Churchill Downs Picks & Predictions — April 28, 2026
Here's our expert breakdown of today's 9-race card at Churchill Downs. We've identified 3 standout races with strong plays — see our analysis below. Full card picks for all 9 races are available to TrackWiz subscribers.
Best Bets
Race 1
2026-04-28T16:45:00Claiming · 6 fur · Dirt
Clear separation at the top of the rating board — Sing a Little Song looks standout with daylight to the rest.
Tops the TrackWiz rating board at 89.1 for Race 1. Ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., trained by Ian R. Wilkes. Ranked 2nd for recent race speed at 12.12 sec/furlong. For past year, Jockey has a 25% win rate and finished in the money in 62% of races. 2 wins and placed in 10 of 17 races on Dirt tracks. Has placed in 2 of the last 3 races. Has 1 wins and placed in 5 of 7 races at 6 fur. 1 wins and placed in 4 of 6 races at Churchill Downs. Ranked 1st in workouts over last month at 11.72 sec/furlong. Horse appears in today's Top 50 Horses List. Jockey appears in today's Top 50 Jockeys List.
Rating board at 76.2 • 50% career wins. Ridden by Jose L. Ortiz. Ranked 1st for recent race speed at 11.97 sec/furlong. For past year, Jockey has a 25% win rate and finished in the money in 60% of races.
Rating board at 44.6. Ridden by Edgar Morales. Ranked 3rd for recent race speed at 12.31 sec/furlong.
Race 2
2026-04-28T17:14:00Maiden Special Weight · 4 1/2 fur · Dirt
Clear separation at the top of the rating board — Booked looks standout with daylight to the rest.
Tops the TrackWiz rating board at 59.3 for Race 2. Ridden by Jose L. Ortiz, trained by Steven M. Asmussen. For past year, Jockey has a 25% win rate and finished in the money in 60% of races. For past year, Jockey & Trainer Combo has a 25% win rate and finished in the money in 53% of races. Ranked 2nd in workouts over last month at 11.87 sec/furlong. Jockey appears in today's Top 50 Jockeys List.
Rating board at 58.7. Ridden by John R. Velazquez. For past year, Jockey has a 20% win rate and finished in the money in 49% of races. For past year, Jockey & Trainer Combo has a 25% win rate and finished in the money in 55% of races.
Rating board at 55.0. Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione. For past year, Jockey has a 20% win rate and finished in the money in 57% of races. For past year, Jockey & Trainer Combo has a 20% win rate and finished in the money in 49% of races.
Race 3
2026-04-28T17:43:00Starter Allowance · 1 mi · Turf
Clear separation at the top of the rating board — Spying looks standout with daylight to the rest.
Tops the TrackWiz rating board at 87.1 for Race 3. Career win rate of 28% shows consistency. Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, trained by Brendan P. Walsh. For past year, Jockey has a 20% win rate and finished in the money in 57% of races. For past year, Jockey & Trainer Combo has a 19% win rate and finished in the money in 47% of races. Has placed in 3 of the last 5 races. Has 3 wins and placed in 3 of 4 races at 1 mi. Jockey & Horse combo has a 20% win rate and finished in the money in 57% of races. Has not raced in 165 days, may just be looking for a race to tighten up. Horse won last time it raced. 11/13/2025. Horse appears in today's Top 50 Horses List.
Rating board at 65.2 • 33% career wins. Ridden by Joel Rosario. For past year, Jockey has a 17% win rate and finished in the money in 49% of races. For past year, Jockey & Trainer Combo has a 18% win rate and finished in the money in 51% of races.
Rating board at 63.2. Ridden by Jose L. Ortiz. For past year, Jockey has a 25% win rate and finished in the money in 60% of races. 1 wins and placed in 2 of 3 races on Turf tracks.
Our top picks for today focus on races with clear edges in speed figures, trainer form, and track bias. These are the spots where we see the most value on the board.
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Good luck at Churchill Downs today! Remember to check back for live odds updates and follow us for real-time picks throughout the card. Subscribe to TrackWiz for full access to every race at every track.