After an Opening Day card that saw an average Win price of $7.38 and just two winners pay over $10, they are back at it for the second day of the meet at Churchill Downs. The 9-race card is an addition to the calendar from years’ past and kicks off at 12:45 PM eastern. Here are a few horses I plan to build my Sunday around in Louisville.


Race 2:
This auction-restricted MSW event for 2YO fillies at 4.5-furlongs over the main track kicks off the early Pick 4 and is wide-open considering 9 of the 11 runners entered are making their first career start. The two fillies that have competed were both outrun on debut at Keeneland on April 8 and appear to be up against once again despite the experience edge. Therefore, like most I will try a first-time starter. #5 Go New York Go shipped up from Florida in the middle of the month for trainer Chad Summers. Summers has not started a 2YO in Kentucky over the last 5 years, but is 4 for 20 overall in that time span with juveniles making their first start in a dirt sprint. Summers attracts Luis Saez on this daughter of Knicks Go that fired a bullet 3-furlong drill over this surface last Sunday. She is out of a mare that produced a first out winner at Oaklawn Park last spring with her first foal and appears ready to fire fresh. I will give the daughter of Knicks Go a shot to get my day started under the twin spires.

Play: #5 Go New York Go (9-2 ML)


Race 6:
The pace may not be totally to his liking in this third-level allowance at 5.5-furlongs over the grass, but the price should be right to wager on #7 Sine Qua Non. The Doubledown Stables gelding makes his first start of the year for trainer Jimmy Divito after rattling off a pair of wins going away at Hawthorne to end his 4YO season. The son of Yoshida competed mainly in two-turn races out west to start his career before heading to Illinois and rattling off three consecutive strong runs from off-the-pace before returning to the sidelines. He comes in from Oaklawn Park off a bit of a bumpy work tab, but was likely pointed for this spot at some point this winter. Hopefully, he is ready to fire big off the layoff and gets a better setup than it appears on paper.

Play: #7 Sine Qua Non (8-1 ML)


Race 9:
The card concludes with this first-level allowance at two-turns over the grass where California import #3 Brilliantly was made the 3-1-ML favorite. The daughter of Uncle Mo was probably not set out to be a turf horse since she landed in the hands of Bob Baffert, but did her earn her lone win over the grass before competing against stakes company on the dirt this winter. She is capable of wiring out this field like she did that day, but will probably be over bet. I prefer #1 Midway Memories. The 4YO filly makes her second start off the layoff for Chad Brown after getting handled easily by her stablemate Portfolio Duration. She does not meet anyone though at that gal’s level in this spot, moves to an inside post, and attracts Irad Ortiz for the first time. I expect her to be a bit closer to the early pace today and finishing with a lot more energy.

Play: #1 Midway Memories (4-1 ML)