Friday last chance to claim Churchill Downs’ Single 6 Jackpot before mandatory payout

The Single 6 Jackpot at Churchill Downs has gone un-hit, and the carryover will be $309,368 heading into Friday’s 11-race card, the last chance to take down the Jackpot before the carryover all goes to a mandatory payout on closing day, Saturday, June 29. Before there is a giant Saturday mandatory payout carryover pool, however, the Single 6 jackpot must remain un-hit through Friday. That’s one more chance for you to get the entire pot. With a 20-cent denomination, you can play many ticket combinations in the Single 6 for an affordable amount of money. Weather may be a factor on Friday, with rain possible both late Thursday and Friday. This is important, obviously, because there are two turf races scheduled in the Friday sequence, and there is a decent possibility the main track could be wet. If you are going to play Churchill’s Single 6 Jackpot Friday, you can simply play it as a normal Pick 6 and go for a non-jackpot payout for the day’s winning tickets. If you hope to land the only winning ticket for the jackpot, however, you will need to include some high-priced long-odds horses on your ticket and hope for the best. Here is a ticket constructed not only to have a shot at the Pick 6, but also to provide some bombs for a chance at the whole pool and the carryover: RACE 6 Waste no time going jackpot hunting by going against the favorites in this seven-furlong optional claiming race to begin the Single 6 Jackpot sequence. TRAPPE VALLEY (#10) (5-1) comes from Arlington in good form and owns more dirt wins than Polytrack wins. The other best contenders here are good prices including GREELEYS CHARM (#7) (8-1), who likes Churchill Downs and is two-for-two at the distance, and FLASH ATTACK (#9) (10-1), who improved at Belterra Park last time with a second behind a repeat next-out winner and has run well on several different circuits. RACE 7 Narrow the 11-horse field in this seven-furlong claiming race down to two main contenders by using ARTEMUS BRIDGE (#3) (3-1), who has been doing very well since switching to dirt at Churchill and now drops in class to a level at which he should win. Artemus Bridge could be a single, but SUMMERDUCK (#8) (4-1) cannot be ignored after winning two of his three starts at the current Churchill meet. He goes first out off the claim by Norman McKnight, who wins 32 percent first off the claim. RACE 8 This 5 1/2-furlong optional claiming dash is the first turf race of the Single 6 Jackpot sequence, and you can try to nail it down with three horses whether the race ends up on the grass or off-the-turf. Go three deep here either way. On the turf or off, the horse to beat is probably SIR NAVIGATOR (#4) (3-1), who destroyed Churchill Downs claimers at six furlongs two races ago and then ran big last time at this distance and level to just miss in a turf sprint by a nose when beating some of these same horses. On the turf, the best upset chances belong to LEINSTER (#3) (9-2) and MISTER MAESTRO (#7) (7-2). If this ends up off the turf, replace the latter two with BEST OF GREELEY (#8) (30-1), who is a dirt horse who likes a wet track, and main-track only entrant CONTROL STAKE (#1A) (10-1). RACE 9 Go four deep in this seven-furlong claiming race with an 11-horse field that could be highly-impacted depending on whether or not the track is wet. D SQUARED (#4) (5-2) returned from a long layoff and reeled off two straight wins at this Churchill meet for Steve Asmussen. He easily could make it three in a row. The x-factor in this race is CRAWL FROM THE BAR (#6) (8-1), a Polytrack horse who makes his career dirt debut in his 10th start here. If he handles this surface he’ll be tough, because his form stacks up very well against this field. Horses who could benefit from a wet track who should be on your tickets are INDIGO YANKEE (#2) (5-1), who won a starter allowance on a sloppy track at Saratoga last season, and FIREHORN (#8) (30-1), who drops in from an allowance last time and ran a good race in the mud at Keeneland last fall. RACE 10 This one-mile high-priced allowance optional claiming race with a full field features a strong-looking favorite and one appealing-looking possible upsetter. Use both. Start with the favorite, GET THE PRIZE (#7) (8-5), who has been knocking on the door here at Churchill Downs at this level with back-to-back runner-up finishes, including one on a fast track and one in the slop. If he ends up coming in second once again, it will likely be because TWELFTH LABOUR (#11) (8-1) beats him. Twelfth Labour broke his maiden here two races ago in fine fashion over a track labeled wet-fast, beating a next-out winner. RACE 11 This maiden special weight going a grassy mile features several main contenders either drawn on the also-eligible or main-track only list. For our Single 6 Jackpot tickets, anywhere from one to three horses from this race will get onto our tickets depending on scratches. As many as two horses from the AEs could get onto our ticket if this race stays on the turf. If it’s off the turf, two horses from the MTOs could be on the ticket. One horse that’s for sure, on turf or off turf, is OUR BAY B RUTH (#10) (5-2), who looks good on either surface. If also-eligibles ELLE M’A SOURI (#11) (5-1) and BRIE’S LUCKY CHARM (#12) (5-2) get in the race on the grass, use either or both. If the race is off the turf then use both MTOs, TEMPERIT (#15) (4-1) and LEMON’S MEDAGLIA (#16) (6-1). The SINGLE 6 JACKPOT ticket for Friday, June 28: Go  3  x  2  x  3  x  4  x  2  for the first five legs, and use 1-3 horses in the final leg depending on scratches. At a .20 denomination, this combination will cost: $28.80 with one starter in race 11 $57.60 with two starters in race 11 $86.40 with three starters in race 11 Here are the numbers: On turf 7, 9, 10  /  3, 8  /  3, 4, 7  /  2, 4, 6, 8  /  7, 11  /  10, 11, 12 Off the turf 7, 9, 10  /  3, 8  /  1a, 4, 8  /  2, 4, 6, 8  /  7, 11  /  10, 15, 16