Monday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Doubles and a Pick 3 at Turf Paradise

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Monday, Dec. 22 at Turf Paradise, including cold double and Pick 3 wagers.

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.
• 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
• $200 Parx Feeder to 12/27 Oaklawn KDBC/NHC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Turf Paradise: Race 5: $4,500 Maiden Claiming (4 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 5:08 p.m. ET)

#2 Street Gun (3-1) finished a respectable third over this track, distance, and class level on March 12. At the time, he was a young three-year-old facing older horses.

Street Gun subsequently spent seven months on the sidelines before returning with a pacesetting fourth-place finish in an Oct. 24 $12,500 maiden claimer at Albuquerque. He’s turned in a couple of blazing workouts at Turf Paradise since then (including five furlongs in a bullet :57 2/5), so there’s a good chance Street Gun will move forward in his second start back.

Let’s bet Street Gun to win and single him to start double and Pick 3 wagers.

Selections

• #2 Street Gun (3-1)
• #9 Colonel Horton (5-2)
• #1 River’s Benchmark (4-1)

Wagers

• $18 to win on #2 Street Gun
• $8 Double: 2 with 6
• $4 Pick 3: 2 with 6 with 10
  Total: $30

Turf Paradise: Race 6: $20,000 Allowance Optional Claiming (six furlongs on dirt, 5:38 p.m. ET)

#6 Redline (3-1) is dropping in class after competing primarily against stakes competition since the end of 2024. His 6-4-1-1 record at Turf Paradise includes wins in the Walter R. Cluer Memorial S., Hank Mills Jr. S., Shawn Swartz S., and Phoenix Gold Cup H.

Redline enters Race 6 off a five-race losing streak, but facing easier competition can send him back to the winner’s circle. Let’s bet him to win and single him in another double wager.

Selections

• #6 Redline (3-1)
• #1 Diamond Rim (4-1)
• #3 Positivity (7-2)

Wagers

• $15 to win on #6 Redline
• $5 Double: 6 with 10
  Total: $20

Turf Paradise: Race 7: $6,250 Claiming (one mile on turf, 6:10 p.m. ET)

#10 For A Laugh (5-2) is a capable grass competitor. When last seen in June, he closed from a few lengths off the pace to win a $20,000 claimer over the Lone Star Park lawn by 1 1/4 lengths, earning an 81 Brisnet Speed rating higher than the par winning number (78) for Monday’s conditions at Turf Paradise.

Dropping into a $6,250 claimer should make For A Laugh tough to beat for the hot jockey/trainer duo of Orlando Mojica and Robertino Diodoro. Let’s single him to conclude our double and Pick 3 wagers, bet him to win, and key him over #9 Sarge’s Sermon (7-2) in an exacta.

Selections

• #10 For A Laugh (5-2)
• #9 Sarge’s Sermon (7-2)
• #6 Pacific Theater (6-1)

Wagers

• $12 to win on #10 For A Laugh
• $8 Exacta: 10 with 9
  Total: $20

Good luck!