With $40,000 in the jackpot, Single 6 deserves renewed attention

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Through the first two weeks at the abbreviated September meet, the rollover jackpot in the Single 6 has gone unswept – and largely ignored – by Churchill Downs bettors.

But with daily incremental increases and a mandatory payout set for the end of the 11-day meet Sunday, some players probably will find themselves doing a little more handicapping of the six-race sequence this week.

The first opportunity will come amid the Thursday twilight card, when the final four-day stretch of the meet starts at 5 p.m. Eastern. With just eight races on tap, the Single 6 spans races 3 through 8, with $40,207 in the till. A solo winning ticket is required for a jackpot sweep.

Here’s a quick rundown:

Race 3: There’s an obvious single in this $20,000 maiden-claiming sprint in Glennwood, a 6-5 morning-line choice for trainer Brad Cox. The Zayat Stables homebred ran respectably as an odds-on favorite in his Ellis Park debut and will be heavily favored again. Nasty Critter and Majestic Force will have to do lots better to upset.

Race 4: Steve Asmussen and Ricardo Santana Jr. will be looking to stay hot from their huge Sunday night in Oklahoma when they team in this $25,000 filly-mare turf route with Industrial Policy, who fits as well as any. Other players include Maryblueeyes and Queenofthepalace, while Tiz Taken Back and La Majestique are usable longshots.

Race 5: Churchill linemaker Mike Battaglia has the favorite at 4-1 in this field of 10 maiden-special 2-year-old fillies, which tells you pretty much everything you want to know about its depth. Take your best guess among first-timers Skeptic, Royal Road, Miz K, and Lady Warrior, while also considering any of those with a race or two of experience, such as Shanghai Tariff and Wine Halo.

Race 6: The main contenders in this bottom-rung conditioned claimer are question marks because they are going turf to dirt and from two turns to one – most notably Very Elegant, Benchmark Babe, and In Focus. The others are just going to have to improve to make it through this never-won-two level.

Race 7: The morning line suggests this allowance feature is a real toss-up, but the Cox filly Monomoy Girl could be a solid favorite after making what Indiana Grand announcer Bill Downes called “a huuuge move” in winning her debut earlier this month. Moonlight Rain exits a stakes for Mark Casse and also rates highly.

Race 8: Not unlike the fifth race, this maiden-special sprint for 2-year-old fillies is a real puzzler. If you want to be alive for a big hit, you’ll probably want to use more than half of the field of 11, including Jan One, Foxtrot Sally, Golden Rose, Elusive Truth, and Querceta.