Mandatory payout in Single 6 jackpot Sunday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs will have run six graded stakes Thursday through Saturday, with trainers and jockeys competing for some big money before leaving town for warmer climates.

But on Sunday, the 21st and final day of the fall meet, it’s quite possible that the big scores will be made by horseplayers, not horsemen.

The Single 6 jackpot has gone unswept every day since the meet opened Oct. 30, and through Thursday, it stood at $154,719. Assuming no perfect solo tickets were purchased Friday or Saturday, bettors will dig deep Sunday for winners when a mandatory dispersal of the Single 6 pool is in effect as a 12-race card closes what has been another eventful meet.

If precedent holds, more than $500,000 in new handle seems likely. On closing night of the 2016 spring meet, fans bet nearly $2.2 million chasing a rollover pool of $716,447.

The 20-cent single six runs from races 7 to 12. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern, with the first race in the sequence at 3:57. Here’s a quick rundown:

◗ Race 7: Shootout drops in class following a 10-week layoff for Mike Maker, who will be the leading trainer at the meet, but he’s no cinch in one of the trickier races of the sequence. Many players will go deep in this low-end conditioned claimer by also using Giocouragement, Sky Wonder, Counton Claire, and perhaps a few others from an oversubscribed lineup.

◗ Race 8: If you didn’t get enough of handicapping 2-year-old maiden races here Saturday, when all 12 races were restricted to juveniles, here’s one more to satisfy. The Gipper improved noticeably in his second start for Brad Cox and could be a slight favorite in a cast that includes two others who ran okay first out, Unbridled West and Proforma, along with a handful of intriguing first-timers.

◗ Race 9: There’s no obvious standout in this seven-furlong race for $30,000 conditioned claimers, as Zanotti, Uncle James, and Perfect Saint could be among the most heavily used. What’s Your Thesis deserves a close look while going from turf to dirt and stretching out on a subtle class drop for Tim Glyshaw.

◗ Race 10: Only eight horses are entered in this nominal feature, a third-level allowance at the odd distance of 7 1/2 furlongs, which is something of a little break for those trying to winnow down their tickets. Still, it’s difficult to easily dismiss any of these four: Catholic Cowboy, Bold Conquest, Iron Fist, and Financial Modeling.

◗ Race 11: Uncle Guy, Approvethismessage, Zambian, and Go Navy Go all should draw notice in a tough first-level allowance scheduled for a mile on turf, but there are a few sleepers to consider in yet another real scramble, including Araqeel, Smart Moon, Southern Wild, and Explosive Kowboy.

◗ Race 12: Singleton drops boldly in class right away off the Maker claim in this meet finale, but he sure doesn’t have to win. Anyone alive into this final leg will probably want to have as much coverage as reasonably possible, meaning they’d have to use Tonbo, Pitch Count, Ussery’s Alley, Dunk a Din, and maybe even a few more.