Jeff Siegel’s Blog: “What You Need to Know – National Best Plays – Sunday, June 23, 2024

Jeff Siegel’s National Best Plays
Sunday, June 23, 2024

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CHURCHILL DOWNS – FOURTH RACE – POST: 2:13 ET
BEST PLAY: 10-FLOODLITES (3-1)

Forecast: The first timer Floodlites looks intriguing in this four and one-half furlong main track juvenile dash, and in a wide open, unclassified field the son of City of Light looks like a live item, the extreme outside draw notwithstanding. He shows just two published works but the first one was a bullet half mile breeze at Keeneland (:47 flat from the gate) that was the fastest of 35 for the distance and the second a :51 2 half mile breeze that we’ll assume was nothing more than gallop. From the Wesley Ward barn, whose stats with debut runners always is outstanding, this promising colt gets to load last and hopefully breaks first and if can do that he’ll offer good wagering value at or near his morning line of 3-1.

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BELMONT AT THE BIG A – FOURTH RACE – POST: 2:35 ET
BEST PLAY: 2-PIVOTAL MOMENT (7/2)

Forecast: This maiden special weight turf sprint for juveniles is loaded with question marks, but here is what we do know: Pivotal Moment has trained like a stone runner and will be very difficult to outrun if he performs up to expectations. The son of Bolt d’Oro brought $330,000 at the OBS April sale after smoking a furlong in 9 3/5 seconds without much urging at all and has done everything right in recent weeks since joining the Christophe Clement barn. They could very well be others in the lineup that are equally talented (we haven’t seen most of them) but our top pick is a very good athlete with action that is quick and smooth, so if he breaks running it would not surprise us if he made the running and be long gone. Listed at 7/2 on the morning line and with the stable’s “go to” rider J. Rosario getting the call, let’s make him a win play and rolling exotic key.

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Jeff Siegel’s Blog: “What You Need to Know – National Best Plays – Sunday, June 23, 2024

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