Tuesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: West Hollywood can rebound

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Tuesday, April 29, at Horseshoe Indianapolis and Churchill Downs, including a cold double bet.

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.
• Kentucky Derby Week $10 Money Back: Get up to $10 back on your first single-horse win bet in any eligible race at Churchill Downs from April 26 through May 3 if your horse finishes second or third.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $320 Churchill Downs Feeder to 5/1 Thurby KDBC Qualifier
• $300 Mountaineer Feeder to 5/2 Kentucky Oaks KDBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 1: $5,000 Maiden Claiming (six furlongs on dirt, 2:10 p.m. ET)

#5 Midnitestateofmind (4-5) hasn’t missed the board in her last four starts against tougher competition. Two starts ago, she finished second by a nose after setting the pace in a non-state-restricted $7,500 maiden claimer at Mahoning Valley.

Dropping into a $5,000 maiden claimer for Indiana-breds should make Midnitestateofmind tough to beat in her second start of the season, especially since trainer Aaron West wins at a 22% rate with horses running back for the second time following a layoff.

Let’s single Midnitestateofmind to start a large double wager.

Selections

• #5 Midnitestateofmind (4-5)
• #3 Michigan Left (9-2)
• #1 Paige Perfect (7-2)

Wagers

• $60 Double: 5 with 5

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 2: $10,000 Starter Optional Claiming (six furlongs on dirt, 2:41 p.m. ET)

#5 Cupid’s Runaway (2-5) has won each of his last six starts. He kicked off 2025 with a nose triumph in a non-state-restricted $10,000 starter optional claimer dashing 5 1/2 furlongs at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

On Tuesday, Cupid’s Runaway is returning to the Indiana-bred ranks, making him mighty tough to beat for the red-hot jockey/trainer duo of Luis Contreras and Randy Klopp. We’ll single him to conclude our double bet, then add an exacta using #3 Cielo Azul (6-1) for second place.

Selections

• #5 Cupid’s Runaway (2-5)
• #3 Cielo Azul (6-1)
• #2 Do Ya Wanna Dance (9-2)

Wagers

• $30 Exacta: 5 with 3

Churchill Downs: Race 8: $100,000 Allowance Optional Claiming (1 1/8 miles on turf, 4:22 p.m. ET)

#1 West Hollywood (5-2) disappointed in his 2025 debut, finishing seventh in a 1 1/16-mile grass allowance at Keeneland. But perhaps he didn’t enjoy racing over a rain-softened course labeled good.

As a three-year-old last year, West Hollywood won three of his four U.S. starts, including the 1 1/16-mile Saranac (G3) at Saratoga. We’re willing to bet West Hollywood can rebound for trainer Brad Cox, who wins at a 23% rate with horses running back for the second time following a layoff.

Let’s place a win bet on West Hollywood.

Selections

• #1 West Hollywood (5-2)
• #4 Out of Deductions (5-1)
• #2 Tall Boy (12-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #1 West Hollywood

Good luck!