Wednesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Stakes at Churchill Downs

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Wednesday, April 29 at Churchill Downs, including plays in the Kentucky Juvenile S. and Isaac Murphy Marathon S.

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• $40 Evangeline Downs Challenge

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Churchill Downs: Race 3: Maiden Special Weight (4 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 1:45 p.m. ET)

#7 Ruiva (4-1) is an unraced daughter of capable sprinter/miler Munnings, who sires a solid 14% winners from first-time starters.

Ruiva hails from the barn of Wesley Ward, a lofty 32% winner with first-time starters. A bullet workout from the Keeneland starting gate in :35 1/5 cements Ruiya as a threat to win on debut.

Let’s place a win bet on Ruiya and key her over #12 Bush (7-2) in a small exacta.

Selections

• #7 Ruiya (4-1)
• #12 Bush (7-2)
• #11 Traction Park (8-1)

Wagers

• $24 to win on #7 Ruiya
• $6 Exacta: 7 with 12
  Total: $30

Churchill Downs: Race 6: Kentucky Juvenile (five furlongs on dirt, 3:20 p.m. ET)

#4 Waggley (2-1) was much the best in her debut sprinting 4 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs. The daughter of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Life Is Good led all the way to score by 3 1/2 lengths with a promising 82 Brisnet Speed rating.

Trainer Wesley Ward won the 2025 Kentucky Juvenile with Keeneland debut winner Pinky Finger, and he can nab a second straight edition with Waggley. We’ll load up with a win bet on the bay filly, then add an exacta using her stablemate #2 Skara Brae (7-5) for second place.

Selections

• #4 Waggley (2-1)
• #2 Skara Brae (7-5)
• #7 Peak Perspective (9-2)

Wagers

• $24 to win on #4 Waggley
• $6 Exacta: 4 with 2
  Total: $30

Churchill Downs: Race 9: Isaac Murphy Marathon (1 1/2 miles on dirt, 4:56 p.m. ET)

#2 Parchment Party (2-1) is the favorite after winning the Belmont Gold Cup (G3), Birdstone S., and Temperence Hill S. over distances from 1 1/2 miles to 1 3/4 miles. But #4 Digital Ops (8-1) is an intriguing alternative.

Digital Ops put up a good fight against Parchment Party in the Birdstone, setting the pace before battling on to finishing second by one length. And after opening 2026 with a couple of much shorter races, he stretched out over 1 3/8 miles to win a $100,000 handicap at Colonial Downs by 2 1/4 lengths.

In a rematch with Parchment Party over 1 1/2 miles, there’s a chance Digital Ops will turn the tables at compelling odds. Let’s try a win bet on the son of Nyquist, along with an exacta using Parchment Party for second place.

Selections

• #4 Digital Ops (8-1)
• #2 Parchment Party (2-1)
• #1 No Bien Ni Mal (3-1)

Wagers

• $24 to win on #4 Digital Ops
• $6 Exacta: 4 with 2
  Total: $30

Good luck!