Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Churchill, Santa Anita 2yos

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for three juvenile races on Friday, May 30 at Churchill Downs and Santa Anita,

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.
• Churchill Downs 15% Across the Board Boost: Receive a 15% odds boost (up to $25 for the day) on any winning individual win, place, or show wager, or combination of win, place, and show wagers, on Friday at Churchill Downs.
• British Racing $10 Money Back: Receive up to $10 back on your first single-horse win wager if your horse runs second in selected British races from May 17 through Aug. 31.
• 10x Tournament Points Boost: Receive 10x reward points on all tournament wagers on Friday.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $70 Churchill Downs Challenge
• $400 Churchill Downs Bonus Feeder Friday to 5/31 Churchill Downs KDBC/BCBC Qualifier
• $100 Charles Town Feeder to 6/14 Churchill Downs SFBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Churchill Downs: Race 2: Maiden Special Weight (five furlongs on dirt, 1:14 p.m. ET)

Over the past five years, trainer Brian Lynch has gone 1-for-2 (50%) debuting juveniles in dirt sprints during April and May at Churchill Downs. Lynch can boost that tally to 2-for-3 with #6 Love a Little Mo (3-1).

A daughter of champion juvenile Uncle Mo (who sires 15% winners from first-time starters), Love a Little Mo has shown speed in the mornings at Churchill Downs, most notably clocking five furlongs in :59 4/5. She looks ready to win on debut, so let’s bet Love a Little Mo to win and key her over #7 Essential Coffee (7-2) and #4 She’s On a Roll (2-1) in the exacta.

Selections

• #6 Love a Little Mo (3-1)
• #7 Essential Coffee (7-2)
• #4 She’s On a Roll (2-1)

Wagers

• $18 to win on #6 Love a Little Mo
• $6 Exacta: 6 with 4,7 ($12)
  Total: $30

Santa Anita: Race 1: Maiden Special Weight (five furlongs on turf, 4:00 p.m. ET)

#5 Copper Luna (5-2) is a daughter of Practical Joke, who won multiple Grade 1 races as a juvenile. Sharp workouts at San Luis Rey, including a near-bullet half-mile from the starting gate in :47 4/5, suggest Copper Luna can emulate her sire with success at age two.

Let’s place a win bet on Copper Luna.

Selections

• #5 Copper Luna (5-2)
• #4 Glassheart (6-1)
• #6 Queen Bay (2-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #5 Copper Luna

Santa Anita: Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (five furlongs on turf, 5:59 p.m. ET)

#6 Cara Rose (2-1) ran well when debuting in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight for California-breds over the Santa Anita dirt. She raced greenly and didn’t get a great trip, but rallied to finish second by one length, earning a promising 83 Brisnet Speed rating two points higher than the par winning number for Friday’s conditions.

As a daughter of Caravaggio out of the Ghostzapper mare Ghost Flower, Cara Rose is bred to relish turf, so switching surfaces offers potential for improvement. Let’s bet Cara Rose to win and key her over #5 La Ville Lumiere (6-5) in the exacta.

Selections

• #6 Cara Rose (2-1)
• #5 La Ville Lumiere (6-5)
• #1 Velvet Dream (8-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #6 Cara Rose
• $10 Exacta: 6 with 5
  Total: $30

Good luck!