Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Aqueduct’s $10,191 Pick 6 carryover

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Friday, Oct. 24 at Aqueduct, Gulfstream Park, and Santa Anita, including a horse to single in Aqueduct’s $10,191 Pick 6 carryover.

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.
• Bet $3,000 Get 5% Back on BCBC Seat: Place at least $3,000 in eligible wagers on races from Oct. 1 through Oct. 26 to receive 5% back on your Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge seat purchase through TwinSpires.
• $3,000 Keeneland WIN Ladder: Place a $5+ single-horse win wager on selected races at Keeneland each Thursday and Friday in October to move up the Win Ladder and compete for your share of a $3,000 prize pool.
• Breeders’ Crown Finals $3,000 Win Ladder: Place a $5+ single-horse win wager on selected races at Breeders’ Crown Finals on Friday to compete for your share of a $3,000 prize pool.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $200 Belmont at Aqueduct Feeder to 10/29 Churchill Downs BCBC Qualifier
• $400 Keeneland Bonus Feeder Friday to 10/25 Keeneland BCBC/CBC Qualifier
• $70 Keeneland Challenge
• $40 Charles Town Challenge

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Aqueduct: Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (1 1/16 miles on turf, 3:21 p.m. ET)

#6 Quiet Power (3-1) is on the rise for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. After finishing fifth in his debut against future graded stakes winner Bottas, Quiet Power improved to run second by a nose in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Aqueduct.

Sticking to the same course, distance, and class level for his third start can send Quiet Power to the winner’s circle. Let’s bet him to win and key him over #1 British Invasion (5-2), #9 Tacticality (6-1), and #10 Jet Off (8-1) in a trifecta.

Selections

• #6 Quiet Power (3-1)
• #1 British Invasion (5-2)
• #9 Tacticality (6-1)

Wagers

• $18 to win on #6 Quiet Power
• $2 Trifecta: 6 with 1,9,10 with 1,9,10 ($12)
  Total: $30

Gulfstream Park: Race 6: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs on dirt, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Since 2023, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has compiled an excellent 15-for-48 (31%) record debuting juveniles in dirt sprints at Gulfstream Park. This bodes well for #1 Little Georgie (2-1), a daughter of multiple Grade 1 winner Charlatan.

Little Georgie is a half-sister to Travel Column, a debut winner who nabbed the Golden Rod (G2) as a juvenile, so Little Georgie has the pedigree to shine from an early age. A lengthy series of workouts at Palm Meadows should have her fit for a competitive debut, so let’s bet Little Georgie to win and key her over her experienced stablemate #3 La Dolce Vita (9-5) in an exacta.

Selections

• #1 Little Georgie (2-1)
• #3 La Dolce Vita (9-5)
• #5 Essential Girl (12-1)

Wagers

• $22 to win on #1 Little Georgie
• $8 Exacta: 1 with 3
  Total: $30

Santa Anita: Race 3: Maiden Special Weight (6 1/2 furlongs on turf, 5:00 p.m. ET)

#4 Surfin’ U. S. A. (5-2) raced greenly when debuting in a six-furlong maiden special weight over the Santa Anita turf course. Nevertheless, she rallied to finish fourth, beaten only two lengths while gaining 4 1/2 lengths through the final furlong.

Trainer Leonard Powell wins at a solid 18% rate with second-time starters, and Santa Anita’s leading jockey Juan Hernandez (a 31% winner this meet) is named to ride, so the stage is set for Surfin’ U. S. A. to graduate. Let’s place a large win bet on the bay filly.

Selections

• #4 Surfin’ U.S. A. (5-2)
• #2 Hawaiian Moon (3-1)
• #1 Peanutbutterbombe (2-1)

Wagers

• $40 to win on #4 Surfin’ U. S. A.

Carryover Watch

Aqueduct: Race 4: $10,191 Pick 6 carryover (2:49 p.m. ET)

The highlight of Friday’s card at Aqueduct is a $10,191 carryover in the $1 Pick 6.

The Pick 6 gets underway in Race 4. The six races have drawn a combined 73 horses (averaging nearly 12.2 per race), including nine also-eligible entrants. Before scratches, there are 2,903,040 possible outcomes to consider.

We’ve already analyzed one leg of the sequence. In Race 5, our top choice is #6 Quiet Power (3-1) for reasons outlined above. But we’re not sure he stands out sufficiently to warrant singling on an expensive Pick 6 ticket. #1 British Invasion (5-2) and #9 Tacticality (6-1) have also shown promise and are worth using as backup.

Arguably a better opportunity for a single can be found in Race 9, the final leg of the Pick 6. It’s a $50,000 maiden claimer taking place over 1 1/16 miles on turf, and #2 Vintage Vino (9-5) is a compelling favorite even though he’s 0-for-9 lifetime.

Vintage Vino has thus far struggled to visit the winner’s circle, but he’s competed exclusively against maiden special weight competition at Aqueduct and Saratoga. Along the way, he’s recorded a trio of runner-up finishes with sharp Brisnet Speed ratings. Whereas none of his Friday rivals have ever posted a rating higher than 87, Vintage Vino has posted numbers as high as 93 and 95.

Dropping in class for a $50,000 maiden claimer might be all Vintage Vino needs to visit the winner’s circle. After all, hot trainer Linda Rice (a 22% winner at Aqueduct this meet) strikes at a powerful 30% rate with horses dropping from maiden special weight to maiden claiming company.

For all these reasons, Vintage Vino is a viable single to conclude the Pick 6.

Good luck!