Tuesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Three stakes at Parx

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Tuesday, Aug. 18 at Parx Racing, along with a ticket for the $3,253 Super High 5 carryover at Assiniboia 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.
• 15% Odds Boost at Horseshoe Indianapolis: Opt in to receive a 15% odds boost (up to $25 for the day) on your winning single-horse win wagers at Horseshoe Indianapolis each racing Tuesday in August.
• 15% Odds Boost at GBI Racing: Opt in to receive a 15% odds boost (up to $25 per day) on your winning single-horse win wagers at select GBI tracks from Monday, Aug. 10 through Monday, Aug. 31.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $75 Presque Isle Downs Bet and Set Feeder to 8/23 Saratoga SSBC Qualifier
• $90 Parx Feeder to 8/21 Saratoga KDBC/BCBC Bonus Feeder
• $40 Parx Challenge
• $96 Mountaineer Feeder to 8/27 Saratoga SSBC Bonus Feeder
• $40 Mountaineer Challenge

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Parx Racing: Race 6: PTHA President’s Sprint S. (6 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 2:55 p.m. ET)

#1 Unwritten Rule (5-2) is dropping in class after finishing eighth in the Quick Call (G3) on turf. He’d previously recorded three wins from four starts on dirt and Tapeta, including a triumph in the Roar S. at Gulfstream Park.

Unwritten Rule looks like a good fit for the PTHA President’s Sprint, so let’s bet him to win and key him over Hutcheson S. winner #6 Fulmine (3-1) in an exacta.

Selections

• #1 Unwritten Rule (5-2)
• #6 Fulmine (3-1)
• #3 Connor’s Crew (7-2)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #1 Unwritten Rule
• $5 Exacta: 1 with 6
  Total: $30

Parx Racing: Race 10: Cathryn Sophia S. (one mile and 70 yards on Tapeta, 4:43 p.m. ET)

#2 Tap to Open (6-5) enters in hot form. On May 29, she led almost all the way to win a 1 1/8-mile maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. On July 12, she employed pace-pressing tactics on her way to a three-length victory in a one-mile allowance at Ellis Park.

Those wins yielded sharp Brisnet Speed ratings of 91 and 88, which rank as two of the three highest numbers posted by any of the fillies in the Cathryn Sophia field. Let’s single Tap to Open to start a daily double, then bet her over #6 Majestic Lucia (9-2) in an exacta.

Selections

• #2 Tap to Open (6-5)
• #6 Majestic Lucia (9-2)
• #4 Miss Fulton Gal (5-1)

Wagers

• $20 Double: 2 with 6
• $10 Exacta: 2 with 6
  Total: $30

Parx Racing: Race 11: Smarty Jones S. (1 1/16 miles on dirt, 5:11 p.m. ET)

#6 Ponder and Dream (8-5) hasn’t missed the trifecta in eight starts at Parx Racing. Last time out, he led all the way to obliterate the one-mile and 70-yard Lil E. Tee S. by 14 3/4 lengths, earning a 96 Brisnet Speed rating.

None of the other Smarty Jones entrants have earned a Brisnet Speed rating higher than 91. Furthermore, Ponder and Dream’s 96 wasn’t a fluke; three starts back, he wired a one-mile and 70-yard allowance at Parx with an identical 96 Brisnet Speed rating.

Let’s single Ponder and Dream to conclude our double wager. We’ll also key him over #3 Freedom’s Echo (4-1) in an exacta.

Selections

• #6 Ponder and Dream (8-5)
• #3 Freedom’s Echo (4-1)
• #4 Star Sweeper (8-1)

Wagers

• $10 Exacta: 6 with 3

Carryover Watch

Assiniboia Downs: Race 6: $3,253 Super High 5 carryover (10:40 p.m. ET)

Fans of the “Classic Hi-5” Super High 5 at Assiniboia Downs will be happy to hear the $1 wager has tossed up a $3,253 USD ($4,520 CAD) carryover for Tuesday.

The prize pool is up for grabs in Race 6, a $5,500 claimer for three-year-olds and older horses racing one mile on dirt. Nine horses have entered, so before scratches there are 15,120 possible Super High 5 outcomes to analyze.

#6 Jacks Spring Break (6-5) and #9 Funkenstein (4-1) are the two favorites, and we recommend counting on them to run 1-2 in either order.

Wager

• $1 Super High 5: 6,9 with 6,9 with 3,7,8 with 3,5,7,8 with 1,2,3,5,7,8 ($72)

Jacks Spring Best is dropping in class after rallying to finish second in a $10,000 claimer racing one mile at Assiniboia Downs. He ran even better three starts back in a one-mile $12,500 allowance optional claimer at Assiniboia, closing from midfield to triumph by a head with an 83 Brisnet Speed rating. That’s higher than the par winning Brisnet Speed rating (79) for Tuesday’s conditions.

But Funkenstein has also been in sharp form as of late. Last time out, he launched a last-to-first rally to trounce a one-mile $5,500 claimer at Assiniboia by 6 1/4 lengths, earning a 78 Brisnet Speed rating. He was claimed out of that race by hot trainer Michael Nault, who wins at a 28% rate with new claiming acquisitions, so look for Funkenstein to deliver another strong run while sticking to the $5,500 level.

Underneath, we’ll emphasize #3 Wrong Direction (6-1), #8 Nautical Moon (10-1), and #7 Shamayim (7-1), who finished barely more than a neck apart when third, fourth, and fifth behind Funkenstein in the latter’s recent $5,500 claiming win.

Wrong Direction rarely finishes out of the top five and regularly earns Brisnet Speed ratings in the 68-76 range, stamping him as a good fit for Tuesday’s field.

Nautical Moon isn’t quite as consistent as Wrong Direction, but his best effort is good enough to factor here, and it’s worth noting he has hot trainer Jerry Gourneau (a 21% winner at Assiniboia this meet) in his corner.

Shamayim wasn’t at his best last time out, but two starts back, the stretch-running gelding ran second in a $5,500 claimer at Assiniboia, earning a respectable 73 Brisnet Speed rating.

Good luck!