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Sunday, November 1, 2026

Churchill Downs Today with Joe, Tony & Kaitlin at noon ET

First post: 1 pm ET

Derby City Six carryover = $12,650 (races 4-9, 15% takeout)

Jackpot 8 carryover = $422,166 (race 9 with 10 or more horses)

Joe Kristufek

Churchill Downs, Ellis Park, Fair Grounds and Twin Spires' senior producer & racing analyst Joe Kristufek began his career in his native Chicago, climbing the ladder at the local racing venues. The 1989 rivalry between Kentucky Derby winner Sunday Silence and his nemesis Easy Goer got Joe hooked on the game. A self-proclaimed "horse racing ambassador", Joe's industry experience spans from Dubai to Hong Kong to roughly 40 tracks across North America.

RACE 1
RACE 2
RACE 3
RACE 4
RACE 5
RACE 6
RACE 7
RACE 8
RACE 9

Kevin Kilroy

Kevin Kilroy is a racing and handicapping analyst covering the racing at Churchill Downs, Colonial Downs, Ellis Park, Fair Grounds and Turfway Park.

Race 1

  • 5. DARK FORCE

    HAS KEPT TOP COMPANY IN A.M.; PLENTY OF TIME TO BUILD OF SUBPAR DEBUT

Selections:

5-6/4-1/2-3

Race 2

  • 6. TAQDEER

    HAS SPEED/POST TO TAKE IT TO THIS FIELD

Selections:

6/3-2-1/4-5

Race 3

  • 7. REZA

    WOW THAT DEBUT STRETCH RUN WAS SENSATIONAL

Selections:

7-8/3-4-5

Race 4

  • 1. FRENCH MISTRESS

    LIKE HOW SHE DUELED, RELAXED AND CAME ON AGAIN AT KEE

Selections:

1-5-7/6-3-2

Race 5

  • 11. BOSS LADY KAR

    UPGRADE THE LAST: GAME, BLOCKED MULTIPLE TIMES, KEPT COMING

Selections:

11-2/1-8-7-9

Race 6

  • 6. CHARM OF VENICE

    TROUBLED OUT OF GATES, ROLLING LATE AT KEE

Selections:

6/4-3-2-1

Race 7

  • 7. COLONEL COMPTON

    A THREAT TO STEAL TO THE FRONT AND WIRE THIS FIELD

Selections:

7-8/4-3-2/7

Race 8

  • 7. MOJACAR

    WAS ULTRA IMPRESSIVE AT FG LAST WINTER

Selections:

7/3-2/10-12-5

Race 9

  • 1. SPRING DANCER

    CLASS RELIEF AND CLEAN BREAK PUTS HER IN WINNERS CIRCLE

Selections:

1-8/7-2-6-3

Race 10

  • 5. PREMIERE DANCER

    SAW SOMETHING IN HIM ON DEBUT; SHARP DRILLS WITH BLINKERS OFF

Selections:

5-2/8-4-1-3

Tony Calo

Churchill Downs Racing Analyst as well as Turfway Park and Ellis Park Announcer.

Race 8

  • 7. MOJACAR

    FRESHENED UP AFTER TAKING A TON OF MONEY IN FIRST TWO LOOKS

Selections:

7-3/2-10-12-11-4

Race 9

  • 1. SPRING DANCER

    SHE HAS WON OVER THE COURSE AND HAS WON THE CONDITION

Selections:

1/7-8-3-6

Race 10

  • 4. HIMOTHY

    HE'S NEVER BEEN THIS CHEAP AND HAS SHOWN SPEED VS. BETTER

Selections:

4-3-2/1-9

JOE K'S '26 FALL MEET STATS THRU 10-25-26

RACES                                           11
'A' COLUMN WINS 7
'A' COLUMN WIN % 63.6%
TOP PICK WINS 4
2ND 4
3RD 1
WIN % 36.4%
WPS % 81.8%
$2 ROI $2.69
$6 WPS ROI $9.71

KAITLIN'S 2025 FALL STATS

RACES                                           73
'A' COLUMN WINS 36
'A' COLUMN WIN % 49.3%
TOP PICK WINS 15
2ND 13
3RD 8
WIN % 20.5%
WPS % 49.3%
$2 ROI $1.44
$6 WPS ROI $4.98

KILROY'S 2026 SEPTEMBER STATS

RACES                                           106
'A' COLUMN WINS 58
'A' COLUMN WIN % 54%
TOP PICK WINS 25
2ND 12
3RD 16
WIN % 24%
WPS % 50%
$2 TOP PICKS ROI $1.92
$6 WPS ROI $4.96

TONY'S 2026 SEMPTEMBER STATS

RACES                                           97
'A' COLUMN WINS 44
'A' COLUMN WIN % 45%
TOP PICK WINS 31
2ND 23
3RD 9
WIN % 31%
WPS % 65%
$2 ROI $2.28
$6 WPS ROI $6.01

EXPERT PICKS AND YOU

Professional handicappers analyze races and suggest top horses with insightful analysis. Additionally offering specific bets like Win, Exacta, or Trifecta tickets for consideration. These picks often include reasoning, such as a horse’s recent performance, speed figures, or trainer success. For a beginner, they are helpful because they explain why a horse is a good choice and can help add confidence instead of guessing.

For a first-time bettor, “expert picks” from TwinSpires, Churchill Downs, and Kentucky Derby are simply guidance tools to help you choose horses more confidently. Simulcast, or track analysts, tend to be laser focused with day-to-day familiarity of each horse and TwinSpires expert picks are typically the most detailed from written and data based approaches.

Churchill Downs expert picks can be found in the race program. They list horses in ranked order for each race, often without much explanation due to program succinctness. Think of these as a quick references or starting points if you don’t want to do deep research.

Kentucky Derby expert picks are broader and come from many sources, including media analysts and racing insiders. They focus on the biggest race and often highlight top contenders, favorites, and longshots. Because there are many opinions, you’ll often see differences between experts.

The key for beginners is not to follow any single pick blindly. Instead, use them together. If multiple sources agree on a horse, that can be a strong signal. Expert picks are best used to narrow your choices, not make decisions for you, helping you bet smarter while still enjoying the experience.

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