Plenty of speed in featured sprint

The featured eighth race on Wednesday at Churchill Downs, a second-level dirt sprint allowance with an $80,000 claiming option, looks overloaded with speed. The race could fall apart. Track Mate could be there to pick up the pieces.

Track Mate in his most recent start ran into Built, who, on his day, has proven to be one of the faster dirt sprinters in North America this year. In March, Built sprinted to a 106 Beyer Speed Figure, and he got a 100 when he beat Track Mate in a seven-furlong contest.

Track Mate is a classic one-run sprinter. One might think seven furlongs, the distance he ran in his last two starts, would suit him better than six. One might be mistaken. The cutback to six furlongs Wednesday benefits Track Mate, 6-1 on the morning line and a highly plausible upsetter of the Churchill feature.

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