Wednesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Delaware Park Pick 5 carryovers

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Wednesday, Sept. 16 at Churchill Downs, Horseshoe Indianapolis, and Assiniboia Downs, along with horses to single in two Pick 5 carryovers at Delaware Park.

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.
• $2,000 Exacta Hit It and Split It at Horseshoe Indianapolis: Opt in and hit two exactas at Horseshoe Indianapolis for a chance to split a $2,000 prize pool each racing Wednesday in August and September.
• 15% Profit Boost Tokens at Churchill Downs: Opt in to receive five 15% Profit Boost Tokens (maximum boost of $25 per token) for win wagers at Churchill Downs on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $86 Churchill Downs Bet and Set Feeder to 9/26 Laurel Park Autumn Challenge
• $72 Horseshoe Indianapolis Bet and Set Feeder to 9/18 Churchill Downs BCBC Bonus Feeder
• $40 Churchill Downs Challenge
• $150 Churchill Downs Challenge
• $200 Churchill Downs Feeder to 9/19 Churchill Downs BCBC Qualifier
• $40 Mountaineer Challenge
• $80 Mountaineer Feeder to 9/25 Churchill Downs KFC/BCBC Bonus Feeder

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Churchill Downs: Race 7: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs on dirt, 3:48 p.m. ET)

#7 Pirate Ship (5-1) has run well in a couple of maiden special weights sprinting on dirt at Saratoga, finishing second and third. In his runner-up effort, he earned a respectable 73 Brisnet Speed rating.

Trainer Jose Sharp is off to a hot start at Churchill Downs this meet, going 2-for-4 (50%), and jockey Jose Ortiz has likewise done well, compiling a 4-for-11 (36%) record. With hot connections in his corner, Pirate Ship is worthy of a win bet.

We’ll also key him over #10 Unbridled Freedom (7-5) in an exacta.

Selections

• #7 Pirate Ship (5-1)
• #10 Unbridled Freedom (7-5)
• #8 Mitole Joe (30-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #7 Pirate Ship
• $10 Exacta: 7 with 10
  Total: $30

Horseshoe Indianapolis: Race 8: Maiden Special Weight (one mile on turf, 5:47 p.m. ET)

#6 Fonzarelli (5-1) received some betting support when debuting in a one-mile maiden special weight on dirt at Ellis Park last month, starting at 9-2. But he ran way below expectations, fading after the halfway point to finish 11th by a wide margin.

Trainer Brad Cox wins at a 28% rate with second-time starters, so perhaps Fonzarelli can turn his form around while shipping to Horseshoe Indianapolis and tackling turf in his second run under colors. It’s encouraging to note he’ll be ridden by Fernando De La Cruz, a 28% winner teaming up with Cox over the last two months.

Let’s place a win bet on Fonzarelli.

Selections

• #6 Fonzarelli (5-1)
• #3 Conifer (3-1)
• #4 Modern Legacy (7-2)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #6 Fonzarelli

Assiniboia Downs: Race 6: Gold Cup S. (1 1/8 miles on dirt, 11:00 p.m. ET)

#4 Whiskey N Soda (4-1) has been competing on Tapeta at Woodbine as of late, but in the past, he compiled a solid 12-5-2-0 record on dirt. As recently as March, he finished second in a $50,000 starter allowance on dirt at Aqueduct, earning a 92 Brisnet Speed rating that stacks up well against the Gold Cup field.

Whiskey N Soda is eligible to run a big race while returning to dirt, so at 4-1, he warrants a win bet. #8 Go Go Boss (6-5) can complete the exacta.

Selections

• #4 Whiskey N Soda (4-1)
• #8 Go Go Boss (6-5)
• #6 Gethsemane (6-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #4 Whiskey N Soda
• $5 Exacta: 4 with 8
  Total: $30

Carryover Watch

Delaware Park: Race 1: $13,948 Pick 5 carryover (12:40 p.m. ET)
Delaware Park: Race 4: $9,173 Pick 5 carryover (2:16 p.m. ET)

Two Pick 5 carryovers are up for grabs on Wednesday at Delaware Park.

The 50-cent Pick 5 starting in Race 1 features the larger prize pool: $13,948. But the 50-cent Pick 5 starting in Race 4 isn’t much smaller at $9,173.

After analyzing the entries, we’ve identified two horses to potentially single, one in each Pick 5:

Race 1: #3 Jack Rabbitness (2-1)

The opening race on the card is a $20,000 maiden claimer for two-year-olds sprinting six furlongs on dirt. Most of the entrants have already lost at the maiden claiming level, but Jack Rabbitness is a notable exception. He’s only raced once, finishing sixth in a 5 1/2-furlong Virginia-restricted maiden special weight at Colonial Downs.

Hot trainer Jamie Ness (a 31% winner at Delaware Park this meet) strikes at a 33% rate with horses switching from maiden special weight to maiden claiming company, so Jack Rabbitness is eligible to fire a big shot in his second start. He already stacks up well against this field from a Brisnet Speed rating perspective, and any improvement can send him to the winner’s circle.

Race 8: #1 Undertaker (6-5)

The card wraps up with Race 8, a $40,000 maiden optional claimer for three-year-olds and older horses racing one mile over the main track.

Morning-line favorite Undertaker might be a 0-for-14 maiden, but he’s competed primarily in dirt sprints and turf routes as of late. When he tackled a dirt route last time out, he took a big step forward. Facing four rivals in a one-mile maiden special weight at Delaware Park, Undertaker vied for the lead before weakening slightly in the homestretch to finish second, beaten only 1 1/4 lengths.

Undertaker pulled 10 lengths clear of the third-place finisher and earned a career-best 88 Brisnet Speed rating. He’s facing only five rivals in Race 8, and none of them have earned a Brisnet Speed rating higher than 81, so if Undertaker repeats his last performance, he can cruise to the winner’s circle.

Good luck!