Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Aqueduct, Oaklawn Pick 6 carryovers

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Friday, March 20 at Fair Grounds, Santa Anita, and Turfway Park, along with horses to single in Pick 6 carryovers at Aqueduct and Oaklawn Park.

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.
• 15x Odds Boost at Gulfstream Park: Receive a 15% odds boost (up to $25 for the day) on your winning single-horse win wagers at Gulfstream Park each racing Friday in March.
• SkyWorld Racing Late Pick 4 Insurance: Receive up to $50 back on your Late Pick 4 wagers at select Australian tracks if you have three out of four winning legs.
• 15% Profit Boost at Woodbine Mohawk: Receive a 15% boost (up to $25 for the day) on your winning win, exacta, trifecta, and superfecta wagers at Woodbine Mohawk every Friday and Saturday in March.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $75 Aqueduct Feeder to 4/18 Preakness Preview Day Handicapping Challenge
• $40 Fair Grounds Challenge
• $200 Fair Grounds Feeder to 4/4 Blue Grass KDBC Qualifier
• $70 Oaklawn Challenge
• $400 Oaklawn Bonus Feeder Friday to 3/21 Louisiana Derby/Jeff Ruby KDBC Qualifier
• $70 Turfway Park Challenge
• $200 Turfway Park Feeder to 3/28 Arkansas Derby KDBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Fair Grounds: Race 4: $5,000 Claiming (six furlongs on dirt, 3:15 p.m. ET)

#6 Watering (6-5) exits a fourth-place finish in a $30,000 claimer over this track and distance. She owns the best recent Brisnet Speed ratings in Friday’s field and should be tough to beat while plunging in class under apprentice jockey Hunter Rea, who rides with a five-pound weight allowance.

Let’s bet Watering over #5 Cruising the Town (4-1) in a cold exacta.

Selections

• #6 Watering (6-5)
• #5 Cruising the Town (4-1)
• #10 Safecracker Sue (6-1)

Wagers

• $20 Exacta: 6 with 5

Santa Anita: Race 3: Maiden Special Weight (one mile on turf, 5:05 p.m. ET)

#5 Let’s Be Frank (2-1) is taking a huge class drop after finishing third in the Pilgrim (G2) and 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) as a maiden. He’s also adding Lasix and removing blinkers, two changes that could potentially trigger improvement.

Let’s count on Let’s Be Frank to get the job done while returning to the maiden ranks. A win bet is in order, along with a small exacta using #3 Post Game (5-2) for the runner-up spot.

Selections

• #5 Let’s Be Frank (2-1)
• #3 Post Game (5-2)
• #2 Sabino Canyon (3-1)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #5 Let’s Be Frank
• $5 Exacta: 5 with 3
  Total: $35

Turfway Park: Race 3: $30,000 Maiden Claiming (6 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta, 6:55 p.m. ET)

Perhaps the third time will be the charm for #6 Itchy (2-1). He’s finished third and second in his first two tries sprinting over this track and class level, beaten by no more than one length in either race. Along the way, he’s earned sharp Brisnet Speed ratings of 75 and 78.

Itchy isn’t meeting the toughest field on Friday, so we’ll bet him to win and key him over #3 Vino Subito (5-2) in a small exacta.

Selections

• #6 Itchy (2-1)
• #3 Vino Subito (5-2)
• #4 Captain Gabe (3-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #6 Itchy
• $5 Exacta: 6 with 3
  Total: $30

Carryover Watch

Aqueduct: Race 3: $12,190 Pick 6 carryover (2:16 p.m. ET)

The Friday card at Aqueduct is highlighted by a $12,190 carryover in the $1 Pick 6.

If you’re looking for a single to build tickets around, we suggest backing #6 My First Love (5-2) in Race 4, a $10,000 claimer for fillies and mares sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on dirt.

My First Love has run well in her last two starts at Aqueduct. On Feb. 26, she finished third in a six-furlong $10,000 claimer while attempting to rally from off the pace over a speed-favoring muddy track. She was claimed out of that race by trainer Ilkay Kantarmaci, and on March 13, she improved to run second in a six-furlong $16,000 claimer.

Dropping down to the $10,000 level over a (presumably) fair track should make My First Love a formidable win contender.

Oaklawn Park: Race 5: $2,457 Pick 6 carryover (3:43 p.m. ET)

The opening leg of Friday’s $2,457 Pick 6 carryover at Oaklawn Park is Race 5, a $10,000 maiden claimer for Arkansas-breds sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt. The conditions should be perfect for #7 Dawson James (6-5), an improving four-year-old who has run well against tougher competition.

Indeed, Dawson James has finished second in back-to-back $20,000 maiden claimers for Arkansas-breds at Oaklawn. In a six-furlong dash on March 12, he was beaten only a neck while earning a sharp 74 Brisnet Speed rating seven points higher than the par winning number for Friday’s conditions.

None of Dawson James’ Friday rivals have earned a Brisnet Speed rating higher than 71, so if Dawson James repeats his last performance while dropping in class, he’ll be mighty tough to beat. We recommend singling him in the Pick 6.

Good luck!