Wednesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Saratoga’s $102,004 Pick 6 carryover

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Wednesday, July 23 at Delaware Park and Saratoga, along with horses to single in lucrative carryovers at Saratoga and Colonial 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.
• 20x Tournament Points Boost: Receive 20x points on all tournament wagers from July 1 through July 31.
• Assiniboia Downs 25% Double Down: Hit two double wagers at Assiniboia Downs to receive a 25% boost (maximum $25 in total) on all winning double wagers for the day at Assiniboia Downs every racing day in July.
• 8x Points at Colonial Downs: Receive 8x reward points on all wagers (excluding show bets) at Colonial Downs each Wednesday in July.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $200 Saratoga to 7/28 Ellis Park MMBC Qualifier
• $40 Saratoga Challenge
• $160 Mountaineer Feeder to 8/2 Whitney KDBC/NHC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Delaware Park: Race 2: $25,000 Maiden Claiming (5 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 1:02 p.m. ET)

#3 Mac Daddyness (7-2) is an unraced two-year-old from the barn of Jamie Ness, who has gone 4-for-6 (67%) debuting juveniles in dirt sprints at Delaware Park since 2024.

Ness is on fire at Delaware Park this meet, going 39-for-93 (42%) so far, and respectable workouts at Parx Racing cement Mac Daddyness as a strong threat to win under hot jockey Jaime Rodriguez.

Let’s bet Mac Daddyness to win, then add an exacta using #6 Wall Art (6-1) for second place.

Selections

• #3 Mac Daddyness (7-2)
• #6 Wall Art (6-1)
• #5 Williston Warrior (4-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #3 Mac Daddyness
• $5 Exacta: 3 with 6
  Total: $30

Saratoga: Race 1: A.P. Smithwick Memorial H. (G1, 2 3/8 miles on turf over national fences, 1:10 p.m. ET)

#1 Who’s Counting (8-1) has shown flashes of talent over fences. He’s placed in multiple graded stakes, including the Temple Gwathmey Hurdle H. (G2) to kick off 2025. In that 2 1/2-mile contest, he finished third behind reigning champion steeplechaser Snap Decision and next-out Calvin Houghland Iroquois (G1) winner Abaan.

Having sharpened up with a recent sixth-place finish (beaten only 3 1/4 lengths) in a one-mile and 70-yard $32,000 allowance optional claiming over the flat course at Delaware Park, Who’s Counting is eligible to fire a big shot in his return to steeplechase. Let’s bet him to win and key him over #5 Proven Innocent (5-2) and #7 Awakened (2-1) in the exacta.

Selections

• #1 Who’s Counting (8-1)
• #5 Proven Innocent (5-2)
• #7 Awakened (2-1)

Wagers

• $16 to win on #1 Who’s Counting
• $7 Exacta: 1 with 5,7 ($14)
  Total: $30

Saratoga: Race 2: $100,000 Allowance Optional Claiming (seven furlongs on dirt, 1:48 p.m. ET)

#5 Zadorsky (3-1) was a capable one-turn competitor last year, but she’s been on fire since returning to the one-turn configuration during the spring. First, she trounced a couple of next-out winners by 9 1/2 lengths in an allowance, dashing about seven furlongs at Keeneland. Then she smashed a seven-furlong $80,000 allowance optional claimer at Churchill Downs by 5 3/4 lengths.

Zadorsky’s red-hot form and improving profile stamp her as an appealing win contender while sticking to seven furlongs at Saratoga. Let’s try keying her over #1 Weigh the Risks (7-5) and #2 Patricia Ann (7-2) in exacta tickets.

Selections

• #5 Zadorsky (3-1)
• #1 Weigh the Risks (7-5)
• #2 Patricia Ann (7-2)

Wagers

• $15 Exacta: 5 with 1,2 ($30)

Carryover Watch

Colonial Downs: Race 4: $1,370 Pick 6 carryover (2:00 p.m. ET)
Colonial Downs: Race 5: $26,901 Pick 5 carryover (2:30 p.m. ET)

There are two carryovers to chase on Wednesday at Colonial Downs. The 50-cent Pick 6 has tossed up a $1,370 carryover, while the prize pool for the 50-cent Late Pick 5 is a much heftier $26,901.

Both wagers encompass Race 6, a $75,000 allowance optional claimer for three-year-olds. #2 La Houligan (9-5) is the morning-line favorite while dropping in class off a sixth-place finish in the Delaware Derby, but we prefer #1 Lured Away (2-1), who has run faster on the Brisnet Speed rating scale.

Lured Away actually defeated La Houligan in a $75,000 maiden optional claimer during the winter at Oaklawn Park. More recently, Lured Away has performed well in a pair of $50,000 starter allowances against older horses at Churchill Downs. He finished third by 1 3/4 lengths on May 26, then beat a strung-out field by 2 1/4 lengths on June 21.

Those efforts yielded Brisnet Speed ratings of 91 and 89, which compare favorably against the par winning number (89) for Wednesday’s conditions at Colonial Downs. This looks like a perfect spot for Lured Away to snatch a second straight win, so we suggest Pick 5 and Pick 6 players consider this Kenny McPeek trainee as a viable single.

Saratoga: Race 4: $102,004 Pick 6 carryover (2:58 p.m. ET)

The racing week at Saratoga is kicking off with a massive $102,004 carryover up for grabs in the $1 Pick 6.

Looking for a single to build tickets around? Check out #7 King Puck (8-5) in Race 9, a maiden special weight for New York-breds dashing 5 1/2 furlongs on turf.

In four starts at this class level, King Puck has finished second three times. He ran especially well in a six-furlong sprint at Aqueduct last month, tracking the pace in third place before advancing to finish second by half a length. The third-place finisher, Annexperience, flattered the form by returning to dominate his next start over the same class level at Saratoga by 7 3/4 lengths.

King Puck isn’t facing the toughest field on Wednesday, so a repeat of his last effort should be sufficient to take home first prize.

Good luck!