King: Taking a swing at Single Six with pair of key horses

For much of the Churchill Downs spring meet, bettors have been chasing the Single Six jackpot, hoping to be the lone soul to hit the ticket and thereby take down the entire prize. Thus far, it has proved elusive, but on closing night Saturday, the rules change, necessitating a mandatory payoff.

If the bet wasn’t hit Thursday night or Friday afternoon, it is not unreasonable to expect a carryover of $750,000 or more to be infused into the pool Saturday. That would represent only a modest increase of the Thursday night carryover of more than $671,000.

Here is a look at the sequence and a budget-minded play, with horses ranked as “A” or “B” runners based on their relative chances of winning. Horses can then be inserted into DRF’s TicketMaker program to compile a variety of tickets, emphasizing more on the “A” runners.

I’m going with two singles, Southern Wild in the fifth race and Walking the Kitten in the ninth.

Race 4

A’s: Bud Dee Love (10), Dionysus (6), Show Bound (7)

B: Ransom (4), Cultivate (9)

In a competitive maiden $50,000 claimer, I slightly prefer Bud Dee Love, Dionysus, and Show Bound over the rest – though I can’t rule out the comebacking Ransom and longshot Cultivate, who offers blow-up potential to the wager.

Race 5

A: Southern Wild (8)

Gotta take a stand somewhere, and this seems like an early chance to do so. Southern Wild enters this three-turn turf race with sharp form and flashy Beyer Speed Figures, plus being by staying sire Lemon Drop Kid bodes well for his chances of staying 1 3/8 miles.

Race 6

A’s: Mutation (9), Nueces (1)

B’s: Dance Champion (6), Sail Maker (2)

Mutation and Nueces are the proffered runners in this $15,000 claimer, with Mutation being the classiest runner and Nueces the in-form horse.

Still, it is the kind of conditioned claimer in which it is difficult to feel too much confidence. I will throw Dance Champion and Sail Maker in the mix as backup “B” runners. Dance Champion has back class, and Sail Maker joins a winning barn off the claim.

Race 7

A’s: Capt. Grider (7), Recruiting Ready (9)

B’s: Riv (5), Tip Tap Tapizar (3), Classic Empire (1)

Capt. Grider was a first-out winner of a maiden race April 27 at Keeneland, rallying from five lengths off the pace, suggesting he ought to like the stretch out to six furlongs. He ranks as an “A” runner, along with dominant first-out winner Recruiting Ready.

Backing them up in the Bashford Manor will be a trio of runners with potential: Riv, Tip Tap Tapizar, and Classic Empire. They don’t seem as likely as either of the top two, but wouldn’t surprise.

Race 8

A’s: Anna’s Bandit (2), China Grove (10), Tricky One (5)

B: Country Candy (4)

Anna’s Bandit and China Grove have already shown they are stakes-quality runners heading into the Debutante, while Tricky One impressed with a win at first asking for trainer Steve Asmussen, who has long dominated this race.

I’m not sure I entirely trust Lone Star invader Country Candy, but she did run quickly in winning her lone start, and I’ll use her as a backup “B” play.

Race 9

A: Walking the Kitten (7)

Although Walking the Kitten has lost a number of times as the favorite, she still rates as a single on the basis of a nose defeat May 27 and being matched against younger horses that lack her speed figures or experience.

The Play: Unless a scratch occurs among the horses I like – with a 20-cent minimum on the wager an all-A ticket played three times, five “A” and one “B” combos twice, and a ticket with four “A’s” and two “B’s” in single combinations would cost $102.30.