Friday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Turfway’s $9,786 Super High 5 carryover

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Friday, March 13 at Colonial Downs, Fair Grounds, and Turfway Park, including horses to play in Turfway’s $9,786 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.
• 15x Odds Boost at Gulfstream Park: Receive a 15% odds boost (up to $25 for the day) on your winning single-horse win wagers at Gulfstream Park each racing Friday in March.
• SkyWorld Racing Late Pick 4 Insurance: Receive up to $50 back on your Late Pick 4 wagers at select Australian tracks if you have three out of four winning legs.
• 15% Profit Boost at Woodbine Mohawk: Receive a 15% boost (up to $25 for the day) on your winning win, exacta, trifecta, and superfecta wagers at Woodbine Mohawk every Friday and Saturday in March.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $40 Colonial Downs Challenge
• $200 Colonial Downs Feeder to 3/28 Arkansas Derby KDBC Qualifier
• $70 Oaklawn Challenge
• $320 Oaklawn Bonus Feeder Friday to 3/14 Virginia Derby/Oaklawn KDBC Qualifier
• $70 Turfway Park Challenge
• $200 Turfway Park Feeder to 3/21 Louisiana Derby/Jeff Ruby KDBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Colonial Downs: Race 6: $150,000 Handicap (seven furlongs on dirt, 3:00 p.m. ET)

#4 Lonesome Road (2-1) is unbeaten and unchallenged in two starts since switching to dirt. First, he trounced a six-furlong maiden special weight at Laurel by 8 1/2 lengths, earning a 97 Brisnet Speed rating. Then he earned a 103 Brisnet Speed rating when wiring a one-mile Laurel allowance by 6 1/4 lengths over a next-out winner.

Sprinting seven furlongs should suit Lonesome Road just fine, so we’ll count on him to keep his momentum rolling with a win over #3 Chipotle (5-2), who recently finished second in a $100,000 handicap at Laurel Park.

Selections

• #4 Lonesome Road (2-1)
• #3 Chipotle (5-2)
• #5 Bold Diversion (6-1)

Wagers

• $15 to win on #4 Lonesome Road
• $15 Exacta: 4 with 3
  Total: $30

Fair Grounds: Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs on dirt, 3:45 p.m. ET)

#4 Startin Trouble (4-1) is a first-time starter from the barn of Whit Beckman, who has compiled a solid 3-for-17 (18%) record saddling first-time starters at Fair Grounds since 2024. As a son of multiple Grade 1-winning sprinter/miler Practical Joke (who sires a sharp 15% winners from first-time starters), Startin Trouble has the pedigree to shine from an early age.

An encouraging series of workouts (including half a mile from the Fair Grounds starting gate in :47 4/5) cements Startin Trouble as a viable win threat under red-hot jockey Jose Ortiz. A win bet is in order.

Selections

• #4 Startin Trouble (4-1)
• #2 Irish Punch (4-1)
• #7 Kayla’s Komet (7-2)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #4 Startin Trouble

Turfway Park: Race 9: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs on Tapeta, 9:55 p.m. ET)

After failing to factor in two starts running long on turf, #3 Ambitiously (8-5) improved sharply when cutting back to six furlongs for a Tapeta maiden special weight at Turfway. Making his first start off a long layoff, Ambitiously raced prominently throughout, took over the lead in midstretch, and then weakened to finish second by 1 1/2 lengths.

The 85 Brisnet Speed rating Ambitiously earned is only one point lower than the par winning number for Friday’s conditions. He appears likely to graduate in his second start back, so let’s bet him to win and key him over second-time starter #7 Puteketeke (2-1) in an exacta.

Selections

• #3 Ambitiously (8-5)
• #7 Puteketeke (2-1)
• #8 Flick (5-1)

Wagers

• $22 to win on #3 Ambitiously
• $8 Exacta: 3 with 7
  Total: $30

Carryover Watch

Turfway Park: Race 10: $9,786 Super High 5 carryover (10:25 p.m. ET)

If you want to win a share of Friday’s $9,786 Super High 5 carryover at Turfway Park, you’ll have to solve Race 10, a $7,500 maiden claimer for three-year-olds dashing 6 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta track.

A dozen horses have entered, so there are 95,040 possible outcomes before scratches. Here are four horses you won’t want to leave off your tickets:

#1 Brea From Three (9-2): Two of Brea From Three’s three starts at Turfway Park has been respectable. He’s finished fourth in a six-furlong $15,000 maiden claimer and fourth in a $7,500 maiden claimer, beaten no more than 2 1/2 lengths in either race. His career-best 73 Brisnet Speed rating is only one point lower than the par winning number for Friday’s conditions, so another top-four finish is within reach.

#2 Paired (10-1): Although Paired hasn’t factored in two starts to date, those were $50,000 maiden claimers sprinting six furlongs on dirt at Oaklawn Park. Switching to Tapeta and plunging down in class may unlock a much more competitive performance.

#4 Sassagoula River (4-1): Sassagoula River debuted in a six-furlong sprint over this track and class level on Feb. 18. After dueling for the lead through quick fractions, he stayed on to finish third in a 12-horse field. Any improvement in his second start for the red-hot jockey/trainer duo of Gabriel Saez and Jesus Esquivel should put Sassagoula River in the hunt for a top-five finish.

#12 Culoir (3-1): The horse to beat is arguably Culoir. He started twice running long in maiden special weights at Colonial Downs last year, finishing third and fifth with Brisnet Speed ratings of 65 and 77. Now he’s adding Lasix, switching to Tapeta, cutting back in distance, dropping down in class, and making his first start as a gelding, all of which could unlock improvement. Throw in the fact he has accomplished Turfway jockey Walter Rodriguez and red-hot trainer Jorge Duarte Jr. in his corner, and Culoir is a compelling win contender. Don’t leave him off the top of your Super High 5 tickets.

Good luck!