Tuesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Zia Park’s $1,912 Pick 5 carryover

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Tuesday, Nov. 18 at Finger Lakes, Zia Park, and Turf Paradise, including a ticket for Zia Park’s $1,912 Pick 5 carryover.

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.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $40 Parx Challenge
• $100 Parx Feeder to 11/22 Churchill Downs CBC Qualifier
• $100 Mountaineer Feeder to 11/27 Churchill Downs CBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Finger Lakes: Race 6: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs on dirt, 2:30 p.m. ET)

#8 Spanimax (5-2) is an unraced juvenile from the barn of hot trainer Chris Englehart, a 28% winner at Finger Lakes this meet. Since 2022, Englehart has compiled a sharp 10-3-2-2 (30%) record debuting two-year-olds at Finger Lakes.

As a son of juvenile Grade 1 winner Maxfield (who is siring 21% winners from first-time starters), Spanimax has the potential to shine from an early age. Let’s place a win bet on the bay colt, then add an exacta using #4 Chioke (7-2) for second place.

Selections

• #8 Spanimax (5-2)
• #4 Chioke (7-2)
• #5 Connect and Cruise (3-1)

Wagers

• $24 to win on #8 Spanimax
• $6 Exacta: 8 with 4
  Total: $30

Zia Park: Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs on dirt, 3:53 p.m. ET)

#1 Beers On Me (3-1) has been competing on tougher circuits. At Gulfstream Park in Florida, he finished second by a head in a maiden special weight before running fourth in the Royal Palm Juvenile S. on turf. Then at Del Mar in California, he finished seventh in a maiden special weight containing future Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up Mr. A. P.

Beers On Me should find the competition at Zia Park easier. Take note, he’s picking up jockey Ramon Vazquez, who has gone 5-for-14 (36%) to start the Zia Park meet.

A win bet is in order, along with an exacta using Beers On Me’s stablemate #5 Forty Seven (1-1) for second place.

Selections

• #1 Beers On Me (3-1)
• #5 Forty Seven (1-1)
• #3 Lord Chatham (10-1)

Wagers

• $24 to win on #1 Beers On Me
• $6 Exacta: 1 with 5
  Total: $30

Turf Paradise: Race 8: $30,000 Maiden Optional Claiming (7 1/2 furlongs on turf, 6:35 p.m. ET)

#9 Mendelssohns Comet (6-1) has only run once on turf. In a one-mile maiden special weight at Churchill Downs, he raced in midfield before tiring to finish ninth of 12, beaten 9 1/2 lengths.

That bit of form suggests Mendelssohns Comet will fit well against easier competition at Remington Park. His 6-1 morning-line odds are enticing, so let’s keep our strategy simple with a win bet on Mendelssohns Comet.

Selections

• #9 Mendelssohns Comet (6-1)
• #5 Una Mirada (4-1)
• #8 Mojo Mo (5-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #9 Mendelssohns Comet

Carryover Watch

Zia Park: Race 6: $1,912 Pick 5 carryover (4:20 p.m. ET)

No one solved the 50-cent Pick 5 on Monday at Zia Park, triggering a $1,912 carryover into Tuesday’s card.

Wagers

• 50-cent Pick 5: 1,4 with 1,6,7 with 1,9 with 2,3 with 3,4,5 ($36)

Let’s take a race-by-race look at the sequence:

Race 6: $7,500 Claiming (one mile on dirt)

There isn’t much pace in this field of New Mexico-bred claimers. That should play to the strengths of #4 Indy’s Song (7-2), who has the tactical speed to set or press the pace. He exits a runner-up finish, sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs over this track and class level, and brings sharp Brisnet Speed ratings to the table. The only question is whether he’ll stay one mile; if he falters over the longer trip, #1 King Bryce (12-1) may have upset potential.

Race 7: $7,500 Claiming (five furlongs on dirt)

#1 Royal Lineage (8-5) ran third in a $10,000 claimer at Zia Park two weeks ago and should enjoy dropping down in class. But in the $10,000 claimer, he finished only a neck ahead of #6 Comfort J Byrd (3-1), who won’t need much improvement to turn the tables. #7 Juana Rumble (5-1) has likewise run well against Royal Lineage. Any of these three could prevail.

Race 8: $7,500 Claiming (6 1/2 furlongs on dirt)

#1 Fast Service (9-5) has spent much of his career competing in California, and his best form is good enough to win this. But he disappointed in his first start at Zia Park, finishing a distant fourth in a $10,000 claimer. #9 Danzing Miner (12-1), runner-up by a neck in that contest, has a good chance to maintain his edge over Fast Service.

Race 9: $7,500 Claiming (six furlongs on dirt)

#2 Lime Chilton (8-5) is making his first start at the claiming level. He won a maiden special weight at Zia Park last fall and should benefit from dropping in class for his return from a long layoff. Stablemate #3 Marked Cash (7-5) is likewise making his debut at the claiming level. He recently ended a layoff with a fourth-place finish in a Zia Park allowance and should find this spot a bit easier.

Race 10: Allowance (five furlongs on dirt)

#3 Diabolical Storm (3-2) is the heavy favorite and the horse to beat on his best day, but a fourth-place finish in a recent Zia Park allowance was a bit disappointing. He finished behind #4 Flags Finale (9-2), who fits well at this class level. Meanwhile, #5 Mister Wu (2-1) is 2-for-2 at Zia Park and mustn’t be underestimated.

Good luck!