Wednesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Tickets for an $11,117 carryover

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Wednesday, Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs, including tickets for the $11,117 Super High 5 carryover.

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• $200 Tampa Bay Downs Feeder to 12/6 Remsen KDBC Qualifier
• $50 Churchill Downs Challenge
• $200 Churchill Downs Bonus Feeder to 11/27 Churchill Downs CBC Qualifier
• $40 Charles Town Challenge

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Churchill Downs: Race 3: $50,000 Claiming (5 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 1:58 p.m. ET)

#9 Ohoopee (4-1) debuted back in April during the Keeneland spring meet. She led by daylight at every call of a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight, ultimately defeating next-out Saratoga maiden winner Diblasi by three lengths.

Ohoopee hasn’t run since, but trainer Wesley Ward wins at a 22% rate with horses returning from layoffs of 90 days or more, and at a 29% rate with horses starting at the claiming level for the first time. Dropping in class off the layoff should help Ohoopee bring her record to 2-for-2, so let’s bet her to win and key her over #1 Tiz in Sight (3-1) in an exacta.

Selections

• #9 Ohoopee (4-1)
• #1 Tiz in Sight (3-1)
• #6 Valala (7-2)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #9 Ohoopee
• $5 Exacta: 9 with 1
  Total: $25

Churchill Downs: Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (five furlongs on turf, 2:57 p.m. ET)

Since 2020, trainer Rusty Arnold has compiled an excellent 3-for-4 record (75%) saddling two-year-olds in turf sprints at Churchill Downs. All four of his starters were experienced runners.

This bodes well for #7 Naughty by Nature (7-2), a second-time starter from Arnold’s barn. The daughter of Into Mischief flashed speed in her debut on dirt before tiring to finish ninth. Perhaps she’ll improve while switching to grass for her second start.

A win bet is in order.

Selections

• #7 Naughty by Nature (7-2)
• #2 Miss Soothsayer (3-1)
• #10 Bad Auddie (15-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #7 Naughty by Nature

Churchill Downs: Race 8: Maiden Special Weight (five furlongs on turf, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Over the last five years, trainer Rodolphe Brisset has debuted only one two-year-old in a turf sprint at Churchill Downs. That one horse—Meringue—rallied to win by a neck under jockey Luan Machado and subsequently developed into a stakes winner.

Perhaps Brisset can strike again with #11 Kentucky Mule (12-1). The unraced daughter of Army Mule has put together a series of quick workouts at Turfway Park and has Machado in the saddle.

At 12-1, Kentucky Mule is worthy of a modest win bet.

Selections

• #11 Kentucky Mule (12-1)
• #3 Sharp Mindset (3-1)
• #12 Bonne Sante (7-2)

Wagers

• $15 to win on #11 Kentucky Mule

Carryover Watch

Churchill Downs: Race 1: $11,117 Super High 5 carryover (1:00 p.m. ET)

This week’s racing action at Churchill Downs kicks off on a high note with an $11,117 Super High 5 carryover up for grabs in Race 1, a $30,000 maiden claimer for two-year-old fillies racing one mile on dirt.

Many of the entrants have already been defeated at this class level or lower. Two exceptions are #2 P. O. S. H. Posh (7-2) and #3 Zen Yoga (5-1). We’ll count on one to win and the other to finish in the top five.

Wagers

• $1 Super High 5: 2,3 with 2,3 with 1,4,6,9 with 1,4,6,9 with 1,4,6,9 ($48)
• $1 Super High 5: 2,3 with 1 with 2,3 with 4,6,9 with 4,6,9 ($12)
• $1 Super High 5: 2,3 with 1 with 4,6,9 with 2,3 with 4,6,9 ($12)
• $1 Super High 5: 2,3 with 1 with 4,6,9 with 4,6,9 with 2,3 ($12)
  $84

P. O. S. H. Posh started her career in maiden special weights at Colonial Downs, finishing second and sixth. Her runner-up finish yielded a 75 Brisnet Speed rating, the highest number belonging to any horse entered in Race 1. Last time out, she showed tactical speed when finishing fourth in a $50,000 maiden claimer at Keeneland. Dropping down to the $30,000 level should help P. O. S. H. Posh vie for victory under hot jockey Jose Ortiz, a 24% winner at Churchill Downs this meet.

Zen Yoga likewise ran respectably in a recent $50,000 maiden claimer, finishing fifth out of 12 in a six-furlong dash at Churchill Downs. As a daughter of 2020 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Authentic, Zen Yoga has the potential to improve while stretching out over one mile, especially since her half-brother Clock Tower scored his signature win in the one-mile Cecil B. DeMille (G3).

Another horse we’ll emphasize is #1 Berlinwin (4-1). Last time out, she ran second in a $20,000 claimer sprinting seven furlongs at Churchill. She was claimed out of that effort by Eddie Kenneally, who strikes at a 22% rate with new claiming acquisitions, so a top-five finish on Wednesday is likely within reach.

Good luck!