Churchill Downs Hotlist - May 20

Today’s Churchill Downs Hot List races to watch
Thursday, May 20, 2021

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 – (4) Cartel Queen (C) was bet down from 6-5 to 4-5 and finished a distant second in her debut. Should break her maiden today. (8) Gimmick is a firster from Asmussen who merits respect. (5) Gata Runz is working well for her debut and could be a contender. (2) Anotherworldinside was second in her debut on a wet track but should be fine on a dry surface as well. Betting strategy: 4 to win, place. Exacta box: 2-4-5-8.

3rd race – (2) Baja Fog seems like another first-time starter winner for Ward. (1) Rock Along should benefit from her debut and be a threat here. (9) Bali Dove also debuts for Ward and cannot be ignored. (11) Artos will be formidable if she escapes the also-eligible list. Betting strategy: 2 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-2-9-11. Doubles: 1-2-9-11 with 3-5-6-7.

4th race – (3) Donzi descends into a claimer and should prove best here. (6) Poirier might be helped by the turnback to a sprint. (5) Gold Money is worth a look off the Amoss claim. (7) Robo Man may figure in the outcome in his career debut. Betting strategy: 3 to win, place. Exacta box: 3-5-6-7.

6th race – (3) Pepper Pike staged a strong rally to win at Sam Houston and can prevail here with a similar effort. (5) Cantrell Hill is razor sharp and should be the one to fear at this level. (6) Shortlist drops in class and fits quite well here. (7) Lamartine figures to be a factor while shifting back to dirt. Betting strategy: 3 to win, place. Exacta box: 3-5-6-7. Doubles: 3-5-6-7 with 1-5-6-9.

7th race – (6) Mischiefful (A) missed by a neck last time and should make amends here. (1) Exotic West may thrive with a return to a sprint. (9) R Working Girl has a nice turn of speed and could be tough to catch. (5) Fabricate could wake up switching back to the main track. Betting strategy: 6 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-5-6-9.