ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 9, AWESOME FU

FIRST RACE

SULTRY is fast-working first timer by win-early sire Malibu Moon; twice went a half mile in 47 and change, suggesting she is speedy. OUR GIRL ABBY has an experience edge, having already made three starts - a pair of thirds and a second; was a little disappointing in her latest when beaten 6 lengths here as the favorite. SNOWFIRE is a Tapit first timer out of graded winner Upperline that cost $500,000 at auction; training swiftly for Casse. Also worthy of consideration is TRUE DREAM, who finished well to grab third in her lone race April 20, though she only shows two works since leading up to her return.

SECOND RACE

12-1 longshot RUNNING BACK impressed in blowing past rivals to win a claiming race last out for his current connections, doing so despite a slow start; sharp work hints that race wasn’t a fluke. GETTYSBURG acts like the class of the race, but hasn’t raced since October of last year when second at Keeneland; likes to be prominent early and there is plenty of pace in this race. GRAY SKY has been competitive in recent starts but is 22-1-6-6 over his career and therefore seems best restricted to the bottom of the gimmicks.

THIRD RACE

HOMESPUN HERO, out of action since a flat fourth at Keeneland Apr. 3, looks capable of rebounding after a freshening; steady works and proven fresh. CONTROL STAKE is returned to his preferred surface on dirt after a pair of fifths in optional claiming turf sprints; speedy and 8 for 17 on dirt. PADEN was a narrow winner of a May 25 race against first-level allowance horses; once time low-end claimer is at his best at Churchill, where he has scored 8 of his 9 career victories.

FOURTH RACE

HARLAN PUNCH has settled for far too many seconds over his career (5 times in 15 starts) which likely explains why trainer Tom Amoss is removing his blinkers, seemingly in an attempt to get him over this N2L hump. He certainly finds the right group. COMBAT CONTROLLER grew keen behind a slow pace last out but still performed well to win going away; likely capable of even better - note he was second to eventual Illinois Derby winner Multiplier in March at Fair Grounds. STONE joins a successful claiming barn, and though in suspect recent form, has plenty of back class going back to 2016.

FIFTH RACE

AIRCRAFT CARRIER returned from a long hiatus to narrowly miss when second in a maiden race here last month, and from that race the third-place finisher subsequently returned to win. MUNDY ROAD is another that comes off a runner-up finish. Never worse than fourth in four starts on grass, he owns the top last-race Beyer, a 75. ETTALUSIVE adds blinkers following a couple thirds in maiden races on the grass in Kentucky this spring; a little light Beyerwise but fits on form.

SIXTH RACE

CLEVER SERVE is a later runner with a history of minor awards, but willing to cut her some slack regarding her inability to win to this point since she has been matched against better. 11 of her 12 races have come in straight maiden races, and now she goes for maiden $30,000. ENCHANTING EMBRACE is a speedy maiden special weight dropper who has struggled to finish; likely to show more staying power against this cheaper company, particularly if able to poke her head in front at some stage. CORONA MESA experienced a rough trip when debuting at Arlington May 20 in a race transferred from turf to the Poly; quick works at Churchill suggest this one has more potential than what she displayed that day.

SEVENTH RACE

MINES AND MAGIC scratched out of the Grade 3 Chicago Handicap over the weekend to land in this allowance instead; finds a sweet spot after losing