BetAmerica’s horse racing pick of the day: May 28, Churchill Downs

Weekday picks and plays for Thoroughbred racing.

Thursday, May 28

Churchill Downs, Race 2: Maiden special weight (5 furlongs, 1:30 p.m. ET)

Steve Asmussen and Mark Casse have been the most successful trainers of unraced 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs in recent years. Both have compiled win rates in excess of 20% with juvenile first-time starters since the beginning of 2016, and they’ll be well represented Thursday with #3 Beautiful Memories (2-1 on the morning line) and #11 Bossy Moment (5-2).

Beautiful Memories, from Casse’s barn, has been cranking out fast workouts like there’s no tomorrow — 3 furlongs in :35 3/5, 4 furlongs in :48 1/5, 5 furlongs in 1:00, 4 furlongs in :46 3/5, and 4 furlongs in :47 3/5. The latter two were from the starting gate, which suggests this John Oxley homebred has the speed to be a serious racehorse.

Bossy Moment has also posted sharp workouts for Asmussen, including a couple half-mile drills from the Keeneland starting gate in :47 and :47 1/5.

Beautiful Memories and Bossy Moment appear to rank a cut above their rivals, so let’s box them in the exacta and hope they run 1-2, in either order.

$15 exacta box: 2,11 ($30)

Good luck!