Churchill Downs Hotlist - May 9

Today’s Churchill Downs Hot List races to watch
Sunday, May 9, 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.

2nd race – (1) Chicory Blue ships in from Oaklawn and finds a good spot for notching a third straight win. (6) Lauderdale switches back to dirt and may wake up. (4) Wherewegoin disappointed last time but might fit better here. (5) Long On Luck could sneak into the picture. Betting strategy: 1 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-6. Exactas: 1-6 over 4-5 and 4-5 over 1-6.

5th race – (6) Pit Boss missed by a neck at Sam Houston and looks best in this spot. (3) All West could perk up in a claimer. (2) Scabbard won easily last time and will be a factor here. Betting strategy: 6 to win, place. Exacta box: 2-3-6. Doubles: 2-3-6 with 1-2-4.

6th race – (2) Gray Owl has a nice turn of speed and should be hard to catch from an inside post. (4) Its Cold in Dehere deserves a close look off the Norm Casse claim. (1) Raggedy Annie seeks a third straight win and cannot be ignored. Betting strategy: 2 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-2-4.

8th race – (7) Pledgeofallegiance (C) dropped from 7-2 to 5-2 and rallied quickly to miss by a nose. Makes amends here. (10) Coffee Break didn’t fire in his debut but might move forward here. (8) Dominar is worth a look in his debut. (3) Six Pack might be tough to catch against this group. Betting strategy: 7 to win, place. Exacta box: 3-7-8-10. Doubles: 3-7-8-10 with 4-5-6-8.

9th race – (5) Sprawl turned in a game effort in a stakes and should prove best here. (8) Taishan arrives from Santa Anita and merits some attention here. (4) Trident Hit has been no worse than third in her last three starts and belongs in the exotics. (6) Moliere is coming off a string of sharp efforts and cannot be overlooked. Betting strategy: 5 to win, place. Exacta box: 4-5-6-8.