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FRIDAY, JUNE 19

CHURCHILL DOWNS TODAY WITH  JOE KRISTUFEK, KEVIN KILROY & & KAITLIN BENSON AT 11:45 AM ET

FIRST POST: 12:45 PM ET

DERBY CITY SIX JACKPOT CARRYOVER = $90,759 (RACES 4-9)

JACKPOT 8 CARRYOVER = $180,271 (FINAL RACE OF THE DAY, 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

  • 7. RANDIE'S RASCAL

    TWO SOLID EFFORTS EMPLOYING DIFFERENT RUNNING STYLES FOR THIS WELL-BRED FILLY

Selections:

7-4/6-2-11/5-8

Race 2

  • 4. ILLINI

    SPEEDSTER HAS PERFECT POST FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE SOFT-PACE

Selections:

4/1-2/7-3-5-6

Race 3

  • 6. GEWURZTRAMINER

    FLOW WAS AGAINST HIM IN LAST; SOMEHOW FINDS EASIER SPOT

Selections:

6/2-4/5-9-7

Race 4

  • 3. HAMLET

    MCGEE HAS THIS ONE FIT & WELL-SPOTTED; IF READY, OPENS UP SUB 5-1

Selections:

3/2-1/4-5-7

Race 5

  • 7. STEP FORWARD

    FREE SPACE FOR A HORSE WHO HAS FACED TOP CLASS IN HIS DIVISION

Selections:

7/9-3-5/8-4

Race 6

  • 1. GOOD SAL

    BEEN IMPRESSED WITH FIRST TWO; ON THE STRETCH OUT; WILL KEEP STABBING

Selections:

1/3-4/2-9-8-7

Race 7

  • 6. PALACIOS

    BIG FELLA HAS BEEN FACING SOLID COMPANY AT PARX

Selections:

6-3/10-8-4-7-5

Race 8

  • 1. TELESCOPIC

    TENDED TO HOT PACE GOING LONGER; RAIL TRIP & CUTBACK

Selections:

1-6/8/5-3-4

Tony Calo

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

RACE 1

  • 4. EZ PAL

    WARD, IRAD AND SOLID DRILLS FOR FIRST LOOK

Selections:

4-7/2-8/6-11

Race 2

  • 7. FIFTY CENT DOLLARS

    CLOSED WITH A BIG RUSH TO WIN LATEST AFFAIR

Selections:

7-6/3-5-1-4

Race 3

  • 6. GEWURZTRAMINER

    PRETTY COOL HORSE WHO FITS VERY NICELY IN THIS CONDITION

Selections:

6/4-5-9

Race 4

  • 2. KUCH

    BESIDES THE FIRSTER HE'S THE LEAST EXPERIENCED, NOD IN A TOUGHIE

Selections:

2-1/5-3/4-8-7-6

Race 5

  • 4. NORMANDY COAST

    JOE SHARP CLAIM, BLINKERS OFF, IRAD ABOARD AND GETS THE RUN OF THE RACE

Selections:

4-7-3/5/11-10

Race 6

  • 4. WHATEVER

    BEJARANO CHOOSES THIS GUY, NICE WORK SINCE MOST RECENT

Selections:

4-9-8-2/3-10-1

Race 7

  • 10. BEBEDOURO

    CAME HOME IN 23.72 IN STYLISH WIN, GETS A GOOD FLOW TO RUN AFTER

Selections:

10-6/4-7-3/5-8

Race 8

  • 1. TELESCOPIC

    FAST PACE IN MOST RECENT MARATHON WAS EXTREMLEY DETRIMENTAL

Selections:

1-5/8/3-7

JOE K'S 2026 SPRING STATS THRU 6-13

RACES                                           230
'A' COLUMN WINS 121
'A' COLUMN WIN % 52.6%
TOP PICK WINS 63
2ND 46
3RD 38
WIN % 27.4%
WPS % 63.9%
$2 ROI $1.81
$6 WPS ROI $5.55

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 SPRING STATS THROUGH 6-12

RACES                                           191
'A' COLUMN WINS 111
'A' COLUMN WIN % 58%
TOP PICK WINS 41
2ND 34
3RD 35
WIN % 21%
WPS % 58%
$2 TOP PICKS ROI $1.50
$6 WPS ROI $4.79

TONY'S 2026 SPRING MEET THRU 6-14-2026

RACES                                           250
'A' COLUMN WINS 132
'A' COLUMN WIN % 52.8%
TOP PICK WINS 79
2ND 43
3RD 28
WIN % 31.6%
WPS % 58%
$2 ROI $2.12
$6 WPS ROI $5.70

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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