Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Saratoga’s $85,967 Pick 6 carryover

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Friday, Aug. 29 at Saratoga, Colonial Downs, and Del Mar, including horses to play in Saratoga’s $85,967 Pick 6 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.
• Saratoga $3,000 3 Pick 3: Hit three Pick 3s at Saratoga for a chance to split a $3,000 prize pool each Friday in August.
• Del Mar $5 Late Double 25% Profit Boost: Hit the $5 Late Double at Del Mar to receive a 25% profit boost (up to $25 per day) each Friday in August.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $70 Saratoga Challenge
• $240 Saratoga Bonus Feeder Friday to 8/30 Saratoga/Kentucky Downs MMBC Qualifier
• $50 Colonial Downs Challenge
• $150 Colonial Downs Feeder to 9/4 Kentucky Downs MMBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Saratoga: Race 2: Maiden Special Weight (seven furlongs on dirt, 1:07 p.m. ET)

#4 Academia (7-2) debuted in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Saratoga last month. After settling in midfield, she passed a couple of rivals to finish third. The form was flattered when runner-up Tennessee Belle returned to dominate her next start over the same conditions by 7 1/4 lengths.

Trainer Chad Brown wins at a 26% rate with second-time starters, so we anticipate Academia will move forward while stretching out over seven furlongs. At 7-2, a win bet is in order, and we’ll also try betting her over #2 Steer Clear (9-5) and #7 Americathegreat (5-1) in the exacta.

Selections

• #4 Academia (7-2)
• #2 Steer Clear (9-5)
• #7 Americathegreat (5-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #4 Academia
• $6 Exacta: 4 with 2
• $4 Exacta: 4 with 7
  Total: $30

Colonial Downs: Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (one mile on turf, 5:54 p.m. ET)

#2 Behold the King (5-2) showed promise when debuting over this course, distance, and class level on July 25. He stayed within 2 1/2 lengths of the early pace before advancing to finish second, beaten 1 3/4 lengths.

That effort earned a 72 Brisnet Speed rating only two points lower than the par winning number for Friday’s conditions. Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse wins at a solid 18% rate with second-time starters, so Behold the King is worthy of a win bet.

We’ll also play a small exacta using #5 Beekman Street (5-1) for second place.

Selections

• #2 Behold the King (5-2)
• #5 Beekman Street (5-1)
• #1 Paris Priest (15-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #2 Behold the King
• $5 Exacta: 2 with 5
  Total: $30

Del Mar: Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (one mile on turf, 8:02 p.m. ET)

This field of California-bred juveniles hasn’t come up especially tough on paper, so let’s try betting #10 Sleeper Sullivan (12-1) at a price.

Sleeper Sullivan made his turf debut in a one-mile, non-state-restricted maiden special weight at Del Mar last month. After carving out the pace, he tired in the homestretch to finish sixth by six lengths.

Sleeper Sullivan has since been gelded, opening the door for improvement. Dropping into the California-bred ranks should help his chances too, and the fact he’s the lone speed horse on paper sets the stage for a favorable trip.

We’ll keep our wagering strategy simple with a win bet.

Selections

• #10 Sleeper Sullivan (12-1)
• #5 Doing Time (5-1)
• #7 Third Beer (5-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #10 Sleeper Sullivan

Carryover Watch

Saratoga: Race 7: $85,967 Pick 6 carryover (3:53 p.m. ET)

A big weekend of graded stakes action at Saratoga is preceded on Friday by excellent betting action: an $85,967 carryover in the $1 Pick 6.

The feature event in the sequence is Race 11, the $150,000 Perfect Sting S. for fillies and mares racing one mile over the inner turf course. The morning-line favorite, #5 Dynamic Pricing (9-5), is shaping up as a viable Pick 6 single.

Dynamic Pricing showed talent as a three-year-old in 2024, winning the Edgewood (G2) and placing in a few other stakes. But she’s elevated her game to a new level this year. She opened the season with a rallying triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Beaugay (G3), after which she sprung a 10-1 upset over next-out Diana (G1) winner Excellent Truth in the one-mile Just a Game (G1).

Last time out, Dynamic Pricing started in the Diana and finished third against Excellent Truth and She Feels Pretty. The latter is a five-time Grade 1 winner who bounced out of the Diana to win the E. P. Taylor (G1) in her next start.

Dropping from the Grade 1 level into a listed stakes should make Dynamic Pricing mighty tough to beat in the Perfect Sting. She won’t be facing any rivals as accomplished as Excellent Truth and She Feels Pretty, and there should be enough pace in this large field to set up Dynamic Pricing’s late rally, so we fully expect to see her in the winner’s circle.

Dynamic Pricing looks like a more reliable single than #5 Baby Yoda (2-1) in Race 9, a $100,000 allowance optional claimer taking place over seven furlongs on dirt. Last year’s True North (G2) winner is occasionally brilliant and tends to do well at the allowance level, but he struggles with consistency and can’t always be trusted to bring his A game.

Pick 6 bettors may wish to include #3 Discreet Mischief (7-2) as backup. Two starts back, this four-year-old Brad Cox trainee smashed an $80,000 allowance optional claimer sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland by 7 1/2 lengths, earning an eye-catching 100 Brisnet Speed rating higher than any number Baby Yoda has posted in his last six starts.

Good luck!