McGee: Churchill pick four play for Friday, May 3, 2019

With the utmost confidence in a couple of races in the Friday pick four ending with the Kentucky Oaks – and a lesser amount of confidence, you might say, in the other two – I will take a crack at this sequence with two singles and two wide spreads.

Here’s the layout (pre-scratches):

Race 8: BLUE PRIZE (2) has been a genuine phenom over the Churchill Downs surface (three graded stakes wins) over the last 18 months or so, and as a stretch runner who stands to benefit from a lot of pace in the La Troienne, she’s a single here. What about the six-month layoff, you say? Well, Ignacio Correas is one of the most underrated conditioners around, and with 16 (not a misprint) timed workouts under her belt since mid-January at Tampa, this classy mare will be plenty fit. Looking for Joe Bravo to give her a great trip and ride from the 2-hole.

Race 9: The Bob Baffert trainee on the AEs, SOUL STREIT (15), would depress the price if he happened to draw in and win, but with or without him, this 2x allowance smack in the middle of all the major stakes and the late multi's sure does have a tricky look to it. I’ll take some shots while simultaneously protecting when also using the Calumet entry of AMERICAN TATTOO (1) and FUNNY DUCK (1A), as well as RUGBYMAN (2), SOLID WAGER (7), HOME BASE (8), MOJO MAN (9), and FUEL THE BERN (12).

Race 10: One of the freaks of recent seasons, WORLD OF TROUBLE (6), not only won a Grade 1 last out, but he now returns to his preferred surface and distance for Jason Servis, who’s winning at his usual 30-percent rate. This colt will be 3-5 or so, but yeah, he’ll be putting on a show as the proverbial bingo free space.

Race 11: A fascinating renewal of the Kentucky Oaks is absolutely filled with speed, and the longest shot of the day is one of these speedsters wiring the field. Nope, ain’t gonna happen. Instead, I’ll bank entirely on too-fast fractions setting the table for something that can rally from off the pace while also counting on favored Bellafina to get caught up in the heat. Landing here with an assortment of bombs and logical plays: CHOCOLATE KISSES (2), LADY APPLE (3), JAYWALK (7), CHAMPAGNE ANYONE (10), STREET BAND (12), RESTLESS RIDER (14), and the Chad AE if she gets in, DUNBAR ROAD (15).

Here’s the straight-A ticket:

R8: 2

R9: 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15

R10: 6

R11: 2, 3, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15

$1 ticket = $49

Here’s the DRF TicketMaker™ link.