Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Santa Anita’s $20,561 Super High 5 carryover

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Friday, Oct. 2 at Belmont Park, Keeneland, and Santa Anita, including tickets for Santa Anita’s $20,561 Super High 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.
• 4x Rewards Points at Belmont Park: Opt in and receive 4x rewards points on all wagers at Belmont Park each racing Friday in October.
• $3,000 $3 Turf Pick 3 Hit It & Split It at Keeneland: Opt in and hit the $3 Turf Pick 3 at Keeneland for a chance to split a $3,000 prize pool each racing Friday in October.
• $50 Late Pick 4 Insurance for Australian Racing: Opt in to receive up to $50 back on your Late Pick 4 wagers at select Australian racetracks if you have three out of four winning legs.
• 4% Cash Back on Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge: Opt in and receive 4% cash back on your Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) entry purchased through TwinSpires when you have previously competed in any BCBC qualifier, hosted by TwinSpires or any other operator.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $140 Keeneland Bet and Set Feeder to 10/4 Keeneland BCBC/NHC Qualifier
• $160 Belmont Park Feeder to 10/3 Keeneland BCBC/NHC Bonus Feeder
• $50 Belmont Park Challenge
• $40 Keeneland Challenge
• $150 Keeneland Challenge
• $280 Keeneland Bonus Feeder to 10/3 Keeneland KFC Qualifier
• $40 Charles Town Challenge
• $68 Charles Town Feeder to 10/8 Keeneland KFC Bonus Feeder

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Belmont Park: Race 3: Joseph A. Gimma S. (6 1/2 furlongs on turf, 2:16 p.m. ET)

#1 Extravaganzoo (6-5) exits a third-place finish in the Bolton Landing S. at Saratoga. Two starts back, she trounced a maiden special weight for New York-breds at Saratoga by 3 3/4 lengths, earning a sharp 90 Brisnet Speed rating.

The Joseph A. Gimma is restricted to fillies bred in New York, so Extravaganzoo looks like a great fit for this race and should be tough to beat. We’ll key her over #4 Legacy Lady (6-1), #3 Tiger Line (9-2), and #2 Gold Fashioned (7-2) in a trifecta.

Selections

• #1 Extravaganzoo (6-5)
• #4 Legacy Lady (6-1)
• #3 Tiger Line (9-2)

Wagers

• $5 Trifecta: 1 with 2,3,4 with 2,3,4 ($30)

Keeneland: Race 6: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs on dirt, 3:40 p.m. ET)

#8 National Forest (8-5) ran strongly when debuting in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Ellis Park. He pressed the early pace, rallied to take a narrow lead, and then flattened out late to finish second by half a length.

The third-place finisher, Staunch, returned to win his next start, flattering National Forest’s form. Trainer Brad Cox strikes at a lofty 28% rate with second-time starters, so let’s place a large win bet on National Forest.

Selections

• #8 National Forest (8-5)
• #3 Kingside (7-2)
• #9 Knicks Diamonds (15-1)

Wagers

• $50 to win on #8 National Forest

Santa Anita: Race 7: $80,000 Allowance Optional Claiming (one mile on turf, 7:05 p.m. ET)

#6 Goodies (3-1) is 2-for-2 racing one mile on turf. She closed from a couple lengths off the lead to win a one-mile maiden special weight at Del Mar, then led all the way to take a $50,000 allowance optional claimer over the same course.

Goodies’ blend of tactical speed and tractability should serve her well in Race 7. Let’s bet her to win and key her over #2 Canto Della Terra (3-2) in an exacta.

Selections

• #6 Goodies (3-1)
• #2 Canto Della Terra (3-2)
• #5 Raw Ability (5-2)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #6 Goodies
• $10 Exacta: 6 with 2
  Total: $30

Carryover Watch

Santa Anita: Race 9: $20,561 Super High 5 carryover (8:07 p.m. ET)

On Friday at Santa Anita, bettors can chase a $20,561 carryover in the $1 Super High 5, which is available to play in Race 9, a maiden special weight for juvenile fillies racing one mile on turf.

Nine horses have entered, and morning-line favorite #3 Vendetta (8-5) looms as a strong contender worth building tickets around.

Wagers

• $1 Super High 5: 3 with 1,4 with 1,4,5,8 with 1,4,5,7,8 with 1,4,5,7,8,9 ($54)
• $1 Super High 5: 4 with 3 with 1,5,8 with 1,5,7,8 with 1,5,7,8,9 ($27)
  Total: $81

Vendetta has started twice so far, both times racing one mile at Del Mar. She debuted in a maiden special weight and finished fourth, beaten three lengths after encountering a bit of traffic trouble.

Then Vendetta stepped up in class for the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf S. She rated in the middle of a nine-horse field and unleashed a mild far-turn rally before flattening out to finish fifth, beaten 4 1/4 lengths by the promising filly Vanta.

Returning to the maiden special weight ranks for her third start should make Vendetta formidable. We’ve structured our tickets so they rely on her to finish either first or second.

The only other filly we’ll play on top is #4 Royal Pearl (5-2), who is a bit of a wildcard since she’s never raced on turf. Her first two starts came in maiden special weights sprinting on dirt at Del Mar, in which she finished fourth and fifth. One of the winners, Miss Monica, subsequently took the Del Mar Debutante (G1).

As a daughter of Mandaloun (who is siring 20% winners on turf), Royal Pearl has the potential to improve while switching to grass. The presence of hot jockey Juan Hernandez (a 24% winner at Santa Anita this meet) adds to the appeal.

#1 D’yquem (5-1), who finished third when debuting in a one-mile maiden special weight at Del Mar, is a logical filly to use underneath. She’s trained by Michael McCarthy, who wins at a solid 19% rate with second-time grass starters.

Then we’ll use #5 Starfinder (15-1) and #8 Forewarn (5-1) for as high as third place before rounding out our tickets with #7 Mooberry (15-1) and #9 Presenting (15-1).

Good luck!