Monday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Daily double at Zia Park

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Monday, Dec. 8 at Zia Park and Turf Paradise, including a daily double ending with an 8-1 shot.

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• New Players $200 Sign-Up Bonus: Open your TwinSpires.com account using the offer code BET200 to start earning a $200 bonus.
• Woodbine Mohawk 15% Odds Boost: Receive a 15% bonus (up to $25 for the day) on your winning single-horse win wagers at Woodbine Mohawk every racing Saturday, Sunday, and Monday in December.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $40 Parx Challenge
• $300 Parx Feeder to 12/13 Turfway Synthetic Betting Championship
• $100 Mountaineer Feeder to 12/20 Gun Runner KDBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Zia Park: Race 1: $20,000 Allowance Optional Claiming (6 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 2:05 p.m. ET)

#4 Practical Dream (8-5) is the morning-line favorite, but this former California competitor misfired in her first start at Zia Park, and it’s been a while since she was last competitive in a dirt race.

Let’s try to beat her with #5 Aye Candy (3-1), another filly formerly based in California. In her first start on the New Mexico circuit, she trounced a six-furlong allowance at Sunland Park by 2 3/4 lengths, earning an 88 Brisnet Speed rating higher than Practical Dream’s career-best number.

Aye Candy hasn’t run since March, but hot trainer Todd Fincher wins at a 24% rate with horses returning from layoffs of 90 days or more, and sharp workouts suggest Aye Candy is ready to pick up where she left off.

Let’s bet Aye Candy to win and single her to start a double wager.

Selections

• #5 Aye Candy (3-1)
• #6 Nang Singha (8-1)
• #4 Practical Dream (8-5)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #5 Aye Candy
• $5 Double: 5 with 5
  Total: $30

Zia Park: Race 2: $7,500 Claiming (6 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 2:32 p.m. ET)

None of the New Mexico-bred fillies and mares in this field bring particularly compelling form to the table, so let’s try betting #5 Casual Encounter (8-1) at a price. True, she faltered in a five-furlong sprint over this track and class level on Nov. 11, finishing eighth. But that was her first start back from a long layoff, and she should appreciate stretching out to 6 1/2 furlongs.

A win bet is in order, and we’ll also single Casual Encounter to conclude our double wager.

Selections

• #5 Casual Encounter (8-1)
• #4 Lil Miss Cassie (8-5)
• #6 Blue Blazes Who (5-2)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #5 Casual Encounter

Turf Paradise: Race 8: $12,500 Maiden Claiming (six furlongs on dirt, 6:36 p.m. ET)

Since 2021, trainer Kevin Eikleberry has compiled a stellar 5-for-10 (50%) record debuting juveniles at Turf Paradise. All 10 got started in dirt sprints.

This bodes well for Eikleberry’s unraced two-year-old filly #5 Song of Songs (5-1). The daughter of Country House recently breezed a sharp half-mile at Turf Paradise and should be ready to outrun her 5-1 morning-line odds.

Let's place a win bet on Song of Songs.

Selections

• #5 Song of Songs (5-1)
• #7 Chica Tigre (3-1)
• #3 Clam Beach (8-1)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #5 Song of Songs

Good luck!