Churchill Downs Hotlist - June 25

Today’s Churchill Downs Hot List races to watch
Saturday, June 25, 2022

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.

1st race –  (7) Sweet Beauty drops to an all-time low claiming level and should finally graduate. (4) Sure Wasn’t Me has some speed and might hang on here. (2) Je Suis Rapide could be a threat in her first start. (3) Dilmunia put in a promising work for this start. Betting strategy: 7 to win, place. Exacta box: 2-3-4-7. Doubles: 2-3-4-7 with 1-3-4-6.

2nd race – (6) Key of Life sports a couple of bullet works and could prevail at first asking for Cox. (1) Summer Promise may turn out to be a talented runner for Lukas. (4) Topsy turned in a fast gate work for her debut and merits respect. (3) Danse Macabre can make her presence felt in this field. Betting strategy: 6 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-3-4-6.

5th race – (4) Fulsome faced a tough field in the Alysheba and should be hard to beat here. (5) Chess Chief figures to be a threat in the final furlong. (3) Twilight Blue exits a fast allowance win and cannot be ignored. (7) Mailman Money is worth a look despite a lengthy layoff. Betting strategy: 4 to win, place. Exacta box: 4-5. Exactas: 4-5 over 3-7 and 3-7 over 4-5.

7th race – (3) Lucky Devil (A) was hurt by a wide trip by still lost by a nose in his first try on dirt. Can make amends here while moving up to the MSW ranks. (6) Veritable is a firster who deserves attention in this field. (5) Badgeball is working sharply for his 2022 debut and will be a top contender. (9) Engrave was second last time and should not be overlooked. Betting strategy: 3 to win, place. Exacta box: 3-5-6-9.

9th race – (7) Sconsin (C) dropped from 4-5 to 1-2 and won a Grade 3 stakes here in her initial 2022 start. She loves the surface and can continue her winning ways. (4) Bell’s the One can bounce back from a subpar effort last time. (3) Lady Rocket could blast off and be tough to catch in this spot. (6) Four Graces should be closing quickly at the end. Betting strategy: 7 to win, place. Exacta box: 4-7. Exactas: 4-7 over 3-6 and 3-6 over 4-7.