Spot Plays for Thurby at Churchill Downs April 30, 2026

You're not going to find Thursday cards as popular as Churchill Downs' "Thurby" program. Total handle exceeded $22 million on the Thurby programs in both 2024 and 2025, and the expectations are for another big betting day this week.

Here are some horses of interest on the 12-race offering.

Race 4: Maiden Claiming, 2:18 p.m. ET

At first glance, #2 Figurine (15-1) looks like a fringe player in this $50,000 maiden claimer for fillies and mares. At the very least, the return to maiden claiming will benefit her. Her lone credible run to date, a closing second-place finish, occurred at this level.

I do think, though, that the switch to turf might trigger her best effort yet. By multiple Grade 1 turf winner Raging Bull, Figurine has two half-siblings that did their best running on the grass. Bold Figure went from low-level maiden claimer to Ellis Park allowance winner when she was switched to the turf, while El Dulce won her debut sprinting on the Saratoga turf.

Another thing to like is the trainer/jockey combo of Ed Moger and Summer Pauly. Over the last 16 months, the pair have won together at a rate approaching 40%. This is the first time Pauly will ride Figurine, whom Moger claimed from the aforementioned good run at Turfway Park back on Jan. 21.

Race 7: Maiden, 4:03 p.m. ET

#4 Cafe Sounion (3-1) was a badly beaten favorite in her U.S. debut at Gulfstream Park, but I'll draw a line through that race for the simple reason it was rained off the turf and held over Gulfstream's synthetic track.

Although she had a case of seconditis in Ireland last summer, she faced far better fillies there than she does here. On June 27, she was beaten less than a length by Composing, who went on to capture a Group 3 and Group 2 in her next two starts. On Aug. 14, Cafe Sounion again earned silver against Precise, who would go on to land the Moyglare Stud (G1) and Fillies' Mile (G1). Precise is the early favorite for the 1000 Guineas (G1) on Sunday.

Provided this stays on the turf, Cafe Sounion has a chance to redeem herself here.

Race 10: St. Matthews Overnight S., 5:50 p.m. ET

Irad Ortiz Jr. is back aboard #1 Concrete Glory (8-1), and the pair have made a pretty good team. The seven-year-old veteran, 18-for-42 lifetime, has won the last three times Ortiz has been aboard, including the Pelican S. at Tampa two back.

I like that Concrete Glory is shortening up from seven furlongs, that he is 2-for-2 over the Churchill strip, and that he might be quick enough to outrun the other speed to the lead. If he can, he's eligible to post a minor upset.

Race 11: Mamzelle (G3), 6:22 p.m. ET

The focus in this 5 1/2-furlong turf dash for three-year-old fillies is the rematch between Slay the Day and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) winner Cy Fair, one-two in last month's Limestone (G3) at Keeneland. But I think #3 Final Accord (6-1) has a chance to surprise both.

Final Accord looked promising, beating males on debut at Woodbine in September, and then turned around and won the Matron (G3) at Aqueduct by a length going away. She reportedly required surgery after checking in ninth in the one-mile Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), a two-turn experiment that didn't work out.

Final Accord has the tactical foot to be well positioned behind the speed, and there's plenty of it as you'd might expect. In the event she fires fresh, she figures to go off a square price.