Wednesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Turfway’s $8,591 Super High 5 carryover

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Wednesday, Jan. 21 at Tampa Bay Downs and Turfway Park, including horses to use in Turfway’s $8,591 Super High 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 Tampa Bay Downs Challenge
• $200 Tampa Bay Downs Feeder to 1/25 Fair Grounds/Tampa Bay Downs KDBC/NHC Qualifier
• $40 Turfway Park Challenge
• $120 Turfway Park Feeder to 1/31 Southwest KDBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Tampa Bay Downs: Race 2: $100,000 Allowance Optional Claiming (six furlongs on dirt, 12:50 p.m. ET)

#2 Beeline (5-2) has shown flashes of talent against quality competition. He won the 2024 Hutcheson S. sprinting six furlongs at Gulfstream Park, and he led all the way to nab a six-furlong $80,000 allowance optional claimer at Keeneland last fall.

Beeline looks like a great fit for Wednesday’s dash at Tampa Bay Downs, and he’s picking up Tampa’s leading jockey Samuel Marin. Let’s bet him to win and key him over #4 Naughty Rascal (7-2) and #5 Uncashed (2-1) in a trifecta.

Selections

• #2 Beeline (5-2)
• #4 Naughty Rascal (7-2)
• #5 Uncashed (2-1)

Wagers

• $20 to win on #2 Beeline
• $5 Trifecta: 2 with 4,5 with 4,5 ($10)
  Total: $30

Tampa Bay Downs: Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (one mile on turf, 2:20 p.m. ET)

#8 Paiute (2-1) is a first-time starter trained by Chad Brown, who has gone 22-for-64 (34%) debuting horses in turf routes at Tampa Bay Downs since 2021.

A lengthy series of workouts at Payson Park should have Paiute fit for a competitive debut, and take note, she’s a daughter of Dubawi, who sires 18% winners from first-time turf starters.

A win bet is in order, along with a small exacta using #10 Deference (3-1) for second place.

Selections

• #8 Paiute (2-1)
• #10 Deference (3-1)
• #3 Consider Me First (9-2)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #8 Paiute
• $5 Exacta: 8 with 10
  Total: $30

Turfway Park: Race 6: Maiden Special Weight (6 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta, 8:25 p.m. ET)

#2 Sway House (3-1) has shown some ability at Churchill Downs, most notably finishing second in a six-furlong maiden special weight for horses who brought a final bid of $65,000 or less at their most recent auction.

Sway House is sticking to a similar class level at Turfway and may improve while switching from dirt to Tapeta and adding Lasix. It helps that jockey Vincent Cheminaud and trainer Dale Romans have won at a 27% rate teaming up together over the last two months.

Let’s place a win bet on Sway House.

Selections

• #2 Sway House (3-1)
• #5 Princess Woejee (5-2)
• #8 What’s the Tea (6-1)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #2 Sway House

Carryover Watch

Turfway Park: Race 9: $8,591 Super High 5 carryover (9:55 p.m. ET)

The highlight of Wednesday’s card at Turfway Park is an $8,591 carryover in the $1 Super High 5.

The prize pool is up for grabs in Race 9, a $7,500 maiden claimer for three-year-olds sprinting six furlongs on Tapeta.

Here are five horses we recommend including on your Super High 5 tickets:

#1 Gosh Sakes (5-1): After competing exclusively against maiden special weight and $30,000 maiden claiming company, Gosh Sakes should appreciate plunging in class for a $7,500 maiden claimer. Take note, hot trainer Kelsey Danner wins at a 20% rate with horses dropping multiple levels down the class ladder. Gosh Sakes hasn’t factored in two starts on dirt, but in his lone turf try he was beaten only 3 3/4 lengths. If he takes to Tapeta, Gosh Sakes can challenge for a top-five finish.

#5 Secreto Uno (3-1): Secreto Uno ran well in his first try over the Turfway Tapeta, finishing third in a six-furlong $15,000 maiden claimer. His Brisnet Speed ratings are competitive against Wednesday’s field, so dropping into a $7,500 maiden claimer may unlock a winning performance.

#6 American Brass (7-2): American Brass never challenged in his debut sprinting six furlongs at Turfway, finishing ninth. But that effort came in a $50,000 maiden claimer. American Brass should find the $7,500 level much more suitable, and take note, he’s adding blinkers, racing on Lasix for the first time, and catching a five-pound weight break courtesy of apprentice jockey Xarel Forde. Any of these changes could trigger improvement.

#8 Talmadge (6-1): Two starts against $150,000 and $50,000 maiden claiming competition on dirt at Churchill Downs have yielded sound defeats from Talmadge. But he showed speed in both those races and should appreciate dropping into a $7,500 maiden claimer. He’s also removing blinkers, a 24% winning move for trainer John Ennis.

#11 Flaming Embers (20-1): Flaming Embers never got involved after veering at the start of a $100,000 maiden claimer at Churchill Downs; in fact, he was pulled up before the finish. But he returned to the work tab shortly thereafter, apparently none the worse for wear. Dropping in class, switching to Tapeta, and adding Lasix could help Flaming Embers move forward and challenge for a top-five finish at lofty odds.

Good luck!