King: How I'll play Churchill Downs for Friday, Nov. 25

With a couple of singles to keep cost down, here's a small pick five play at Churchill on Friday that begins on the eighth race and concludes with the 12th and final on the card.

Race 8
6 - FINLEY'SLUCKYCHARM acts like a graded stakes filly in the making, and is simply fastest. She comes off two straight victories over the Churchill strip, earning Beyer Speed Figures in the mid 90s. She is the first single.

Race 9
Contention runs deeper in the ninth race, and the strategy is to go three deep, using ROYAL OBSESSION (11), IMPROV (6), and FUHRIOUSLY KISSED (2). ROYAL OBSESSION is the class of the race, but out of action since running 11th in the Kentucky Oaks – hence the need to use the other two fillies in case she doesn’t return at full strength.

Race 10
The Mrs. Revere will likely be won by one of the two horses exiting the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup – so let’s just go with those fillies, HARMONIZE (8) and HAWKSMOOR (11). The former rallied to second in the Queen Elizabeth II, while the latter was third after doing the dirty work pressing the pace.

Race 11
The Clark seems wide open, with HOPPERTUNITY (9), EFFINEX (2), and GUN RUNNER (1) appealing on class drops out of Breeders’ Cup contests and NOBLE BIRD (6) dangerous with his controlling speed. Let’s throw them all in the mix.

Race 12
Last up in the pick five sequence is a $7,500 claimer, where veteran BOB'S GONE WILD (4) looms the class, dropping after a runner-up finish in a starter.

The Play
Playing the horses outlined above in numerical order, a $0.50 Pick 5 of 6 with 2,6,11 with 8,11 with 1,2,6,9 with 4 costs $12.