Churchill Downs Hotlist - May 4

Today’s Churchill Downs Hot List races to watch
Wednesday, May 4, 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.

2nd race –  (3) Bling Bling Bling debuts for Asmussen and seems ready for a big effort. (4) Hardmoneymuchahos could also be a major factor in his debut. (1) Ever a Rebel and Classic both debut for Ward and form a strong entry. (7) Mo’s Treasure may benefit from his debut. Betting strategy: 3 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-3-4-7.

4th race – (1) Jonas’ Dream makes his first start for Cox and deserves top billing. (2) Smarty John should fare better in a claimer. (7) Edge of Glory could also attract interest while tackling claimers for the first time. (6) Bernie Lomax should fit in well with this group. Betting strategy: 1 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-2. Exactas: 1-2 over 6-7 and 6-7 over 1-2. Doubles: 1-2-6-7 with 1-2-5-7.

5th race – (5) Al Qahira (D) dropped from 7-2 to 5-2 then tired in the stretch on dirt. Should fare better on turf. (2) Red Light Racer gets back on turf and is worth a long look. (7) English Treasure has a nice turn of speed and could be hard to catch. (1) Pure Country should be a factor in the final furlong. Entrymate High Resolution is a main track only entrant. Betting strategy: 5 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-2-5-7.

7th race – (6) Bagboss (B) was a game second last time out and should prevail in this spot. (5) Milliken was third as the favorite against the top choice and should be the main rival here. (7) Smokin Willie comes off a sharp maiden win and merits respect. (1) Speight’spercomete could be a threat from the rail. Betting strategy: 6 to win, place. Exacta box: 5-6. Exactas: 5-6 over 1-7 and 1-7 over 5-6.

9th race – (5) Big Invasion comes off a sharp stakes win at Gulfstream and can make it 3 straight wins here. (4) Asymmetric makes his first start for Ward after shipping in from Europe and looks like the one to fear. (8) Millennial Moon also makes his U.S. debut and merits respect. (9) Lucci is also trained by Ward and cannot be ignored. Betting strategy: 5 to win, place. Exacta box: 4-5-8-9.