Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Colonial’s $24,491 Pick 5 carryover

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Friday, July 17 at Colonial Downs and Del Mar, including a horse to single in Colonial’s $24,491 Pick 5 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.
• 8x Rewards Points at Woodbine Mohawk: Opt in and receive 8x rewards points on all wagers at Woodbine Mohawk each racing day in July.
• 15% Across the Board Boost at Saratoga: Opt in to receive a 15% bonus on any winning individual win, place, or show wager, or combination of win, place, and show wagers, at Saratoga each racing Friday in July, from July 10 through July 31.
• 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 July.
• 15% Odds Boost at Del Mar: Opt in to receive a 15% odds boost (up to $25 on the promotional day) on your winning single-horse win wagers at Del Mar each racing Friday in July.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $68 Saratoga Bet and Set Feeder to 7/26 Saratoga NHC Qualifier
• $400 Ellis Park Bonus Qualifier Friday to 7/18 Haskell Handicapping Challenge
• $50 Ellis Park Challenge
• $240 Saratoga Bonus Feeder Friday to 7/19 Saratoga SSBC Qualifier
• $40 Saratoga Challenge
• $100 Saratoga Challenge
• $80 Charles Town Feeder to 7/24 Saratoga KDBC/BCBC Bonus Feeder
• $40 Charles Town Challenge

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Colonial Downs: Race 2: Maiden Special Weight (five furlongs on dirt, 1:05 p.m. ET)

#1 Adelita (5-2) ran well when debuting in a five-furlong maiden special weight over the Colonial Downs turf course. After dueling for the lead through quick fractions, she weakened in the homestretch to finish third out of nine, beaten five lengths.

As a daughter of Jackie’s Warrior out of a mare by Into Mischief, Adelita is bred to shine while switching to dirt. And take note, trainer Michael Campbell wins at a lofty 27% rate with horses switching from turf to dirt.

Let’s place a win bet on Adelita.

Selections

• #1 Adelita (5-2)
• #6 Keys (6-1)
• #5 Alta Vista Chapel (12-1)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #1 Adelita

Del Mar: Race 2: $80,000 Allowance Optional Claiming (1 1/16 miles on turf, 5:31 p.m. ET)

There isn’t much pace in this field of three-year-old fillies, which should lend an advantage to #2 Red Cherry (8-5). She’s set the pace in both of her starts running long on turf at Santa Anita, wiring a maiden special weight by 3 3/4 lengths and finishing second by a length in a $100,000 allowance optional claimer.

Red Cherry is slated to be ridden by jockey Joel Rosario, who has compiled a terrific 9-for-18 (50%) record teaming up with trainer John Sadler over the last two months. Let’s key Red Cherry on top of #4 Struck By Her (7-2) and #6 Waiting For You (6-1) in exacta tickets, then single her to start a daily double.

Selections

• #2 Red Cherry (8-5)
• #4 Struck By Her (7-2)
• #6 Waiting For You (6-1)

Wagers

• $18 Exacta: 2 with 4
• $12 Exacta: 2 with 6
• $10 Double: 2 with 1
  Total: $40

Del Mar: Race 3: $150,000 Maiden Optional Claiming (5 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 6:02 p.m. ET)

#1 Charlie’s Clock (2-1) debuted in a seemingly deep six-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. After pressing the pace over a sloppy track, he tired to finish third.

Charlie’s Clock should find the competition a bit easier while tackling a $150,000 maiden optional claimer for his second start. It’s encouraging to note he’s picking up jockey Juan Hernandez, the leading rider at every Del Mar summer meet since 2022.

We’ll single Charlie’s Clock to conclude our daily double, then bet him to win for good measure.

Selections

• #1 Charlie’s Clock (2-1)
• #6 Billy Goat (5-2)
• #4 Lost Angeles (4-1)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #1 Charlie’s Clock

Carryover Watch

Colonial Downs: Race 3: $3,859 Pick 6 carryover (1:35 p.m. ET)
Colonial Downs: Race 4: $24,491 Pick 6 carryover (2:05 p.m. ET)

There are two non-jackpot carryovers up for grabs on Friday at Colonial Downs. The 50-cent “Old Dominion 6” Pick 6 has tossed up a $3,859 prize pool, while the 50-cent Late Pick 5—which overlaps the Pick 6—boasts a lucrative $24,491 carryover.

Don’t forget, if you opt-in to the Late Pick 5 Insurance at Colonial Downs offer on TwinSpires, you can receive up to $50 back on your Late Pick 5 wagers if you have four out of five winning legs.

Whether you’re pursuing the Pick 6 carryover, the Late Pick 5 carryover, or both, you can feel confident reducing ticket complexity and cost by singling #1 White Rocks (4-5) in Race 4, the second leg of the Pick 6 and the opening leg of the Late Pick 5.

Best single: Race 4: #1 White Rocks (4-5)

The fourth race is a $50,000 allowance optional claimer for fillies and mares racing one mile on dirt. Only seven horses have entered, and White Rocks looks like a standout.

White Rocks spent her first nine starts competing on synthetic and turf. She compiled decent results, winning a maiden special weight and the Cincinnati Trophy S. racing one mile on Tapeta at Turfway Park.

But White Rocks improved her Brisnet Speed ratings when switching to dirt for a pair of one-mile $80,000 allowance optional claimers during the spring at Churchill Downs. First, she finished third with a 90 Brisnet Speed rating. Then she improved to second place (beaten only 1 1/4 lengths) and earned a 91. Those numbers are higher than the par winning Brisnet Speed rating (89) for Friday’s conditions.

White Rocks should find the competition easier while shipping to Colonial Downs for a $50,000 allowance optional claimer. Only one of her six rivals has recently posted a Brisnet Speed rating higher than 91: #5 Delray (7-2), who earned a 92 when finishing second in a six-furlong $50,000 allowance optional claimer at Parx Racing. But Delray has earned ratings of 89, 82, and 66 in three recent route races, so White Rocks should have an edge over Friday’s one-mile distance.

As a result, White Rocks looms as a compelling single to build Pick 5 and Pick 6 tickets around.

Good luck!