Churchill Downs: Horse racing pick of the day for Nov. 4

Weekday picks and plays for Thoroughbred racing.

Wednesday, Nov. 4

Churchill Downs, Race 8: Allowance optional claiming (1 1/16 miles, 4:36 p.m. ET)

#7 Mailman Money (6-1 on the morning line) showed promise at an early age, when he won his debut sprinting at Churchill Downs as a 2-year-old. The son of Goldencents subsequently stretched out around two turns at Fair Grounds, where he dominated an allowance by 5 3/4 lengths, then finished fourth in a division of the Risen Star (G2).

Unfortunately, Mailman Money went to the sideline, following an 11th-place effort in the Louisiana Derby (G2), and didn’t resume serious training until the summer, which derailed any chance at qualifying to the Kentucky Derby (G1).

When he finally returned to action in a 6-furlong allowance sprint Sept. 27 at Churchill Downs, Mailman Money ran evenly in a fast-paced race and closed ground mildly to finish third.

Mailman Money isn’t the fastest horse in Wednesday’s field, but the stretch back out around two turns could trigger improvement, and I believe he has more upside than some of his rivals. A win bet on Mailman Money will be our primary wager, but we’ll also play him on top of two trifectas, with #5 Sonneman (7-5) keyed underneath.

$15 to win on #7 Mailman Money
$1 trifecta: 7 with 5 with ALL ($5)
$1 trifecta: 7 with ALL with 5 ($5)
Total: $25

Good luck!