Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Four lucrative Pick 6 carryovers

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Friday, April 10 at Keeneland and Oaklawn Park, along with horses to play in a quartet of Pick 6 carryovers at Mahoning Valley, Aqueduct, Keeneland, and Oaklawn.

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.
• $2,000 Win Ladder at Keeneland: Hit $10+ single-horse win wagers at Keeneland to climb the Win Ladder and compete for your share of a $2,000 prize pool each racing Thursday and Friday in April.
• SkyWorld Racing Late Pick 4 Insurance: Receive up to $50 back on your Late Pick 4 wagers at select Australian tracks if you have three out of four winning legs.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $45 Keeneland Bet and Set Feeder to 4/18 Preakness Preview Day Handicapping Challenge
• $100 Keeneland Challenge
• $40 Keeneland Challenge
• $400 Keeneland Bonus Feeder Friday to 4/12 Keeneland KDBC Qualifier
• $700 Keeneland Feeder to 4/11 Keeneland Grade One Gamble
• $200 Oaklawn Feeder to 4/18 Keeneland KDBC Qualifier
• $40 Charles Town Challenge

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Keeneland: Race 7: Limestone (G3) (5 1/2 furlongs on turf, 4:12 p.m. ET)

#9 Cy Fair (9-5) is the favorite after beating males in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) last fall. But take note, her lone defeat in four starts came against #10 Snow Face Princess (6-1), who is back for the Limestone.

Snow Face Princess rallied to catch Cy Fair by a neck in the 5 1/2-furlong Bolton Landing S. at Saratoga last summer. There’s a fair amount of pace entered in the Limestone, so Snow Face Princess figures to receive another favorable setup and possibly spring another upset.

At 6-1, Snow Face Princess is worthy of a win bet.

Selections

• #10 Snow Face Princess (6-1)
• #9 Cy Fair (9-5)
• #4 Quiet Street (10-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #10 Snow Face Princess

Keeneland: Race 8: Allowance (six furlongs on dirt, 4:44 p.m. ET)

#6 She’s a Gemma (9-5) has run well in both of her sprint starts. Last year, she rallied to finish second by a head in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Tampa Bay Downs. This year—in her first start off a three-month layoff—she obliterated a six-furlong maiden special weight at Oaklawn Park by 9 1/2 lengths.

She’s a Gemma’s runaway win yielded a flashy 94 Brisnet Speed rating, That’s the highest number belonging to any filly entered in Race 8. She looks ready to win right back for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

Let’s bet She’s a Gemma to win and key her over #4 Cut to the Chase (5-2) in an exacta.

Selections

• #6 She’s a Gemma (9-5)
• #4 Cut to the Chase (5-2)
• #5 Chatter (7-2)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #6 She’s a Gemma
• $10 Exacta: 6 with 4
  Total: $30

Oaklawn Park: Race 7: Maiden Special Weight (one mile on dirt, 5:02 p.m. ET)

#3 Silver Syndicate (8-5) showed speed when finishing third in his first two starts sprinting six furlongs over this track and class level. He took part in fast paces and earned solid Brisnet Speed ratings of 81 and 84.

Silver Syndicate is eligible to shake loose on an uncontested lead while stretching out around two turns for the first time, so let’s bet this Triple Crown nominee to win and play him over #2 Vintage Cowboy (9-2) in an exacta.

Selections

• #3 Silver Syndicate (8-5)
• #2 Vintage Cowboy (9-2)
• #8 Machado (12-1)

Wagers

• $22 to win on #3 Silver Syndicate
• $8 Exacta: 3 with 2
  Total: $30

Carryover Watch

Mahoning Valley: Race 3: $40,008 Pick 6 mandatory payout (1:11 p.m. ET)

Friday is closing day of the Mahoning Valley meet, which means the mandatory payout of a $40,008 carryover in the 20-cent Buckeye Pick 6.

If you’re looking for a single to build tickets around, we recommend #1 Counting On Clyde (4-5) in Race 4, a six-furlong $10,000 claimer for Ohio-breds who have never won two races.

Counting On Clyde has posted Brisnet Speed ratings in the 61-68 range in each of his last four starts. He earned a 68 last time out, when he led all the way to trounce a six-furlong $10,000 maiden claimer for Ohio-bred by 6 1/2 lengths.

None of the other horses entered in Race 4 have recently posted a Brisnet Speed rating higher than 66, and there isn’t much pace in this field, so Counting On Clyde appears poised to score a second straight gate-to-wire win. It helps that trainer Craig Sweeting wins at a powerful 42% rate with last-out maiden winners.

Aqueduct: Race 3: $138,226 Pick 6 carryover (2:11 p.m. ET)

If you want to win a share of Friday’s massive $138,226 carryover in the $1 Pick 6 at Aqueduct, you’ll probably want at least one trustworthy single to help keep costs affordable.

The horse we suggest singling is #6 Elegant (8-5) in Race 3, a $17,500 claimer for fillies and mares dashing six furlongs. Elegant has finished first and fifth in her last two starts sprinting against $30,000 claiming competition at Aqueduct and should be tough to beat while dropping in class for high-percentage trainer Linda Rice.

Elegant has early speed, is facing only five rivals, and has hot jockey Manny Franco named to ride. Over the last two months, Franco and Rice have gone 5-for-13 (38%) teaming up together. With so many positives in her favor, Elegant is a compelling win choice.

Keeneland: Race 5: $25,792 Pick 6 carryover (3:08 p.m. ET)

Some bettors hoping to win a share of Friday’s $25,792 carryover in the $1 Pick 6 at Keeneland may opt to single #4 Notable Speech (9-5) in Race 9, the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1). Notable Speech won the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) and Woodbine Mile (G1) last year with strong late rallies, and tackling another grass mile ought to produce another strong showing.

But the Maker’s Mark Mile has drawn a deep field, and victory isn’t a given for Notable Speech in his 2026 debut. One longshot we recommend including on your Pick 6 tickets is #6 Zulu Kingdom (12-1). He’s crossed the wire first in seven of his eight starts, including last year’s 1 1/16-mile American Turf (G1).

The Maker’s Mark Mile marks Zulu Kingdom’s four-year-old debut. If he’s improved at all with maturity, he’s eligible to spring a surprise under two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat.

Oaklawn Park: Race 5: $18,499 Pick 6 carryover (3:56 p.m. ET)

The $1 Classix Pick 6 at Oaklawn Park has tossed up an $18,499 carryover for Friday’s card.

The third leg of the Pick 6 is the above-mentioned Race 7 in which we rank #3 Silver Syndicate (8-5) as the horse to beat. Silver Syndicate is the field’s fastest entrant from a Brisnet Speed rating perspective, and his form is strong enough that we suggest singling the gray colt.

Good luck!