On Thursday, May 28, racing resumes under the Twin Spires. Race 8 and 9 are the featured events. We studied both those races as well as the sixth. Check out top plays and Horse Racing Odds from Churchill Downs for Thursday, May 28. You can also visit our Online Racebook to place your bets on active racetracks.
Churchill Downs Horse Racing Picks
- When: Thursday, May 28 at 1:00 pm ET
- Where: Louisville, KY
- Weather: Chance Thunderstorms
- Temperature: High 86 – Low 69
Churchill Downs Picks for Thursday, May 28
Race 6 – 3:36 pm ET – 1 1/16 Miles Turf – $40,000 Claiming
7-year-old gelding Exulting races first time for trainer John Sadler. The Santa Anita Park based trainer wins 14% after the claim. Sadler isn’t messing around. Instead of racing Exulting in stakes or in an optional claimer, he’s running the 5-time winner in a straight claiming race. Jockey Joel Rosario will ensure this one has a shot at the victory.
Gregory Foley trained Logical Myth has won 2-of-3. The loss happened in an allowance, which means Foley runs the 4-year-old Data Link sired colt at the perfect level on Thursday. Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. rode this one to a victory at the Fair Grounds on Jan. 5.
Vettori Kin drops to the lowest-level of the 7-year-old gelding’s career. The Kenny McPeek trained runner could hang in graded stakes races last year. This year the Julien Leparoux piloted runner has found it hard to win $50,000 claimers. But Vettori finished third in its last couple. That makes this one a must use in the trifecta.
- Win: Exulting
- Place: Logical Myth
- Show: Vettori Kin
Race 8 – 4:40 pm ET – 1 1/16 Miles Dirt – $81,000 Allowance
This is a good spot for Godolphin owned Unshaken to stretch out. The last-out maiden winner calls Tapit his sire and came from a Touch Gold broodmare. Unshaken must break alertly and jockey John Velasquez must get this one into a good position around the first turn. If that happens, the 8/1 morning line overlay could pull off the upset win.
Bill Mott trained Sprawl is a logical contender. The City Zip sired 3-year-old is 0-for-3 over Churchill’s dirt. Sprawl has run races that are good enough to win this, though. We’ll use the 4/1 morning line choice in an exacta box with Unshaken.
Another overlay, 8/1 on the morning line Locally Owned, has a real shot to fill out the exacta. The Albert Stall trained 4-year-old gelding did exactly that in its last race, a mile event over the dirt at Oaklawn Park. When Stall gets them going in the right direction, his horses can put together 3 to 4 solid efforts.
- Win: Unshaken
- Place: Sprawl
- Show: Locally Owned
Race 9 – 5:12 pm ET – 5 Furlongs Turf – $88,000 Allowance
There’s enough speed in this to set up early presser Play On. Trainer Brad Cox gave the 4-year-old filly a vacation after she took home the $75,000 Mardi Gras Stakes at the Fair Grounds in February. Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan should put Play On about 2 to 3 lengths off the speed. If she’s ready, she can run by the front runners and get to the wire first.
One of those speed horses is 9/5 on the morning line Morticia. Trainer George Arnold has brilliantly campaigned this 6-year-old mare throughout her career. What’s not to like about a runner with 8 wins, 6 places, and 4 shows from 21 races at the distance? Morticia can win, no doubt. The only thing to dislike are the expected odds.
Girls Know Best is the 8/5 morning line chalk. Yes, she can win this race. And, yes, she got a cozy outside draw. But there’s a ton of other early foot and jockey Jose Ortiz must be aware of where Morticia is at every point in the race. That could open the door for Play On to sneak through on the rail while the two favorites battle each other in the stretch.
- Win: Play On
- Place: Morticia
- Show: Girls Know Best
