McLean’s Selections for Churchill Downs on Nov. 1

All Stats Are Updated

Here are our looks at Churchill Downs today — as we kick start a great week of Thoroughbred racing. It’s Breeders’ Cup Week. Yeah. Heck Yeah.

1st: 3-6/4-7/2-5/1…Hero’s Medal (3) is 4-5 in the ML and probably worth the $75,000 asking price here. Drops into the claiming races for the first time. Barn wins with .16% of the last 37 to drop for the first time. Gets the Commonwealth’s best rider. Jockey has gone 14-3-5 in the last 43. Look out. We Will Conquer (6) drops after a 2nd at MSW level at Horseshoe Indy. Barn wins with .24% when routing for the first time. I bet the 3 across the board and double down on the win bet. I box the 3-6 in the exactas. I will key the 3-6 over/under the 4-7-2-5-1 in two smaller units. 

2nd: 5-7/4-6-3/1/2…Rewire (5) drops another rung here, and gets the blinkers off. Barn wins with .23% of the last 82 to lose the shade. Has gone 1-1-1 in 3 starts here and hot rider up for the first time. One to beat. Platinum Ghost (7) has run well here, too, going 1-0-1 in two starts. Won here in June. I bet the 5 across the board and double down on the win wager. I box the 5-7 in the exactas. I key the 5-7 over/under the 4-6-3-1-2 in two smaller units. 

3rd: 3-7/4-5/2-8/1-6…Smokin Richie (3) is the first Upset Special. Was claimed two starts ago. Barn wins with .22% of the last 64 to ship into a location. Love the 10-1 odds. Rider is aggressive and should shoot this one right to the front. Hope he holds on. Best of Greeley (7) has run 47 times in the career and earned over $317,000. Not bad for a grinder. Has gone 2-3-1 in 10 starts here and won the last time at The Shoe. Don’t leave out. I bet the 3-7 across the board and then box these two in the exactas. 

4th: 12-8/2-4/1-7-10-11-(13)/3-5-6-9…Whatta World (12) was claimed last time out and the new barn wins with .23% on first ask. Bets the blinkers on here, too and the barn wins with .19% of those adding the shades. Gets a hot, hot rider. Lots to like. Brown as a Biscuit (8) gets a top rider for the first run and the trainer is having another super good meet. Barn has won with .25% of 154 starts this year. Take a note here. Sharp work. Must use for me. I bet the 12-8 across the board and then box these two sternly in the exactas. I will key the 12-8 over/under the 2-4-1-7-10-11 in two smaller units. 

5th: 5-9-(14)/(12)-2-8-10/4//1-6-7…Going the Distance (5) nearly won last time out and just tired at the end. Barn wins with .20% with sprinters. Look for this one to try the front end again. Theroanrunner (9) gets the blinkers on here and the barn wins with .15% of the last 88 to don the shades for the first time. Could help the focus level. I bet the 5-9 across and then box the top 3 numbers in the exactas. I will key the 5-9 over/under the 14-12-2-8-10-4 in two smaller units. 

6th: 5-8/3-9-7/1/2-6-4…Pineland (5) is a first time starter and this one is training very well for a young trainer, who is off to a very solid start this year. Has won with .24% of the first 116 to go to the gate. Rider is new to these parts, too, and is holding their own. I like the 10-1 ML odds here. In. Barnstorming (8) comes form the Brad Cox barn. Enough. I bet the 5-8 across and then box these two in the exactas. I will key the 5-8 over/under the 3-9-7-1 in two smaller units. 

7th: 8-3/11-(14)-1-7-9/4-5-12/2-6-(13)/10…Pillbox (8) drops another rung in the claiming game. Almost won last time out, but tired late. Drop should help and so should the switch in riders. Look out here. Look. Out. I bet the 8 across the board and double down on the win wager. I box the 8-3 in the exactas. I will key the 8-3 over/under the 11-14-1-7-9 in two smaller units. 

8th: 2-3/1-4-6/7-5//8-9…Strikingly Spun (2) has a win in only previous try here and ran well over the sod at KY Downs. It’s a top rider up for the first time since 2022. Should respond. Junipermarshmallow (3) gets Lasix for the first time and this barn wins with .23% when adding the anti-bleeder. Gets a top rider up too and this one has 2 wins in 4 starts. Looks the part on paper. I bet the 2-3 across and then box these two in the exactas. I will key the 2-3 over/under the 1-4-6-7-5 in two smaller units. 

9th: 4-7-9/1/3/5/2/6-8-10…Huntress for Hire (4) has hit the board in 3 of 5 lifetime tries. Nearly won here on Sept. 21. Similar effort here could bankroll. Sultry Lass (7) goes for a top trainer and a great, great friend. Top breeding with this 4YO filly and comes off a win. But that was in February. Long time between sips, but the works are good. I bet the 4 across and then box the top 3 in the exactas. I will key the top 3 numbers over/under the 1-3 in two smaller units. 

10th: 1-11/5-9/2/6-8/3-7-10-4…The day’s finale is a 1-mile MC event for the 2YOs and I roll with the railbird — Honest Opinion (10). Ran well at the MSW level at The Shoe on debut in September. Drops to the tag here. Worth a shot, IMO. I bet the 1 across and double down on the win wager. I will box the 1-11 in the exactas. I will key the 1-11 over/under the 5-9-2-6-8 in two smaller units. 

Good Luck & All the Best / Gene