Monday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Finger Lakes, Horseshoe Indianapolis exactas

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Monday, Sept. 15 at Finger Lakes and Horseshoe Indianapolis, along with tickets for the $1,728 Super High 5 carryover at Assiniboia Downs.

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.
• Mountaineer 25% Exacta Boost: Receive a 25% boost (up to $25 per day) on your winning exacta wagers at Mountaineer on Mondays in September.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $40 Horseshoe Indianapolis Challenge
• $200 Horseshoe Indianapolis Feeder to 9/20 Pennsylvania Derby/Churchill Downs BCBC Qualifier
• $200 Mountaineer Feeder to 9/27 Churchill Downs KDBC/BCBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Finger Lakes: Race 3: $10,000 Allowance Optional Claiming (5 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 1:58 p.m. ET)

Pacesetters have won 54% of 5 1/2-furlong sprints at Finger Lakes this meet, while horses breaking from post 1 have won at an 18% rate.

These stats bode well for #1 Coin Jar (9-5). He routinely sets or presses the pace, and two starts back, he wired a 5 1/2-furlong allowance at Finger Lakes by two lengths, earning a career-best 88 Brisnet Speed rating that ranks as the highest number recently posted by any horse in Monday’s field.

#4 Doc Advantage (8-5) can rally to complete the exacta.

Selections

• #1 Coin Jar (9-5)
• #4 Doc Advantage (8-5)
• #2 Sharpaz (3-1)

Wagers

• $20 Exacta: 1 with 4

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 1: $25,000 Maiden Claiming (5 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 2:10 p.m. ET)

#8 Wanna Go Home (9-5) cracked the trifecta in his first three starts against maiden special weight competition at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Then he shipped to Ellis Park and finished fourth in a $30,000 maiden claimer.

Returning to Horseshoe Indianapolis for a $25,000 maiden claimer should send Wanna Go Home to the winner’s circle under hot jockey Adam Beschizza.

#2 My Raquel (2-1) is a logical choice to complete the exacta while dropping in class out of Churchill Downs maiden special weights.

Selections

• #8 Wanna Go Home (9-5)
• #2 My Raquel (2-1)
• #5 Big Time Trouble (4-1)

Wagers

• $15 Exacta: 8 with 2

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 6: Maiden Special Weight (5 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 4:45 p.m. ET)

Since 2020, trainer Anthony Cunningham has compiled an excellent 4-for-13 (31%) record debuting two-year-old Thoroughbreds at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Cunningham has two unraced juveniles entered in Race 6. #2 Tokajii (15-1) and #7 Silver Syon (10-1) are double-digit longshots on the morning line, but both are eligible to outrun their odds.

Assuming those double-digit prices hold up, both Tokajii and Silver Syon are worthy of win bets. We’ll also box them in a small exacta.

Selections

• #7 Silver Syon (10-1)
• #2 Tokajii (15-1)
• #6 Hard Luck Prayer (7-2)

Wagers

• $15 to win on #7 Silver Syon
• $13 to win on #2 Tokajii
• $1 Exacta: box 2,7 ($2)
  Total: $30

Carryover Watch

Assiniboia Downs: Race 6: $1,728 Super High 5 carryover (10:40 p.m. ET)

Monday’s $1 “Classic Hi-5” Super High 5 at Assiniboia Downs features a USD $1,728 (CAD $2,385) carryover.

The prize pool is up for grabs in Race 6, a $3,000 claimer for three-year-olds and older horses who haven’t won a race in the last six months. Seven horses have entered the six-furlong dirt dash, so there are only 2,520 possible Super High 5 outcomes, and winning a share shouldn’t be overly difficult.

#6 Colonel Klink (4-5) looms as the horse to beat. Since transferring to the care of trainer Steve Keplin Jr., the nine-year-old gelding has finished second in three straight starts over this track and class level. His margins of defeat were small (a neck, a head, and 1 1/2 lengths), and he earned sharp Brisnet Speed ratings of 78, 72, and 73.

None of Colonel Klink’s Monday rivals have posted a Brisnet Speed rating higher than 75 in their last six starts apiece, so a typical performance from Colonel Klink should send him to the winner’s circle.

Who are the other key contenders? Certainly #7 Orcadian Storm (3-1) is worth a look after finishing fourth (beaten only 1 1/2 lengths) in a six-furlong $4,000 claimer at Assiniboia last week. The seven-year-old gelding runs well on short rest and has a strong shot to finish in the top three while dropping into a $3,000 claimer.

Horses like #3 Big Investment (10-1) and #4 Ride Em (30-1) must be used as well. While they appear unlikely to win Race 6, they occasionally produce efforts strong enough to land in the top three or four at this class level.

Lower down on our tickets, we’ll mix in #1 Frisco Kid (5-1) and #2 Double Time (15-1) before hitting the “ALL” button for fifth place:

• $1 Super High 5: 6 with 7 with 3,4 with 1,2,3,4 with ALL ($18)
• $1 Super High 5: 6 with 7 with 1,2,3,4 with 3,4 with ALL ($18)
• $1 Super High 5: 6 with 3,4 with 7 with 1,2,3,4 with ALL ($18)
  Total: $54

Good luck!