Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Turfway’s $5,932 Super High 5 carryover

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Friday, Jan. 2 at Oaklawn Park and Turfway Park, including horses to use in Turfway’s $5,932 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.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $200 Aqueduct Feeder to 1/10 Fair Grounds/Tampa Bay Downs KDBC/NHC Qualifier
• $70 Oaklawn Challenge
• $200 Oaklawn Bonus Feeder Friday to 1/3 Jerome/Smarty Jones KDBC Qualifier
• $70 Turfway Park Challenge
• $120 Turfway Park Feeder to 1/17 Lecomte KDBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Oaklawn Park: Race 8: The Coach S. (1 1/16 miles on dirt, 4:54 p.m. ET)

#1 First Division (4-1) showed flashes of talent last year, most notably when finishing third to multiple graded stakes winner Instant Replay in the 1 1/8-mile Bath House Row S. at Oaklawn.

First Division recently returned from a six-month layoff to win a 1 1/16-mile allowance at Oaklawn by half a length, earning a career-best 93 Brisnet Speed rating. Trainer Kenny McPeek wins at a solid 18% rate with horses running back for the second time following a layoff, so let’s bet on First Division to improve again in his four-year-old debut and snatch his first stakes win.

Selections

• #1 First Division (4-1)
• #4 Tap Into This (8-5)
• #2 Zero Sugar (5-2)

Wagers

• $18 to win on #1 First Division
• $3 Trifecta: 1 with 2,4 with 2,4,5 ($12)
  Total: $30

Turfway Park: Race 2: $15,000 Maiden Claiming (six furlongs on Tapeta, 6:25 p.m. ET)

#3 Bluegrass Domain (15-1) is an interesting longshot. He’s trained by Robert Cline, a 20% winner during the Turfway Park Holiday Meet and a 17% winner with horses debuting at the maiden claiming level.

Bluegrass Domain has put together an encouraging series of workouts at Turfway and doesn’t appear to be facing the toughest field on Friday. At 15-1, he’s worthy of a modest win bet, and we’ll also play him over #9 I Forgot to Ask (3-1) in a small exacta.

Selections

• #3 Bluegrass Domain (15-1)
• #9 I Forgot to Ask (3-1)
• #2 Pelican Bay (10-1)

Wagers

• $12 to win on #3 Bluegrass Domain
• $3 Exacta: 3 with 9
  Total: $15

Turfway Park: Race 6: $30,000 Maiden Claiming (one mile on Tapeta, 8:25 p.m. ET)

#11 Midway Munny (12-1) didn’t show much when debuting in a 6 1/2-furlong $50,000 maiden claimer at Churchill Downs, finishing seventh. But there are several reasons to believe he can improve on Friday. He’s adding Lasix, stretching out in distance, switching from dirt to Tapeta, and making his first start as a gelding.

Let’s place a win bet on Midway Munny.

Selections

• #11 Midway Munny (12-1)
• #8 Most Probable (7-2)
• #12 Stowe (5-2)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #11 Midway Munny

Carryover Watch

Turfway Park: Race 9: $5,932 Super High 5 carryover (9:55 p.m. ET)

The Friday card at Turfway Park includes a $5,932 carryover in the $1 Super High 5.

The prize pool is up for grabs in Race 9, an ultra-competitive $7,500 maiden claimer for fillies and mares sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs.

Here are five horses we recommend including on your Super High 5 tickets:

#1 Franklin Wilder (15-1): Although Franklin Wilder hasn’t shown much ability in three starts, he’s been competing in $30,000 and $20,000 maiden claimers and could potentially improve while dropping in class and removing blinkers. A top-five finish is possible.

#3 Mubarez (4-1): Mubarez finished well ahead of Franklin Wilder when fifth in a recent $20,000 maiden claimer at Churchill Downs, earning a respectable 68 Brisnet Speed rating that stacks up well against Friday’s field. Dropping down to the $7,500 level may allow Mubarez to challenge for victory.

#4 The Exodus Twist (5-2): Though his last two starts have been poor, The Exodus Twist has competed only in maiden special weights and a $75,000 maiden claimer. Hot trainer Joe Sharp wins at a 32% rate with horses dropping multiple levels down the class ladder, so look for The Exodus Twist to rebound while plunging in class. It’s encouraging to note he’ll be ridden by Gabriel Saez, a 44% winner teaming up with Sharp over the last two months.

#5 Rag Tree (6-1): Rag Tree finished only three-quarters of a length behind Mubarez when fourth in a $15,000 maiden claimer at Horseshoe Indianapolis. A subsequent half-mile workout in a fast :47 3/5 at Turfway suggests Rag Tree can factor in his Tapeta debut for trainer Brittany Vanden Berg, who wins at a 30% rate with horses dropping multiple levels down the class ladder.

#8 Ground Shaker (15-1): A trifecta finisher in his last three starts on dirt, Ground Shaker might actually be better on Tapeta. He earned a career-best 72 Brisnet Speed rating in his lone start at Turfway, when he finished second by a neck in a $15,000 maiden claimer last March. Returning to Turfway for a $7,500 maiden claimer can potentially send Ground Shaker to the winner’s circle at double-digit odds.

Good luck!