Churchill Downs: $81,671 Single 6 carryover set for Sunday dispersal

Although the Nov. 6-7 Breeders’ Cup has understandably dominated the attention of bettors this week, we would be remiss for failing to highlight the $81,671 Single 6 carryover pool slated for a mandatory dispersal on Sunday at Churchill Downs.

Assuming you’re not exhausted from the excitement of the Breeders’ Cup, why not give the Single 6 a spin and see if you can win a share of the jackpot?

Thursday recap

Although favorites won two of the first four races on Thursday at Churchill Downs, they struggled during the Single 6 sequence, failing to claim a single victory. Following a trio of upsets in the 8-1 to 9-1 range, the $0.20-cent Single 6 returned $10,985.28—short of the $25,615.35 generated by a theoretical $2 win parlay across the six winners, but not a bad payoff for an inexpensive jackpot-style Pick 6.

Sunday insights

It’s safe to say the Sunday sequence is the one of the toughest we’ve seen at Churchill Downs this meet. With 74 horses entered across the six races (averaging 12.3 horses per race), there are plenty of options to consider, and standout favorites are hard to find.

Case in point is Race 5, a $10,000 claiming race for fillies and mares who have never won two races. Ten horses have been entered, and most are evenly-matched from a Brisnet Speed rating perspective. You can argue #5 Better Biz (7-2) might hold a slim edge while dropping in class and adding blinkers, but she never challenged at all when competing for a $30,000 tag at Keeneland last month, making her tough to trust at a short price. The "ALL" button might be necessary to survive the opening leg of the Single 6.

Fortunately, Race 8—a $20,000 claiming event for non-winners of two races lifetime—looks a little more manageable. #7 Soaring Bird (4-1) held his own against tough allowance company at Oaklawn last winter and has posted six straight Brisnet Speed ratings in the 85-92 range, stamping him as the fastest horse in Sunday’s field.

Soaring Bird hasn’t run since April, but trainer Al Stall strikes at a 23% rate with runners returning from layoffs of 90 days or more, so I’m optimistic Soaring Bird will bring his A-game to Churchill Downs. If I were required to single a horse in the Single 6 sequence, I would lean toward Soaring Bird.

Good luck!