Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Juveniles across the country

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for a trio of juvenile races on Friday, May 23 at Aqueduct, Gulfstream Park, and Churchill Downs.

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.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $70 Churchill Downs Challenge
• $200 Churchill Downs Bonus Feeder Friday to 5/24 Churchill Downs SFBC Qualifier
• $30 Charles Town Challenge
• $100 Charles Town Feeder to 5/31 Churchill Downs KDBC/BCBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Aqueduct: Race 1: Maiden Special Weight (five furlongs on dirt, 1:10 p.m. ET)

In this maiden special weight for juvenile fillies, #5 Prince of Broadway (5-2) offers appeal. She’s a daughter of Grade 1-winning sprinter Volatile (who sires a sharp 17% winners from first-time starters) and a half-sister to Honey I’m Good, who won her debut at age two before developing into a stakes-winning sprinter.

Prince of Broadway has put together an encouraging work tab capped off by half a mile in :48 1/5 over the Belmont Park training track. Jockey Manny Franco and trainer Brad Cox have won at a 30% rate teaming up together over the last two months, so a win bet on Prince of Broadway is warranted.

Selections

• #5 Prince of Broadway (5-2)
• #1 Snow Face Princess (7-5)
• #4 Vernon Valley (3-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #5 Prince of Broadway

Gulfstream Park: Race 2: Maiden Special Weight (five furlongs on turf, 1:22 p.m. ET)

#7 Kitty Cleo (9-5) debuted against tougher competition in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies S. over this course and distance. She raced off the pace throughout while finishing seventh, but earned a decent 75 Brisnet Speed rating.

Kitty Cleo is adding blinkers and hails from the barn of Saffie Joseph Jr. These facts are significant since Joseph wins at a 28% rate with second-time starters and at a 20% rate with horses adding blinkers for the first time.

We anticipate Kitty Cleo will deliver victory over #4 Monster (2-1) and #3 Tully Road (8-1).

Selections

• #7 Kitty Cleo (9-5)
• #4 Monster (2-1)
• #3 Tully Road (8-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #7 Kitty Cleo
• $7 Exacta: 7 with 4
• $3 Exacta: 7 with 3
  Total: $30

Churchill Downs: Race 4: Maiden Special Weight (five furlongs on turf, 2:13 p.m. ET)

Trainer Wesley Ward is renowned for his high success rate debuting winning juveniles in April and May. He can add another such win to his tally with #7 Outfielder (9-5).

A son of champion sprinter Speightstown, Outfielder enters off a sharp series of workouts at Keeneland, including a bullet half-mile in :47 3/5 and a bullet three furlongs from the starting gate in :35 2/5. Let’s try a win bet on this $850,000 yearling acquisition.

Selections

• #7 Outfielder (9-5)
• #10 Moderator (6-1)
• #1 Thebabeslayer (8-1)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #7 Outfielder

Good luck!