Churchill Downs Hotlist - June 12

Today’s Churchill Downs Hot List races to watch
Friday, June 12, 2020

By Bob Ehalt and Matt Shifman

Hot List Key:     

A : A preferred horse to watch                   B: Secondary horse to watch
*C: Went down 2 or more betting notches in the final 3 minutes and finished 1st through 3rd
*D: Went down 2 or more betting notches and finished 4^th or worse
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

2nd race – (9) Hulen put in a sharp gate work for this and gets the nod over a mediocre bunch. (6) Seattle See Ya might make some noise in his debut. (4) Looting could be a factor here. (1) Little Alex could be more formidable in his second start. Betting strategy: 9 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-4-6-9. Doubles: 1-4-6-9 with 1-3-5-6. Pick 3: 1-4-6-9 with 1-3-5-6 with 4-6-7-9.

3rd race - (3) Smart Remark faced a tough task in his 2020 debut against graded stakes company. Look for an improved effort here in a sprint. The (1) entry of Bulletin and Copper Town should be the main competition. (5) Fast Boat has been no worse than third in his last five starts and belongs in the exotics. (6) Just Might has the kind of speed that will make him hard to catch. Betting strategy: 3 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-3-5-6. Doubles: 1-3-5-6 with 2-4-5-7.

4th race - (5) Oro de Tejano (D) dropped from 9-5 to 7-5 and faded to fourth after being bumped at the quarter pole. Can make amends in this field. (7) Daddy’s On Strike figures to be tough to reel in against this bunch. (2) Martial Eagle rallied wide for third last time and merits attention here. (4) Galindo was a game second last time and cannot be ignored here. Betting strategy: 5 to win, place. Exacta box: 2-4-5-7.

6th race - (3) Ballagh Rocks has plenty of back class and seems ready for a big effort in this spot. (2) Uncapped should benefit from his last try at a mile and will be tougher to catch here. (7) Set Piece is worth a long look in his U.S. debut. (8) Carom seems on edge to be a key threat here. Betting strategy: 3 to win, place. Exacta box: 2-3-7-8.

8th race – (6) Kadesh might due for a better effort in his first try for Diodoro. (9) Wrecking Crew got to the front in midstretch and weakened. May benefit from a better timed move. (3) Extraordinary was second in his first try against winners and could be something special here. (4) Hunt the Front beat a tough bunch of MSW rivals and should be a force in this spot. Betting strategy: 6 to win, place. Exacta box: 3-4-6-9.