Churchill Downs: How to bet the $14,604 Super High 5 carryover

No one solved the $1 Super High 5 in the final race at Churchill Downs on Friday, triggering a $14,604 carryover into Saturday’s card.

Churchill Downs: Race 1: $14,604 Super High 5 carryover (12:45 p.m. ET)

The prize pool is up for grabs right off the bat in Race 1, a $30,000 claimer for horses who have never won two races. The 6 1/2-furlong dirt dash has drawn eight horses, and we rank #5 Pop Paul (3-1) as a logical win contender.

Wager

• $1 Super High 5: 1,5 with 1,5 with 4,6,7 with 2,4,6,7 with 2,4,6,7,8 ($54)

Pop Paul has run well in two starts at Santa Anita this year. First, he pressed the pace on his way to dominating a 5 1/2-furlong $20,000 maiden claimer by 3 1/4 lengths. Then he dueled for the lead in a six-furlong $32,000 claimer for non-winners of two races before weakening to finish second. Those efforts earned improving Brisnet Speed ratings of 81 and 83, which stack up well against Friday’s field.

Pop Paul’s chief rival may prove to be #1 Skynet (4-1). He earned Brisnet Speed ratings of 85 and 87 when finishing second and first in a pair of six-furlong $30,000 maiden claimers at Ellis Park last summer. Skynet hasn’t run since August, but if he picks up where he left off, he’s fast enough to vie for a second straight victory.

We’ll build our Super High 5 tickets around Pop Paul and Skynet, counting on them to run 1-2 in either order. Underneath, we’ll use five other horses to varying degrees.

#2 Muir Woods (8-1) is intriguing after leading all the way to win a $30,000 maiden claimer sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta at Turfway Park. Although he faltered in his lone dirt start to date, that was a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight, and he may be better sprinting.

#4 Dispersion (10-1) opened his career with three defeats on Tapeta before switching to dirt for a seven-furlong $20,000 maiden claimer at Keeneland, which he won by a nose. The three-year-old gelding still has upside and can’t be counted out of the mix for a top-five finish.

#6 Landing Craft (5-2) is the morning-line favorite. He’s been out of form as of late, but dropping down the class ladder in his second start for trainer Joe Sharp could trigger a rebound. The presence of five-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. adds to the appeal.

#7 Nash Potatoes (8-1) exits a victory in a seven-furlong $20,000 maiden claimer at Keeneland. The 77 Brisnet Speed rating he received suggests he’s fast enough to challenge for a top-five finish on Saturday.

#8 Longstrider (12-1) competed against maiden special weight, allowance, and stakes competition as a juvenile last year. Tackling the claiming ranks and adding Lasix may help Longstrider factor in his three-year-old debut.

Good luck!