Analyzing a tournament and carryovers at Churchill, Woodbine

Two Super High 5 carryovers (one with a mandatory payout) and an enticing tournament are among the Saturday betting opportunities at Churchill Downs and Woodbine.

Churchill Downs: $1,617 Super High 5 carryover, $250 Feeder tournament

In addition to a $1,617 Super High 5 carryover up for grabs in Race 2, Churchill Downs is the focus of a $250 Churchill Downs Feeder to 11/23 Churchill Downs KDBC/NHC Qualifier tournament on TwinSpires. Bet your entire $150 bankroll across at least five races at Churchill Downs ($15 minimum per race) to climb the leaderboard.

Race 2 is a $50,000 maiden claimer for fillies and mares racing 1 1/16 miles on dirt. Only seven horses have entered. We’ll favor #4 Heart Headed Woman (2-1), who is dropping in class out of maiden special weights. During the spring she hit the board in a couple of route races at Churchill Downs, earning sharp Brisnet Speed ratings. Trainer Thomas Drury Jr. strikes at a 20% rate with horses dropping from maiden special weight to maiden claiming company, so chances are Hearted Headed Woman will produce a competitive run.

If there are any scratches from Race 2, the Super High 5 carryover will instead be offered in Race 3, a maiden special weight for juveniles dashing six furlongs on dirt. A couple of experienced entrants are appealing. #9 Camp Hale (3-1) finished second by three-quarters of a length in his debut over this distance and class level at Keeneland, earning a strong 90 Brisnet Speed rating. #11 Guns Loaded (4-1) ran almost as fast in his debut racing seven furlongs at Saratoga, overcoming a stumbling start to finish second with an 86.

Super High 5 bettors should consider building tickets around Camp Hale and Guns Loaded, counting on one to win and the other to finish in the top three. Meanwhile, tournament players might want to box Camp Hale and Guns Loaded in an $8 exacta (total cost $16).

Woodbine: $191,881 Super High 5 mandatory payout

A couple of graded stakes are on the Saturday card at Woodbine, but the highlight for bettors is the USD $191,881 (CAD $268,633) Super High 5 carryover slated for mandatory payout.

The 20-cent wager is available to play in Race 12, a $15,000 claimer for horses who have never won three races. The 1 1/16-mile Tapeta contest has drawn 11 entries, and one horse you’ll definitely want to use on your tickets—including on top—is #8 Sammy Stone (4-1).

Sammy Stone has primarily competed on turf as of late. But he’s cracked the trifecta in seven of his eight starts on Tapeta. He recently returned to the surface to finish second by one length in a seven-furlong $25,000 claimer for non-winners of three races.

That effort yielded a strong 82 Brisnet Speed rating, which stacks up well against Saturday’s field. Stretching out over 1 1/16 miles shouldn’t be an issue (he won over this distance on turf two starts back), so dropping in class for a $15,000 claimer should allow Sammy Stone to vie for victory.

Good luck!