Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Charles Town’s $96,819 Pick 6 mandatory payout

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Friday, Aug. 28 at Del Mar and Charles Town, including a ticket for the mandatory-payout $96,819 Pick 6 carryover at Charles Town.

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.
• 8x Rewards Points at Woodbine Mohawk: Opt in and receive 8x rewards points on all wagers at Woodbine Mohawk each racing day in August.
• Late Pick 5 Insurance at Colonial Downs: Opt in to receive up to $50 back on your Late Pick 5 wagers at Colonial Downs if you have four out of five winning legs, each racing Friday in August.
• 15% Odds Boost at Saratoga: Opt in to receive a 15% odds boost (up to $25 per day) on your winning single-horse win wagers at Saratoga each racing Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday in August.
• 25% Profit Boost Tokens at Charles Town: Opt in to receive four 25% Profit Boost Tokens (maximum boost of $25 per token) for win and exacta wagers at Charles Town on Friday, Aug. 28.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $98 Saratoga Bet and Set Feeder to 8/30 NHC Qualifier
• $50 Colonial Downs Challenge
• $100 Colonial Downs Feeder to 9/11 Churchill Downs KDBC/BCBC Qualifier
• $160 Saratoga Feeder to 8/30 King of the Turf Qualifier
• $700 Saratoga SSBC Qualifier
• $150 Saratoga Challenge
• $40 Saratoga Challenge
• $40 Charles Town Challenge
• $112 Charles Town Bet and Set Feeder to 9/3 Kentucky Downs King of the Turf Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Del Mar: Race 8: Maiden Special Weight (one mile on turf, 8:42 p.m. ET)

#4 Just Work It Out (8-5) debuted with a promising runner-up finish in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on dirt at Del Mar.

As a daughter of Justify out of Malibu Mischief, Just Work It Out has the potential to improve significantly while stretching out over one mile and switching to turf, stamping her as a logical favorite.

Let’s bet Just Work It Out to win and key her over #2 Miss Mo Brown (8-1) in an exacta. The latter filly gobbled up ground to finish third in her debut sprinting five furlongs at this course and class level.

Selections

• #4 Just Work It Out (8-5)
• #2 Miss Mo Brown (8-1)
• #3 Big Blast (4-1)

Wagers

• $15 to win on #4 Just Work It Out
• $15 Exacta: 4 with 2
  Total: $30

Charles Town: Race 9: Robert Hilton Memorial S. (seven furlongs on dirt, 9:05 p.m. ET)

#7 Tab At Zanzibar (10-1) has won his last two starts for high-percentage trainer Brad Cox. First, he trounced a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Saratoga by three lengths. Then he led all the way to take a six-furlong allowance over the same track by half a length, earning a flashy 98 Brisnet Speed rating.

Tab At Zanzibar isn’t much slower on paper than heavy favorite #3 Solitude Dude (1-1), who has earned Brisnet Speed ratings as high as 101. One more step forward could allow Tab At Zanzibar to spring a surprise.

Let’s bet Tab At Zanzibar over Solitude Dude in an exacta, then single him to start a daily double.

Selections

• #7 Tab At Zanzibar (10-1)
• #3 Solitude Dude (1-1)
• #1 Corona de Oro (10-1)

Wagers

• $15 Exacta: 7 with 3
• $15 Double: 7 with 5
  Total: $30

Charles Town: Race 10: Charles Town Oaks (G2) (seven furlongs on dirt, 9:44 p.m. ET)

#5 Luv Your Neighbor (8-5) is a versatile filly. She’s shown enough stamina to win the 1 1/16-mile Delaware Oaks (G3) around two turns, but she was also quick enough to finish second in the seven-furlong Eight Belles (G2) around one turn.

Racing seven furlongs around two turns in the Charles Town Oaks should suit Luv Your Neighbor well. Let’s bet her over unbeaten local speedster #9 At a Premium (9-5) in a cold exacta.

Selections

• #5 Luv Your Neighbor (8-5)
• #9 At a Premium (9-5)
• #3 Niche (8-1)

Wagers

• $20 Exacta: 5 with 9

Carryover Watch

Charles Town: Race 8: $96,819 Pick 6 mandatory payout (8:32 p.m. ET)

The Friday night card at Charles Town features an all-stakes Pick 6 with an enticing mandatory payout of a $96,819 carryover.

Here’s how we’ll bet the six-race sequence:

Wager

• 20-cent Pick 6: 3,5,8 with 3,7 with 5,9 with 2,4,7,8,9,10 with 3 with 2,8 ($28.80)

Race 8: Pink Ribbon S. (seven furlongs on dirt)

#5 Irish Maxima (2-1) has won four starts in a row over distances from six furlongs to one mile, including the Ruffian (G2). She’s a logical favorite, though Chicago (G2) runner-up #8 Foie Gras (5-2) owns comparable recent Brisnet Speed ratings, and defending Pink Ribbon winner #3 Mystic Lake (7-2) boasts a 2-for-2 record at Charles Town. We’ll use these three.

Race 9: Robert Hilton Memorial S. (seven furlongs on dirt)

As outlined previously, we believe #7 Tab At Zanzibar (10-1) has upset potential. But for Pick 6 purposes, we can’t leave out #3 Solitude Dude (1-1), a three-time stakes winner exiting a close runner-up finish in the Amsterdam (G2).

Race 10: Charles Town Oaks (G2) (seven furlongs on dirt)

While we’ve made our case for #5 Luv Your Neighbor (8-5) as the most likely winner, we’ll also use #9 At a Premium (9-5), who has won all four of her starts at Charles Town by a minimum of 7 1/2 lengths.

Race 11: Charles Town Classic (G2) (1 1/8 miles on dirt)

#10 Skippylongstocking (3-1) and #8 Banishing (4-1) have combined to win the last three editions of the Charles Town Classic, and they’re logical contenders again this year. But this is a deep field, and #2 Willy D’s (5-1), #4 Full Screen (15-1), #7 Dragoon Guard (6-1), and #9 Barbadian Runner (9-2) all have the potential to star at bigger prices.

Race 12: Frank Gall Memorial S. (seven furlongs on dirt)

#3 Teachintherelease (7-5) boasts a 34-16-10-1 lifetime record at Charles Town. His last six starts over this track have all resulted in victories by a minimum of 2 1/4 lengths. He’s won the last two editions of the Frank Gall Memorial and has every chance to secure a third on Friday. We’ll single him in the Pick 6.

Race 13: Sadie Hawkins S. (seven furlongs on dirt)

#8 Overnight Pow Wow (5-2) has won 13 of her 22 starts at Charles Town, including four stakes. She’s a logical favorite, but we’ll also use #2 Malibu Years (3-1), who enters off back-to-back wins sprinting seven furlongs at Charles Town.

Good luck!