Monday’s Best Bets, Quick Picks, and Mountaineer Carryover

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Monday, Sept. 29 at Horseshoe Indianapolis and Finger Lakes, along with tickets for Mountaineer’s $1,649 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.
• 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 10/12 Keeneland BCBC/CBC Qualifier
• $150 Mountaineer Feeder to 10/4 Keeneland Fall Challenge Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

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

#5 Practical Justice (6-1) debuted in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Horseshoe Indianapolis. After dueling for the lead, he tired to finish seventh.

Dropping in class for a $25,000 maiden claimer might be all Practical Justice needs to challenge for victory in his second start for hot trainer Aaron West, a 22% winner at Horseshoe Indianapolis this meet. Let’s bet Practical Justice to win and key him over logical favorite #7 Show Me Justice (4-5) in an exacta.

Selections

• #5 Practical Justice (6-1)
• #7 Show Me Justice (4-5)
• #6 Reachin Out (4-1)

Wagers

• $15 to win on #5 Practical Justice
• $15 Exacta: 5 with 7
  Total: $30

Finger Lakes: Race 6: Allowance (1 1/8 miles on dirt, 3:25 p.m. ET)

#5 I’m Solo N in Love (5-2) has run some decent races on the New York Racing Association circuit; during the summer, he finished second in a 1 1/8-mile $17,500 claimer. But the three-year-old gelding performed especially well when making his Finger Lakes debut in a one-mile allowance two weeks ago, finishing second by three-quarters of a length.

Stretching back out over 1 1/8 miles should suit I’m Solo N in Love and put him in the hunt for victory. It helps that hot trainer Anthony Ferraro wins at a 26% rate with horses running for the second time under his care, an angle that applies to I’m Solo N in Love.

A win bet is in order. We’ll also add an exacta using #2 Sanzio (7-2) for second place.

Selections

• #5 I’m Solo N in Love (5-2)
• #2 Sanzio (7-2)
• #1 Indy Rags (6-1)

Wagers

• $22 to win on #5 I’m Solo N in Love
• $8 Exacta: 5 with 2
  Total: $30

Carryover Watch

Mountaineer: Race 8: $1,649 Super High 5 carryover (9:55 p.m. ET)

Mountaineer is kicking off the new week with a $1,649 Super High 5 carryover up for grabs in the final race on their Monday card.

Race 8 is a $4,000 claimer for fillies and mares who haven’t won four races, or who haven’t won a race in 2025 (excluding races for West Virginia-breds). The somewhat complex conditions for the 5 1/2-furlong dirt dash have yielded an eight-horse field.

We’re drawn to the chances of #3 Carlotuk (5-2) and #6 Gotham Gray (4-1). Both are dropping in class out of $5,000 and $6,250 claimers on Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs. They’ve run well (and earned respectable Brisnet Speed ratings) on dirt in the past, so switching surfaces shouldn’t be an issue. Plus, it’s encouraging to note Gotham Gray campaigns for the hot jockey/trainer duo of Erik Barbaran and Marco Ccamaque.

We suggest building tickets around Carlotuk and Gotham Gray, counting on one to win and the other to finish in the top five.

Among the local Mountaineer runners, #8 She’s Muy Muy (7-2) and #5 Cloudy Bay (9-2) are logical contenders. She’s Muy Muy has cracked the trifecta in all four of her starts against $4,000 claiming company at Mountaineer, including a 4 3/4-length win sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on July 23. As for Cloudy Bay, she exits a win in a five-furlong $4,000 claimer and is picking up hot jockey Deshawn Parker, a 23% winner at Mountaineer this meet.

#4 Pioneer Parade (10-1) is a double-digit longshot, but she’s dropping in class and must be respected off her third-place finish in a $5,000 claimer at Mountaineer two starts back. 

The rest of the entrants—#1 Future Flay (15-1), #2 Landy (8-1), and #7 Vostra (12-1)—bring less inspiring form lines and Brisnet Speed ratings to the table, but any of them could crack the top five on their best day.

Here’s how we’ll bet the Super High 5:

• $1 Super High 5: 3,6 with 3,6 with 5,8 with 5,8 with 1,2,4,7 ($16)
• $1 Super High 5: 3,6 with 5,8 with 3,6 with 5,8 with 1,2,4,7 ($16)
• $1 Super High 5: 3,6 with 5,8 with 5,8 with 3,6 with 1,2,4,7 ($16)
• $1 Super High 5: 3,6 with 3,6 with 5,8 with 4 with 5,8 ($4)
• $1 Super High 5: 3,6 with 5,8 with 3,6 with 4 with 5,8 ($4)
• $1 Super High 5: 3,6 with 5,8 with 5,8 with 4 with 3,6 ($4)
  Total: $60

Good luck!