Tuesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Mad Magic at 4-1

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Tuesday, Oct. 14 at Finger Lakes, Thistledown, and Horseshoe Indianapolis, including a couple of exactas.

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.
• Bet $3,000 Get 5% Back on BCBC Seat: Place at least $3,000 in eligible wagers on races from Oct. 1 through Oct. 26 to receive 5% back on your Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge seat purchase through TwinSpires.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $40 Horseshoe Indianapolis Challenge
• $200 Horseshoe Indianapolis Feeder to 10/18 Keeneland KDBC/BCBC Qualifier
• $200 Mountaineer Feeder to 10/25 Keeneland BCBC/CBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Finger Lakes: Race 1: Starter Allowance (1 1/4 miles on dirt, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Morning-line favorites #5 Olazabal (8-5) and #4 Mr. Einstein (7-2) are both speedsters who may compromise each other’s chance if they hook up in an early duel.

A fast pace would suit deep-closing #1 Mad Magic (4-1). He gobbled up ground down the Finger Lakes homestretch to finish second against Mr. Einstein in a 1 1/4-mile $8,000 claimer last month. Mad Magic has defeated Mr. Einstein in the past and has a shot to do so again, especially with the hot jockey/trainer duo of Luis Perez and Michael Ferraro in his corner.

Let’s bet Mad Magic to win and key him on top of Mr. Einstein in an exacta.

Selections

• #1 Mad Magic (4-1)
• #4 Mr. Einstein (7-2)
• #5 Olazabal (8-5)

Wagers

• $24 to win on #1 Mad Magic
• $6 Exacta: 1 with 4
  Total: $30

Thistledown: Race 2: Maiden Special Weight (5 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 1:20 p.m. ET)

This maiden sprint for Ohio-bred juvenile fillies hasn’t come up especially deep on paper, so let’s try betting first-time starter #2 Truest Air (7-2).

Truest Air is a daughter of Air Strike, winner of the seven-furlong Triple Bend (G2) and the sire of 17% winners from first-time starters. Truest Air’s dam is True Cinder, who won at the stakes level as a juvenile.

This pedigree offers potential for success from an early age, and Truest Air showed some ability when breezing a quick half-mile from the Thistledown starting gate in :48 2/5 earlier this month. Let’s try a win bet and an exacta using #3 Rivers Angel (2-1) for second place.

Selections

• #2 Truest Air (7-2)
• #3 Rivers Angel (2-1)
• #1 Castle Queen (6-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #2 Truest Air
• $5 Exacta: 2 with 3
  Total: $25

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 4: Allowance (one mile on turf, 3:43 p.m. ET)

#3 Goody Two Socks (5-2) has shown talent on turf. During the summer at Horseshoe Indianapolis, she won a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight over a next-out winner before finishing third in a one-mile allowance.

In the latter race, Goody Two Socks finished only a nose behind next-out ITOBA Stallion Season Fillies H. winner Spooky Ridge.

Getting back on grass after a misfire on dirt should help Goody Two Socks visit the winner’s circle, so let’s place a win bet on the daughter of Charming Kitten.

Selections

• #3 Goody Two Socks (5-2)
• #6 Tamarac Square (12-1)
• #7 Unbridled Sabbath (2-1)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #3 Goody Two Socks

Good luck!