Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Carryovers at Los Alamitos, Emerald Downs

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Friday, June 26 at Gulfstream Park and Colonial Downs, along with analysis of Super High 5 carryovers at Los Alamitos and Emerald Downs.

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• $200 Belmont at the Big A Feeder to 7/11 Saratoga KDBC/NHC Qualifier
• $50 Belmont at the Big A Challenge
• $700 Churchill Downs SFBC Qualifier
• $150 Churchill Downs Feeder to 7/4 Saratoga SSBC Qualifier
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• $40 Churchill Downs Challenge
• $100 Churchill Downs Challenge
• $55 Charles Town Bet and Set Feeder to 6/28 Churchill Downs Haskell Challenge Qualifier
• $40 Charles Town Challenge

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Gulfstream Park: Race 2: Maiden Special Weight (five furlongs on Tapeta, 12:52 p.m. ET)

#7 Vermont (2-1) is an unraced son of the multiple Grade 1-winning sprinter/miler Vekoma, who sires a powerful 21% winners from first-time starters.

Under the care of Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, Vermont has put together an encouraging work tab at Gulfstream Park, capped off by a quick three furlongs from the starting gate in :36 1/5. Hot jockey Diego Herrera (a 24% winner at Gulfstream since April 3) is named to ride, so let’s place a win bet on Vermont and key him over #4 Ready to Rage (6-1) in a cold exacta.

Selections

• #7 Vermont (2-1)
• #4 Ready to Rage (6-1)
• #1 Never a Doubt (8-1)

Wagers

• $22 to win on #7 Vermont
• $8 Exacta: 7 with 4
  Total: $30

Colonial Downs: Race 4: Maiden Special Weight (5 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 1:54 p.m. ET)

Trainer Michael Trombetta knows how to win with juveniles at Colonial Downs. His went 8-for-22 (36%) with such runners during the 2025 summer meet.

Let’s count on Trombetta to continue his hot streak in 2026 with #7 Poll Position (2-1), an unraced son of Preakness (G1) winner Early Voting. From limited runners so far, Early Voting is siring 56% winners from first-time starters.

Poll Position is slated to be ridden by Mychel Sanchez, a 26% winner this year and one of the most successful jockeys at Colonial Downs in recent years. All signs suggest Poll Position is worthy of a win bet.

Selections

• #7 Poll Position (2-1)
• #9 Peak Perspective (5-2)
• #3 Royal Companion (6-1)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #7 Poll Position

Colonial Downs: Race 6: Maiden Special Weight (1 1/16 miles on turf, 2:55 p.m. ET)

#5 That Wasn’t Me (2-1) has started twice in turf maiden special weights at Churchill Downs. She finished third by 1 3/4 lengths in her debut last October, then returned from a long layoff on June 7 to run sixth, beaten 5 1/2 lengths.

That Wasn’t Me owns the two highest Brisnet Speed ratings among horses entered in Race 6, so shipping from Kentucky to Virginia might be all she needs to break her maiden. The fact she’s picking up jockey Samuel Marin (a 25% winner this year) adds to the appeal.

Let’s bet That Wasn’t Me to win and play her on top of an exacta using #7 Sweet Little Lila (9-2) for second place.

Selections

• #5 That Wasn’t Me (2-1)
• #7 Sweet Little Lila (9-2)
• #1 Improbable Tale (9-2)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #5 That Wasn’t Me
• $5 Exacta: 5 with 7
  Total: $35

Carryover Watch

Los Alamitos Thoroughbred: Race 8: $5,674 Super High 5 carryover (7:42 p.m. ET)

Friday’s Thoroughbred card at Los Alamitos features a $5,674 carryover in the $1 Super High 5. If you’re already playing Los Alamitos to take advantage of the 15% Win Bonus at Los Alamitos Thoroughbred promotion, you’ll want to check out the carryover too.

The prize pool is up for grabs in Race 8, a $12,500 maiden claimer for California-breds sprinting six furlongs on dirt. The two fastest entrants from a Brisnet Speed rating perspective are #3 Hungover (2-1) and #7 Fighting Thunder (5-1), and both look like strong contenders.

Hungover has competed exclusively against tougher competition at Santa Anita. His best efforts include a runner-up finish in a six-furlong $50,000 maiden claimer for California-breds and a second-place run in a one-mile maiden special weight for California-breds. Dropping down to the $12,500 level should make Hungover formidable under hot jockey Kazushi Kimura.

Fighting Thunder warrants a long look too. While he faltered in his latest race, two starts back he finished second in a six-furlong $20,000 maiden claimer for California-breds at Santa Anita, beaten only a neck after setting the pace.

#9 He’s Got Fire (7-2) is another logical contender. Last time out, he finished fourth by only 1 1/2 lengths in a six-furlong $12,500 maiden claimer for California-breds at Santa Anita, earning a respectable 72 Brisnet Speed rating.

Here’s how we’ll bet the Super High 5:

• $1 Super High 5: 3 with 7,9 with 4,7,9,10 with 2,4,7,9,10 with 1,2,4,7,9,10 ($54)

Emerald Downs: Race 7: $1,692 Super High 5 carryover (12:36 a.m. ET, Saturday morning)

In Friday’s finale race at Emerald Downs, there’s a $1,692 carryover up for grabs in the 50-cent Super High 5.

#3 Higher Performance (8-5) is the morning-line favorite. Two starts back, he set the pace before staying on to finish second in six-furlong $10,000 maiden claimer at Emerald Downs, earning a respectable 63 Brisnet Speed rating.

Higher Performance faltered in his latest start over the same conditions, finishing fifth by 20 1/2 lengths. But chasing fractions of :21.51 and :43.98 probably didn’t help his chances.

There isn’t a ton of speed entered in Race 7, so if Higher Performance is able to set or stalk a more relaxed pace while dropping down to the $5,000 level, he can secure his first victory. We recommend keying Higher Performance on top in the Super High 5.

Good luck!