Churchill Downs Hotlist - June 5

Today’s Churchill Downs Hot List races to watch
Friday, June 5, 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.

1st race – (1) Katzarelli faced a tough field at Oaklawn and can handle these on his best try. (3) Lngtermrelationshp has a nice turn of late speed and will be closing in the final furlong. (5) Knight’s Cross had a bumpy start and still closed for second. Should be a factor here. (4) Fra Mauro has been no worse than third in his last three starts and should be in the picture once again. Betting strategy: 1 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-3. Exactas: 1-3 over 4-5 and 4-5 over 1-3.

3rd race - (5) Nomo Ron ships in after a win at Will Rogers Downs and seems to fit in well here. (4) Sevier takes a huge class drop and might wake up here. (8) Fascilitator should be effective at this level. (7) Grab the Munny has been no worse than second in his last three races and cannot be ignored here. Betting strategy: 5 to win, place. Exacta box: 4-5-7-8.

5th race - (4) Pepper Pike got off to a slow start and still finished third. Gets the job done here with a smooth trip. (7) New Eagle rallied wide to the lead in midstretch before fading to fifth at the wire behind the top pick. Might take a step forward with a better timed move. (6) Something Natural gets some needed class relief here. (9) Carpe Victoriam has some speed and might be tough to reel in. Betting strategy: 4 to win, place. Exacta box: 4-6-7-9.

7th race - (4) Shedaresthedevil has been racing effectively in graded stakes and has a class edge here against this group. (2) Alta’s Award was second in a Grade 3 stakes two starts ago and will be dangerous if she can duplicate that try. (3) Fire Coral also has graded stakes experience and should be a main factor. (7) Mizzen Beau has the kind of speed that can make her dangerous. Betting strategy: 4 to win, place. Exacta box: 2-3-4-7.

9th race – (6) Wild Union was a game third against MSW rivals and looks best in this spot. (9) Can’tbetemall is working quickly for his first start since August and deserves a long look. (10) J Z My Man might be more competitive at the mile distance. (3) Cernan could be a main contender in a claimer. Betting strategy: 6 to win, place. Exacta box: 3-6-9-10.