Wednesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: 20-1 at Churchill Downs

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Wednesday, June 17 at Churchill Downs and Presque Isle Downs, along with tickets for the $863 Super High 5 carryover at Thistledown.

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.
• 25% Double Down at Assiniboia Downs: Hit two double wagers at Assiniboia Downs to receive a 25% boost on all winning double wagers (up to $25 for the day) at Assiniboia each racing Tuesday and Wednesday until June 24.
• $1,500 Late Pick 5 Hit It & Split It at Horseshoe Indianapolis: Hit the Late Pick 5 at Horseshoe Indianapolis to split a $1,500 prize pool each racing Wednesday in June.
• $250,000 Minimum Guarantee Jackpot 8: Play the Jackpot 8 at Churchill Downs on TwinSpires for a chance to win a guaranteed payout of $250,000 for any single winner of the entire Jackpot 8.
• Royal Ascot $10 Bet Back: Receive a Bonus Bet up to $10 back on your first single-horse win wager if your horse finishes second or third in selected races at Royal Ascot from Tuesday through Saturday.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $100 Royal Ascot Challenge
• $65 Churchill Downs Bet and Set Feeder to 6/21 Churchill Downs SFBC Qualifier
• $40 Churchill Downs Challenge
• $100 Churchill Downs Challenge
• $200 Churchill Downs Feeder to 6/20 Churchill Downs KDBC/BCBC Qualifier
• $51 Penn National Bet and Set Feeder to 6/28 Churchill Downs Haskell Challenge Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Churchill Downs: Race 8: $100,000 Allowance Optional Claiming (six furlongs on dirt, 4:22 p.m. ET)

#11 Touch of Destiny (20-1) dominated his first six starts in his native Uruguay, winning them all by an average of over five lengths. But when he made his U.S. debut in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) last fall, he got burned up chasing hot fractions of :21.74 and :44.96 and eventually eased up to finish last of eight.

Touch of Destiny has been freshened since then and should appreciate dropping down in class and distance for his 2026 debut. The Breeders’ Cup possibly didn’t present a fair picture of Touch of Destiny’s abilities, so let’s take a shot betting him to win at a big price.

Selections

• #11 Touch of Destiny (20-1)
• #2 Verifire (4-1)
• #6 Thoughtthatcounts (9-2)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #11 Touch of Destiny

Presque Isle Downs: Race 3: $15,000 Maiden Claiming (one mile on Tapeta, 4:24 p.m. ET)

#6 Star Saver (4-1) is a newcomer to the Presque Isle Downs Tapeta. He’s started twice on dirt at other tracks, finishing third in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Mahoning Valley and third (beaten only 1 1/4 lengths) in a one-mile $12,500 maiden claimer at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Switching to Tapeta opens the door for improvement, and it’s encouraging to note trainer Aaron West wins at a sharp 29% rate with horses running long for the second time. Throw in the presence of hot jockey Antonio Gallardo (a 25% winner at Presque Isle this meet), and Star Saver is worthy of a win bet.

We’ll also play him over #5 Buck’s Howl (7-2) in a small exacta.

Selections

• #6 Star Saver (4-1)
• #5 Buck’s Howl (7-2)
• #4 Gun Policy (5-2)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #6 Star Saver
• $5 Exacta: 6 with 5
  Total: $25

Presque Isle Downs: Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (4 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta, 5:18 p.m. ET)

#5 Ritzy Rags (5-2), a two-year-old son of Grade 1-winning juvenile and Belmont (G1) conqueror Union Rags, has put together an eye-catching work tab on Tapeta at Turfway Park. He’s posted bullet workouts on three occasions, most notably traveling half a mile from the starting gate in :47 2/5 on June 5.

Under hot jockey Israel Rodriguez (a 25% winner at Presque Isle this meet), Ritzy Rags is a compelling win contender. Take note, trainer Eoin Harty has gone 6-for-18 (33%) saddling two-year-olds at Presque Isle since 2024.

A large win bet is in order.

Selections

• #5 Ritzy Rags (5-2)
• #4 Gangam Grey (7-2)
• #3 Colucci (10-1)

Wagers

• $40 to win on #5 Ritzky Rags

Carryover Watch

Thistledown: Race 8: $863 Super High 5 carryover (4:20 p.m. ET)

Do you have what it takes to select the top five finishers, in order, in Wednesday’s final race at Thistledown? If so, you can win a share of an $863 carryover up for grabs in the 20-cent “Buckeye 5” Super High 5.

The afternoon finale is Race 8, a $7,500 claimer for three-year-olds and older horses dashing 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt. With seven horses in the entries, there are only 2,520 possible Super High 5 outcomes to analyze, and you could theoretically play them all for $504.

That’s highly unlikely to be a profitable strategy, but we can spend much less (under $15) and still have a solid shot to cash a winning ticket:

Wagers

• 20-cent Super High 5: 2,3 with 2,3 with 5,6,7 with 5,6,7 with 4,5,6,7 ($4.8)
• 20-cent Super High 5: 2,3 with 5,6,7 with 2,3 with 5,6,7 with 4,5,6,7 ($4.8)
• 20-cent Super High 5: 2,3 with 5,6,7 with 5,6,7 with 2,3 with 4,5,6,7 ($4.8)
  Total: $14.40

We’ll build our tickets around #2 Bourbon On Fire (5-2) and #3 Go Collector (9-2), counting on one to win and the other to finish somewhere in the top four.

Bourbon On Fire enjoyed a productive 2025 campaign, compiling three wins and three seconds from eight starts. He ended the year with a narrow victory in a six-furlong $7,500 claimer at Thistledown. Bourbon On Fire brings strong Brisnet Speed ratings to the table and has the red-hot jockey/trainer duo of Luis Gonzalez and Kim Puhl (37% winners together over the last two months) in his corner.

One potential knock against Bourbon On Fire is the fact he hasn’t raced since October, and Puhl wins at a modest 8% rate with horses returning from layoffs of 90 days or more. But Bourbon On Fire finished a good second in his 2025 debut, so a top-four finish in his first run of 2026 is surely within reach.

As for Go Collector, the chestnut three-year-old has gone 3-for-3 at Thistledown since transferring to the care of trainer Rey Juarez-Mendoza. Facing older rivals this spring, he led all the way to win a $5,000 maiden claimer by 2 1/2 lengths, a $5,000 claimer by 5 1/2 lengths, and another $5,000 claimer by a head.

Go Collector is stepping up in class, and his Brisnet Speed ratings aren’t quite as high as those belonging to Bourbon On Fire, but his strong recent form is hard to ignore. There’s a good chance Go Collector will finish in the top four.

For the minor placings, we’ll emphasize #5 Florida Gator (3-1), #6 Improbable First (4-1), and #7 Cacique Abarrio (5-1).

Good luck!