Pick 3 of the Week: Churchill Downs Saturday, June 6

The Pick 3 of the Week will come from Churchill Downs on Saturday and starts off with a pair of maiden contests.

Race 6 Wager

• $2 Pick 3: 3,4,5,10,11 with 10 with 4,6,9,11 ($40)

Race 6 – Maiden Special Weight

A full field of boys will run 1 1/8 miles in a tricky opening piece of the sequence. Trainer Will Walden has pressed a lot of the right buttons at the meeting and will send out first-timer #3 Instantly (8-1) in the heat. The $325,000 weanling purchase has posted a solid string of works in advance of his unveiling, and the Not This Time gelding has to get a look with Concepcion in the irons. 

European import #4 Grand Premiere (2-1), Brad Cox’s #5 Act of Parliament (10-1), the Grade-2 placed #10 Let’s Be Frank (3-1), and Todd Pletcher’s #11 Sigfrid (12-1) each seem like potential win threats in the wide-open grassy event. 

Race 7 – Maiden Special Weight

Fillies and mares will speed seven-eighths on the dirt in the middle leg. It’s tricky to single a deep closer in a sprint on the main oval, but #10 Couplet (7-5) looks best in the dash for trainer Michael McCarthy. Juddmonte homebred closed with big energy to be a clear third in a deep dash on Kentucky Oaks Day and landed in a very winnable spot in her second outing. The Gun Runner filly took a bit of money in her unveiling and seems set to graduate with Danny Sheehy taking the reins. 

Race 8 – Allowance

A first-level allowance tilt to be run at 1 1/16 miles on the lawn will close out the play. #4 Sumood (3-1) is the one to beat for Brendan Walsh. The Kitten’s Joy gelding has won or placed in each of his seven career tries to date, which includes a runner-up finish to a nice one on this course in his last showing. The chestnut owns five second-place finishes compared to one victory, which is a concern, but he has to be on the ticket nonetheless, with Gaffalione in the silks. 

#6 Chambersville (12-1) was a close third in a deep field at Keeneland two back and will be a major contender with something resembling that performance for McPeek. The Twirling Candy colt has a pair of turf-winning siblings and will be well placed turning for home under Esquivel. Cherie DeVaux’s #9 Vermelho (4-1) went last-to-first in a Keeneland maiden event in his first run on the lawn and could be any kind going forward. The Dale Romans-trained #11 Patrol Squad Six (15-1) cuts back from 1 3/16 miles, and the solid late runner will be dangerous if the pace backs up in the lane.