ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 1, FIVE STAR NAP FIRST RACE

FIVE STAR NAP won smartly first off the claim for trainer Chris Hartman, defeating $30,000 N2L runners in the slop. With rain in the forecast Friday, there seems a good chance she may similarly off conditions. JAMMIN GEMI has rattled off two in a row, though at ‘B’ level tracks - Tampa and Indiana Grande; now steps up slightly in price and invades Churchill; no experience over a wet track. NORTHERN MICHIGAN is disadvantaged by not having raced this year but showed potential in 2016 during a campaign that included a maiden win over the Churchill strip.

SECOND RACE

Let’s win one for THE GIPPER...He is one of four that exit a June 1 starter at Churchill and he ran the best of the lot, finishing second with a wide trip after a somewhat slow start; picks up leading rider Corey Lanerie. DEADLY RULER had a troubled trip in the aforementioned race, which contributed to him fading to sixth as the favorite; has only one truly fast race from six starts, but it did come over this track in May; out of the exacta for just the first time last out, though bear in mind three of his races came against Louisiana breds. THE BOOKMAN is plenty quick and ran respectably to be fourth against NY-bred allowance horses recently at Belmont after breaking his maiden in this third start when on dirt at Keeneland.

THIRD RACE

CHIPIT is aggressively dropped in class after being away from last summer, and though he must overcome a lengthy layoff, he shows a steady foundation of works leading up to his return; owned by the Ramseys, who seem to be “cashing out” with much of their claiming stock. RANK is an aptly named sort, a keen speedy route horse; another moving in with much easier. PATRIOTIC AMERICAN got cooked in a speed duel at this level May 19, and perhaps his first start of the meet can be forgiven, as well - coming against better and after a short layoff; now in the third start of his form cycle, though his 6-0-0-0 local mark does lessen the enthusiasm.

FOURTH RACE

PURE PRAISE sold well at auction earlier this year and performed well in her debut to rally for second after a slow start; comes from a small barn and may offer a degree of value as a result; dam was a sprinter that was a stakes winner at age 2. TOUCHDOWN TROJANS chased the pace and faded to fourth when debuting here earlier in the meet; runs for Asmussen, who excels with youngsters, particularly at Churchill in the spring/summer meet; half to Grade 3 Miesque winner Travesura. DANCING debuts off a series of promising works for trainer Mark Casse; fetched a fat $425,000 at auction at a 2-year-old sale this year; nice pedigree - being by Bernardini and a half to Grade 3 turf winner Dancing Solo.

FIFTH RACE

If the weathermen are correct, it is supposed to rain buckets on Friday - meaning this scheduled turf race has a very good chance of getting moved to the main track. So the picks listed below are for dirt. ROYAL BLESSING, although far more experienced on turf than dirt, is 2 for 4 when racing on the main track - a regular that includes a blowout victory on the Keeneland dirt in April; third in his one race in the slop, however. MEDAL OF COURAGE is probably better suited to racing on dirt than turf, though his best game is sprinting seven furlongs or shorter - hence why he is picked behind ROYAL BLESSING going a mile; at least this race will be a one-turn mile if it does get moved to the main track. AWESOME THOUGHT is obviously regarded as a horse that prefers dirt by his connections, who entered him in this spot as a main-track-only entrant; inconsistent but throws in the occasional strong performance on dirt.

SIXTH RACE

TWIRLING CINNAMON was galloped around the track in the rear half of the field after bobbling at

the start in a $16,000 race here Apr. 29; expecting new trainer Tom Amoss to get him back on track after getting to know him for the last couple months; a class drop to $10,000 should also be what the doctor ordered. TRUE TEN has recorded three straight rear-half finishes and continues his descend down the claiming ranks; dangerous with a return to form, SMOKING ROMANCE is a speedy class dropper that might wake up a bit with blinkers coming off; on the board in 4 of 5 dirt starts at Churchill. Here comes another grass race that seems likely to get moved to the main track if it rains as heavily as the weathermen forecast...so with that in mind the choice is main-track-only entrant SMELLY CAT, who ran respectably to be third on turf last out on a surface he doesn’t like as much as dirt; tactical enough to sit close to what should be a slow pace. BAETYKATY is a dirt specialist and looms the controlling speed, though she enjoyed an easy lead last time and still weakened to third. MERILORE was a bit disappointing when fifth most recently in a one-turn race after winning a $32,000 claimer here around two turns over BAETYKATY.

EIGHTH RACE

5-1 shot TOTALITY is cut back to a sprint after being too keen when racing off the pace in a route and ending up fifth; won his only race in a sprint over this track in October of last year; stakes placed and loaded with pedigree. HEARTWOOD hails from the Asmussen barn, just like TOTALITY. He broke his maiden in his fourth start, doing so fairly nicely, but is untested vs. winners. HOLLOW

POINT showed potential at 2 last year with a third behind multiple graded winner McCraken and then with a win over the now stakes-placed Local Hero; went to the sidelines after a disappointing fifth when tested in a route Dec. 26; quick works at Keeneland leading up to his return.

NINTH RACE

ISOTOPE work up first-time Amoss with a closing third in a similar spot June 2, and now makes her second start off a lengthy layoff; eligible to move forward again. INDIAN TRICK has shown she fits with these types, having run second in three of her last four starts; apprentice up is winless in 30 mounts this year but knows this mount. FAIRYBROOK has been competitive against classier in routes and now drops in for her lowest tag; ranks third given that she ran poorly in two of three sprints earlier in her career, though against straight maidens.