Pick 4 of the Week: Churchill Downs Saturday [Sept 13, 2025]

I will focus on the closing four races on the fantastic Saturday card at Churchill Downs, which consists of a trio of black-type events and a maiden dash to close it out. 

Race 8 Wager

• 50-cent Pick 4: 1,7 with 3,4,6 with 1,2,3,7,10 with 4,7,13 ($45)

Race 8 – Iroquois S. (G3)

The opening leg of the sequence will see a field of 10 two-year-olds go a one-turn mile on the main strip. I feel like the heat will ultimately be decided by a pair of contenders to get things started. Strong debut winner #1 Nothing Personal (8-1) looked well worth the $270,000 investment when dominating a decent field at Colonial Downs on August 9. Greg Compton pupil has posted a trio of morning drills in the interim and the son of Violence will have Jaime Rodriguez in the silks. 

Morning-line pick #7 Comport (6-5) was a popular winner of the Juvenile S. at Ellis Park most recently and looms large for Eddie Kenneally. Collected colt ran a pair of big ones beneath the Twin Spires in June and seems well equipped to handle the move to eight panels in this spot under Gaffalione. 

Race 9 – Open Mind S. 

A well-matched field of fillies and mares will vie in the 6 1/2-furlong dash on the dirt. #3 Little Prankster (7-2) loves this surface and I really liked her allowance score at this locale two prior. Phil Bauer trainee drilled a good half-mile in advance of the tilt and will have Jose Ortiz in the silks. 

Grade 1 queen #4 Positano Sunset (2-1) and Juddmonte homebred #6 Impel (2-1) will also make the ticket. 

Race 10 – Louisville Thoroughbred Society S.

I will use a handful of runners in the third piece of the wager. Grade 2 victor #1 World Record (4-1), Kelly’s Landing S. (G3) hero #2 Roll on Big Joe (6-1), Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) second #3 Bentornato (3-1), upset candidate #7 Little Ni (12-1), and the explosive #10 Skelly (7-2) are the leading five. 

Race 11 – Maiden Special Weight

Six furlong heat on the main oval will close out the play. If #13 Subito (2-1) draws into the main body of the field, then he will be my top pick. Mott pupil was a big second at Saratoga on debut in July and rates a huge shot in his local bow. 

#4 Hitchcock (7-2) got a nice foundation as a two-year-old and will be strong with improvement at three for Eurton. Expensive Quality Road colt will have Irad in the silks. Chad Brown’s #7 Nuanced (9-2) has been training locally since the middle of July and the son of good win early sire Complexity should be ready to roll at first asking.