Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Saratoga’s $92,730 Pick 6 carryover

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Friday, Sept. 4 at Colonial Downs and Del Mar, along with a horse to single in Saratoga’s $92,730 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.
• 8x Rewards Points at Woodbine Mohawk: Opt in and receive 8x rewards points on all wagers at Woodbine Mohawk each racing day in September.
• 15% Odds Boost at Saratoga: Opt in to receive a 15% odds boost (up to $25 per day) on your winning single-horse win wagers at Saratoga each racing Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday until Sept. 4.
• 15% Profit Boost Tokens at Century Mile: Opt in to receive six 15% Profit Boost Tokens (maximum boost of $25 per token) for win wagers at Century Mile on Friday, Sept. 4.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $94 Saratoga Bet and Set Feeder to 9/7 Mint Millions Cash Challenge
• $100 Colonial Downs Feeder to 9/11 Churchill Downs KDBC/BCBC Bonus Feeder
• $150 Saratoga Challenge
• $40 Saratoga Challenge
• $200 Saratoga Feeder to 9/12 Churchill Downs KDBC/BCBC Qualifier
• $40 Evangeline Downs Challenge
• $60 Evangeline Downs Feeder to 9/6 Kentucky Downs Bonus Feeder

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Colonial Downs: Race 1: $50,000 Maiden Optional Claiming (five furlongs on turf, 12:30 p.m. ET)

There aren't any obvious standouts in this field of juveniles, so we’ll try a win bet on first-time starter #6 Theoneandonlylj (2-1).

A son of juvenile Grade 1 winner Improbable, Theoneandonlylj has put together a lengthy work tab for trainer Michael Trombetta, a 21% winner at Colonial Downs this meet and a respectable 15% winner with horses debuting on turf. There’s a good chance Theoneandonlylj will visit the winner’s circle under hot jockey Paco Lopez.

Selections

• #6 Theoneandonlylj (2-1)
• #2 Skepticism (3-1)
• #1 Unrelentingcourage (6-1)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #6 Theoneandonlylj

Del Mar: Race 6: Generous Portion S. (six furlongs on dirt, 7:38 p.m. ET)

#7 Daytona Diamond (5-2) impressed when debuting in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight for California-breds at Del Mar. She charged boldly from seven lengths off the pace to dominate by 5 1/4 lengths, earning a promising 80 Brisnet Speed rating.

Let’s place a win bet on Daytona Diamond and single her to start a daily double.

Selections

• #7 Daytona Diamond (5-2)
• #2 Palo Alto Baby (7-2)
• #6 Breakaway Babe (15-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #7 Daytona Diamond
• $5 Double: 7 with 9
  Total: $30

Del Mar: Race 7: Maiden Special Weight (one mile on turf, 8:10 p.m. ET)

Unraced juvenile #9 Single Vision (8-1) is a beautifully bred son of Triple Crown winner Justify out of a mare by legendary sire Galileo.

This is a pedigree geared strongly toward success running long on turf. There’s a chance Single Vision will deliver a big debut for the red-hot jockey/trainer duo of Antonio Fresu and Doug O’Neill (40% winners teaming up together over the last two months), so at 8-1, a win bet is in order.

Selections

• #9 Single Vision (8-1)
• #2 Dream Seeker (7-2)
• #3 Maxify (8-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #9 Single Vision

Carryover Watch

Saratoga: Race 6: $92,730 Pick 6 carryover (4:03 p.m. ET)

Friday’s 11-race card at Saratoga features a lucrative $92,730 carryover in the $1 Pick 6.

The feature event in the sequence—and one of two stakes on the card—is Race 7, the Seeking the Ante S. for New York-bred juvenile fillies dashing six furlongs over the main track. The seven-horse lineup is led by #5 Velora (6-5), who looms as a logical single to build Pick 6 tickets around.

Best single: Race 7: #5 Velora (6-5)

Purchased for $300,000 as a two-year-old in training, Velora debuted on Aug. 1 in a six-furlong maiden special weight for New York-breds at Saratoga. She started as the 4-5 favorite off a series of quick half-mile workouts, including one from the Saratoga starting gate in :47, and she ran to expectations.

Indeed, Velora crushed five rivals in her debut. She stayed within 1 1/2 lengths of an honest pace before taking over and pulling clear to dominate by 4 3/4 lengths. She hit the wire in 1:11.98 and earned an 84 Brisnet Speed rating.

That rating is significant for a couple of reasons. One, it’s higher than the par winning number (83) for Friday’s conditions. Two, it’s the second-highest number belonging to any of the fillies entered in the Seeking the Ante. The only higher rating, a 93, was earned by #2 Prime Aurora (7-2) when winning a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park, and Prime Aurora has regressed to ratings of 70 and 74 in two subsequent starts.

Velora has posted two timed workouts since her debut, including a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 at Saratoga that suggests she remains in good form. Trainer Linda Rice strikes at a strong 22% rate with last-out maiden winners, and hot jockey Jose Ortiz (a 22% winner at Saratoga this meet) is named to ride. Over the last two months, Rice and Ortiz have won at a strong 30% rate teaming up together.

Throw in the fact there’s enough speed in the Seeking the Ante field to set up Velora for a favorable trip, and the morning-line favorite is a compelling choice to single in the Pick 6.

Good luck!