Thursday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Rich Pick 6 carryovers at Saratoga, Del Mar

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Thursday, July 23 at Colonial Downs, Saratoga, and Del Mar, including horses to play in five-figure Pick 6 carryovers at Del Mar and Saratoga.

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.
• $6,000 Split the 6 at Saratoga: Opt in and place $10+ single-horse win wagers in the six selected Saratoga races each Thursday, from July 9 through July 30. Winning wagers in each selected race qualify for a split of a $1,000 pool, with $6,000 in total prize pools on the day.
• 8x Rewards Points at Woodbine Mohawk: Opt in and receive 8x rewards points on all wagers at Woodbine Mohawk each racing day in July.
• 8x Rewards Points at Red Shores: Opt in and receive 8x rewards points on all wagers at Red Shores Charlottetown and Red Shores Summerside each racing day in July.
• Across the Board Boost at Colonial Downs: Opt in to receive a 15% bonus on any winning individual win, place, or show wager, or combination of win, place, and show wagers, at Colonial Downs each racing Thursday in July.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $50 Colonial Downs Challenge
• $120 Colonial Downs Feeder to 8/1 Saratoga/Arlington Million SSBC Qualifier
• $40 Saratoga Challenge
• $100 Saratoga Challenge
• $120 Saratoga Feeder to 7/24 Saratoga KDBC/BCBC Bonus Feeder
• $250 Saratoga Feeder to 7/25 Saratoga KDBC/BCBC Qualifier
• $64 Charles Town Bet and Set Feeder to 7/26 Saratoga NHC Qualifier
• $40 Charles Town Challenge

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Colonial Downs: Race 4: Allowance (six furlongs on dirt, 12:35 p.m. ET)

#5 Skillian (2-1) showed promise in a pair of maiden special weights sprinting six furlongs on dirt last November. In his debut, he opened up a daylight lead before tiring to finish second behind future Maryland Juvenile S. winner Code of Silence. Then Skillian led all the way to break his maiden by 7 3/4 lengths over a next-out winner.

We’ll forgive Skillian’s recent defeat in a 5 1/2-furlong grass allowance, which marked his first start of 2026. Returning to dirt for his second start of the season can trigger a rebound.

Let’s bet Skillian to win and key him over #5 Jolly By Golly (7-5) in an exacta.

Selections

• #6 Skillian (2-1)
• #5 Jolly By Golly (7-5)
• #3 Overspent (4-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #6 Skillian
• $5 Exacta: 6 with 5
  Total: $25

Saratoga: Race 3: $12,500 Claiming (seven furlongs on dirt, 2:19 p.m. ET)

#8 Sheriff Bianco (6-1) has been freshened since May 10, when he finished fourth in a $25,000 claimer at Aqueduct. Back in March, he showed hot form, winning a $20,000 claimer and a $20,000 starter allowance in succession.

Sheriff Bianco was claimed out of his May 10 effort by trainer Linda Rica, who strikes at a lofty 34% rate with horses dropping in class off a claim. Squaring off against easier competition in his return to action may put Sheriff Bianco in the hunt for victory at enticing odds.

A win bet is in order.

Selections

• #8 Sheriff Bianco (6-1)
• #7 Mr Skylight (8-1)
• #3 Norwich (5-2)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #8 Sheriff Bianco

Del Mar: Race 2: Maiden Special Weight (five furlongs on turf, 5:30 p.m. ET)

#8 Captain Shreve (7-2) has knocked heads with tough rivals in four starts against maiden special weight competition on dirt. He’s finished behind graded stakes horses Crude Velocity, Potente, Civil Liberty, and Secured Freedom.

Captain Shreve has been rested since April and is switching to turf for his return. Perhaps the time off and the surface switch can unlock a winning run under hot jockey Umberto Rispoli, a 25% winner on turf this year and a 30% winner at Del Mar this meet.

Let’s place a win bet on Captain Shreve.

Selections

• #8 Captain Shreve (7-2)
• #5 Bogarts Bucchero (3-1)
• #7 Fuzzy Stare (10-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #8 Captain Shreve

Carryover Watch

Saratoga: Race 4: $99,021 Pick 6 carryover (2:54 p.m. ET)

The enticing $99,021 carryover up for grabs in Thursday’s $1 Pick 6 at Saratoga encompasses Race 7, the $200,000 Suzie O’Cain S. for New York-bred three-year-old fillies racing 1 1/16 miles on turf.

#3 All of It (8-5) is a compelling favorite and a must-use contender. She’s opened her career with two decisive wins on the New York circuit, taking an Aqueduct maiden special weight by 5 1/4 lengths and a Saratoga allowance by 3 1/4 lengths.

The only other filly we recommend including on Pick 6 tickets is #5 Celtic Dawn (5-2), whose 3-for-3 record includes a 2 1/2-length triumph in a recent six-furlong division of the New York Stallion Series S. at Aqueduct. Celtic Dawn has yet to race farther than 6 1/2 furlongs, but trainer Carlos Martin wins at a 22% rate with horses running long for the first time, and five-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. is named to ride.

Del Mar: Race 3: $63,928 Pick 6 carryover (6:00 p.m. ET)

Thursday’s $2 Pick 6 at Del Mar boasts a $63,928 carryover, and bettors who wish to win a share will have to solve a pair of $50,000 maiden claimers for California-bred juvenile fillies, carded as Race 3 and Race 5.

The two five-furlong dirt dashes look wide-open on paper. They’ve both drawn large fields packed with first-time starters. Determining which fillies to use is anything but easy.

Here are a couple of live longshots you’ll want to include on your tickets:

Race 3: #6 Obhayve (12-1)

Obhayve is an unraced daughter of accomplished sprinter Dads Caps, who sires a solid 14% winners from first-time starters. Trainer Vann Belvoir likewise strikes at a 14% rate with debuting runners.

Obhayve recently breezed a near-bullet half-mile from the Los Alamitos starting gate in :47 2/5, suggesting she has talent. The presence of jockey Edgar Payeras (a 36% winner teaming up with Belvoir over the last two months) adds to the appeal.

Race 5: #1 Chachacha Ching (12-1)

Unraced filly Chachacha Ching is trained by Steve Knapp, a 20% winner with first-time starters. The daughter of Stay Thirsty has put together a lengthy work tab and is slated to be ridden by Tiago Pereira, a 29% winner teaming up with Knapp over the last two months.

Stay Thirsty placed in the Hopeful (G1) at age two, and Chachacha Ching’s dam—Ching Shih—has already produced a juvenile winner. Chachacha Ching’s pedigree offers potential for success from an early age, stamping the bay filly as a live longshot.

Good luck!