Vulnerable favorites and live alternatives in Turfway’s $73,004 Single 6 carryover

The winter meet at Turfway Park is gradually winding down, with less than two weeks of racing left on the agenda. But the Single 6 jackpot is still heating up, reaching $73,004 for Wednesday’s eight-race card.

The most recent day of racing at Turfway (Saturday) saw the Single 6 unfold in reasonably predictable fashion, with all six winners starting at less than 9-2. But only one favorite prevailed, and the 20-cent wager ultimately returned $4,687.80, dramatically higher than the $738.46 generated by a theoretical $2 win parlay across the six winners.

In hopes of catching a similarly rich payoff in Wednesday’s Single 6, here are two short-priced favorites worth opposing, along with logical alternatives to play instead:

Race 6 (Maiden Special Weight): #1 Nineeleventurbo (1-1)

Plenty of bettors figure to single the even-money favorite in this one-mile heat, but after finishing second or third in five straight races (including three over Wednesday’s track and distance), it’s fair to wonder if Nineeleventurbo lacks the winning instinct to beat this caliber of competition. He may be one of those runners content to settle for minor awards.

A logical alternative is #6 Editor in Chief (7-5), a $650,000 yearling purchase formerly based in California with trainer Bob Baffert. In his Turfway debut racing 1 1/16 miles last month, Editor in Chief ran off to a daylight lead before weakening to finish fifth with an 81 Brisnet Speed rating, just one point off Nineeleventurbo’s best ratings. Editor in Chief will race with blinkers in his second local start, setting the stage for a mild upset under hot jockey Chris Landeros.

Race 8 ($5,000 Maiden Claiming): #12 Florida Flash (9-5)

Although Florida Flash boasts some of the best Brisnet Speed ratings in the field, he’s done his best running on dirt, just like his sire Constitution (a two-time Grade 1 winner), dam sire Petionville (winner of the Ohio and Louisiana Derbys), and half-brother Strut the Canary (a stakes-winning sprinter). In two starts over the old Polytrack course at Turfway last year, Florida Flash failed to finish better than seventh.

Since Florida Flash is uncertain to handle the switch to synthetic, #4 Captain Billy Roy (2-1) is an appealing alternative. Trainer Michael Tomlinson has been hot at Turfway this winter, and Captain Billy Roy has been running well against $7,500 maiden claiming company, finishing third and fourth in a pair of one-mile heats. Dropping in class, while sticking to the same course and distance, can bring Captain Billy Roy home on top.

Good luck!