Singles for mandatory-payout Pick 6 carryovers at Laurel, Gulfstream

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares horse to single in a pair of mandatory-payout Pick 6 carryovers on Sunday at Laurel Park and Gulfstream Park.

Laurel Park: Race 3: $29,037 Pick 6 mandatory payout (12:57 p.m. ET)

The $29,037 carryover in the 20-cent Chesapeake Pick 6 at Laurel Park will be paid out in mandatory fashion on Sunday.

The final leg of the sequence is Race 8, a $25,000 maiden claimer for three-year-olds dashing 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt. The experienced runners in the six-horse field don’t appear overly formidable, so we recommend singling the lone first-time starter, #3 Clavin (8-5).

Clavin is a son of multiple Grade 1 winner Charlatan, who sires a respectable 13% winners from first-time starters. Clavin’s dam is Street Mate, who previously foaled Derby City Distaff (G1) winner Bell’s the One and Knickerbocker (G3) winner King Cause.

Clavin’s classy pedigree is encouraging, but even more appealing is the fact he’s trained by Brittany Russell, a 30% winner at Laurel Park this meet. Russell wins at a strong 24% rate with horses debuting at the maiden claiming level, and since 2025, Russell has gone 11-for-24 (46%) saddling first-time starters on dirt at Laurel. This spectacular success rate suggests Clavin will deliver a winning performance on debut.

Gulfstream Park: Race 6: $286,399 Pick 6 mandatory payout (3:19 p.m. ET)

Gulfstream Park’s mandatory-payout carryover is much larger than the one at Laurel, with a $286,399 prize pool set to be dispersed in the 20-cent Rainbow Pick 6.

If you’re looking for a single to build tickets around, our best recommendation is #9 Longbranch Lou (3-1) in Race 10, a $17,500 starter handicap for older horses racing one mile and 70 yards on Tapeta.

Longbranch Lou boasts a sharp 8-4-2-1 lifetime record over the Gulfstream Tapeta. He’s been in particularly strong form as of late. He won a 1 1/16-mile race over this class level by a head on Jan. 25, then came back on Feb. 27 to trounce a one-mile and 70-yard $20,000 starter optional claimer by 3 3/4 lengths.

Those wins yielded back-to-back 89 Brisnet Speed ratings, which stack up well against Sunday’s field. Longbranch Lou has recently defeated four of the nine rivals he’ll face in Race 10, so a typical performance should be sufficient to secure a third straight win.

Good luck!