Tuesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Cox first-timer at 3-1

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Tuesday, April 21 at Horseshoe Indianapolis, Will Rogers Downs, and Turf Paradise, including a first-time starter trained by Brad Cox.

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• $100 Horseshoe Indianapolis Feeder to 4/24 Keeneland Bonus Feeder
• $82 Mountaineer Bet and Set Feeder to 5/1 Kentucky Oaks Betting Challenge
• $40 Mountaineer Challenge

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 6: Maiden Special Weight (one mile on dirt, 4:45 p.m. ET)

Since 2023, trainer Brad Cox has compiled a stellar 17-for-39 (44%) record debuting horses in dirt routes at Horseshoe Indianapolis. This bodes well for the chances of #3 Chondrite (3-1).

Chondrite is an unraced son of Curlin out of a mare by Malibu Moon. He’s bred to shine while debuting over one mile and has red-hot jockey Fernando De La Cruz named to ride. Over the last two months, De La Cruz and Cox have gone 5-for-13 (38%) teaming up together.

Let’s place a win bet on Chondrite.

Selections

• #3 Chondrite (3-1)
• #7 Hewson (5-1)
• #1 Straitshootinlarry (2-1)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #3 Chondrite

Will Rogers Downs: Race 7: More Than Even S. (one mile on dirt, 5:02 p.m. ET)

#6 Letta’s Legacy (2-1) is the favorite after winning her last six dirt races in a row. She’s won multiple stakes and boasts a 10-for-19 lifetime record, but take note, she’s 0-for-3 racing one mile and finished a tiring third in this race last year. Stretching out in distance off a long series of sprint races isn’t necessarily a recipe for victory.

Let’s oppose Letta’s Legacy with #2 Eireann (5-2), who has also won multiple stakes. She boasts a 6-4-2-0 record racing one mile, which includes a recent 10-length demolition of an allowance at Will Rogers Downs, for which she earned a career-best 91 Brisnet Speed rating.

A win bet is in order, along with an exacta using #5 So Jordan (3-1) for second place.

Selections

• #2 Eireann (5-2)
• #5 So Jordan (3-1)
• #6 Letta’s Legacy (2-1)

Wagers

• $24 to win on #2 Eireann
• $6 Exacta: 2 with 5
  Total: $30

Turf Paradise: Race 5: $15,000 Allowance Optional Claiming (one mile on turf, 6:09 p.m. ET)

#1 Spun Not Stirred (6-1) and #2 Now Then (5-1), stablemates conditioned by hot trainer Jose Silva Jr., are intriguing contenders in this race.

Spun Not Stirred exits an eighth-place finish in a $25,000 claimer racing one mile over the Santa Anita turf course and should find the competition easier at Turf Paradise.

Now Then was last seen finishing third in a $20,000 allowance optional claimer dashing about five furlongs at Turf Paradise, and his pedigree suggests stretching out over one mile won’t be an obstacle.

We recommend boxing Spun Not Stirred and Now Then in an exacta, which should pay well if their morning-line odds hold up.

Selections

• #2 Now Then (5-1)
• #1 Spun Not Stirred (6-1)
• #5 Baby Waylon (9-2)

Wagers

• $6 Exacta: box 1,2 ($12)

Good luck!