three times since last August, and Night Kiss finished ahead of Beach Kitten on all three occasions.

Throw in the fact Night Kiss campaigns for the hot jockey/trainer duo of Alberto Burgos and Tomas Medina (21% winners teaming up together over the last two months), and the five-year-old mare is a compelling single in the middle leg of the Pick 5.

Good luck!