Quills Picks Winners – Wednesday 11/4 – Churchill Downs Race 9

After a tough loss at Zia Park yesterday, we head to more familiar surrounding and head to Churchill Downs for today’s race. We will take a look at race nine of a ten-race card as fillies and mares go a mile and a sixteenth on the main track in the penultimate race of the day.

Churchill Downs Race 9 – Allowance Optional Claiming

Favored in our featured race this afternoon is the 4 Clairita (5/2 morning line). She raced at Keeneland last month and finished second. She has been on the lead, but she also doesn’t mind being right off the pace as well. I’m looking for her to be stalking the pace this afternoon.

The 10 Shilling (9/2 ML) draws the outside post here this afternoon in her first race in almost three months. She was scratched from a turf race in September due to illness but has trained well since. She has not been able to get the lead in the last few races and might need that lead to have a chance here this afternoon. But she could have company on the front end.

The 8 Ile de La City (5/1 ML) was late to get to the races, but this four-year-old won two straight, including a race at Churchill at the end of September. She could be challenging Shilling on the front end here and should have an inside advantage over Schilling into the first turn.

The 5 Being Myself (7/2 ML) was very wide when racing here at Churchill Downs in September, but she did have all kinds of issues. First, she was bumped at the break, and then she was seven-wide in the stretch. She probably will not be as far back as she was last time out, but she could be near the pace as well.

Joe’s Pick

If Shilling is alone on the lead here, I think she wins. But I think she will have other horses going for the lead and she has not done well racing off of the pace. I’ll take Being Myself as I think she will bounce back after that performance in September, especially if she is not that far wide on the way home.

I’m calling this race 5-4-8-10 and my play is $20 to win on the 7. Best of luck and I’ll see you in the winner’s circle!