Tuesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: $12,615 Pick 5 carryover at Louisiana Downs

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Tuesday, May 5 at Finger Lakes and Horseshoe Indianapolis, along with horses to single in the $12,615 Pick 5 carryover at Louisiana 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.
• $250,000 Single Winner Bonus Jackpot 8: Play the Jackpot 8 on TwinSpires each Churchill Downs racing day through May 1 for a chance to win a Single Winner Bonus of $250,000 for any single winner of the Jackpot 8.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $60 Parx Bet and Set Feeder to 5/22 Churchill Downs Bonus Feeder
• $40 Horseshoe Indianapolis Challenge
• $74 Horseshoe Indianapolis Feeder to 5/15 Churchill Downs Bonus Feeder
• $52 Mountaineer Bet and Set Feeder to 5/23 Churchill Downs Bonus Feeder
• $40 Mountaineer Challenge

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Finger Lakes: Race 4: $11,000 Claiming (five furlongs on dirt, 2:22 p.m. ET)

#7 Sir Kartrite (5-2) has been facing tougher competition at Aqueduct. Last time out, she showed speed before tiring to finish fifth in a $30,000 claimer sprinting six furlongs.

Dropping into an $11,000 claimer at Finger Lakes should put Sir Kartrite in win contention for trainer Jeremiah Englehart, a spectacular 48% winner with horses dropping multiple levels down the class ladder.

Let’s place a win bet on Sir Kartrite and key him over #1 Connect the Brocks (10-1) in a small exacta.

Selections

• #7 Sir Kartrite (5-2)
• #1 Connect the Brocks (10-1)
• #2 Sweet Tone (5-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #7 Sir Kartrite
• $5 Exacta: 7 with 1
  Total: $30

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 7: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs on dirt, 5:16 p.m. ET)

#4 Stanka (4-5) ran strongly when kicking off 2026 over this track, distance, and class level on April 15. She set stiff fractions of :21.96 and :45.37 before tiring slightly to finish second, beaten only three-quarters of a length while pulling 5 1/4 lengths clear of the rest.

Stanka earned a 73 Brisnet Speed rating five points higher than the par winning number for Tuesday’s conditions. She looks tough to beat for trainer Randy Klopp (a 21% winner with horses running back for the second time following a layoff), so let’s key Stanka on top of an exacta using #1 Mayzforcebewithu (9-2) for second place.

We’ll also single Stanka to start a double wager.

Selections

• #4 Stanka (4-5)
• #1 Mayzforcebewithu (9-2)
• #10 Obvious Agenda (6-1)

Wagers

• $15 Exacta: 4 with 1
• $10 Double: 4 with 4
  Total: $25

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 8: Maiden Special Weight (one mile on turf, 5:47 p.m. ET)

#4 Most Amazing (6-1) hasn’t shown much in six starts on dirt. But he did run well in his 2026 debut, finishing third in a 1 1/16-mile $24,000 maiden claimer at Oaklawn Park while earning a career-best 70 Brisnet Speed rating.

As a son of Jack Milton out of a mare by Paddy O’Prado, Most Amazing is bred to shine on turf. Throw in the fact trainer Michael Lauer wins at a solid 18% rate with horses trying grass for the first time, and there are clear reasons to believe Most Amazing can move forward in a big way on Tuesday.

Let’s place a win bet on Most Amazing.

Selections

• #4 Most Amazing (6-1)
• #6 Mordecai (5-1)
• #9 Silent Tone (9-2)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #4 Most Amazing

Carryover Watch

Louisiana Downs: Race 3: $12,615 Pick 5 carryover (6:01 p.m. ET)

The 50-cent Pick 5 at Louisiana Downs went unsolved on Monday. Tickets with four out of five winners returned $144, and a carryover worth $12,615 heads into Tuesday’s card.

Two legs of the Pick 5 contain heavy favorites worth singling, which will reduce the complexity and cost of tickets.

Race 3: #2 God Given (4-5)

The opening leg of the Pick 5 is a $5,000 claimer for horses who have never won two races. The one-mile and 70-yard dash looks ripe for conquest by God Given, who is dropping in class.

God Given showed some ability in New York last year, leading all the way to win a one-mile $30,000 maiden claimer for New York-breds with a 77 Brisnet Speed rating. But he went to the sidelines after that, and after switching to the care of trainer Jonathan Wong, he returned in a seven-furlong $10,000 claimer at Evangeline Downs last month, finishing third.

Won wins at a lofty 38% rate with horses starting for the second time under his care, so God Given should be tough to beat while dropping down to the $5,000 level.

Race 5: #1 Sand Cast (1-1)

The middle leg of the Pick 5 is a $10,000 claimer for horses who have never won three races. Sand Cast is a formidable favorite while dropping in class for this one-mile and 70-yard contest.

Sand Cast has been competing against tougher competition at Fair Grounds. Last time out, in his first start since being claimed by Jonathan Wong, he trounced a one-mile and 70-yard $15,000 claimer by 2 1/4 lengths, earning a career-best 84 Brisnet Speed rating. That’s four points higher than the par winning number for Race 5’s conditions.

Wong wins at a 38% rate with horses dropping in class off a win, so Sand Cast should be mighty dangerous while descending to the $10,000 level. The presence of jockey Harry Hernandez (a 29% winner teaming up with Wong over the last two months) cements Sand Cast as the horse to beat.

Good luck!