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MONDAY, MAY 25 — MEMORIAL DAY/MILITARY APPRECIATION

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

FIRST POST: 12:45 PM ET

ROLLING SUPER HIGH 5 CARRYOVER = $54,587 (RACE 1)

DERBY CITY SIX JACKPOT HIT SUNDAY FOR $311,767 (RACES 4-9)

JACKPOT 8 CARRYOVER = $52,752 (RACE 9)

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

  • 9. DONTWORRYBOUTNOTHN

    GREEN FILLY GETS BUG WHO LAST RODE IN 2019, YET SHE STANDS OUT

Selections:

9/11-4-1/3-10

RACE 2

  • 7. HEY TUFF GUY

    KEEPING GOOD COMPANY IN THE MORNINGS; OUTSIDE DRAW

Selections:

7-1/5/3-6

RACE 3

  • 4. WORRY BE GONE

    LOOKS LIKE A STANDOUT VS. THIS GROUP

Selections:

4/5-2-3

RACE 4

  • 5. CALIFORNIA SMOKE

    CLEAN BREAK WOULD HELP THE CAUSE; LACE OF PACE A CONCERN

Selections:

5-6/2-3-7-10

RACE 5

  • 9. YELLOW BRICK

    CAPABLE WITH A-GAME; HAS EXCUSES

Selections:

9-7-4/1-2-8-5-10/6-3

RACE 6

  • 9. TRANSATLANTIC

    HOLD HER OWN WITH GOOD ONES IN THE AM; DON'T EXPECT 6-1

Selections:

9-2/4-1-3-8

RACE 7

  • 13. LUCIUS VERUS

    UNQUESTIONED TALENT; BLINKERS OFF

Selections:

13-5/9-3-2-4-10

RACE 8

  • 5. KAPOOR

    DOMINANT VS. EASIER; TIMING IS RIGHT TO TEST STAKES WATERS

Selections:

5/7-6/1/8/3

RACE 9

  • 8. ZIHNAL

    ENTERED TO RUN IN AUTOBAHN AS A MAIDEN; EXITS KEY RACE

Selections:

8-6-4-1/10-13-5

Tony Calo

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

Race 1

  • 4. MOUQEER

    SPEED AND FADE AGAINST BETTER IN BOTH CAREER STARTS

Selections:

4-9/3-1-10

Race 2

  • 5. BOURBON IN TOWN

    DEBUT EFFORT WAS GOOD AND HE ENCOUNTERED SOME TROUBLE AS WELL

Selections:

5/7-1-3

Race 3

  • 3. SNIPSNIPPITYSNIP

    MAIDEN WINNER TWO BACK HAD SOME GOOD RACES IN 2025

Selections:

3-4/6/2-5-1

Race 4

  • 6. DANCEWHENYOUCAN

    DETERMINED GRADUATION SCORE RECENTLY, MIGHT HAVE A PACE EDGE

Selections:

6-3-5-7/10

Race 5

  • 1. STORM THE STREETS

    DUTROW ON A ROLL OF LATE, AND THIS GUY LIKES CD

Selections:

1-9-2/8/4-5

Race 6

  • 9. TRANSATLANTIC

    WON ON DEBUT LAST SUMMER AT ELP, CAN FIRE FRESH HERE

Selections:

9-2/4-6/3-8

Race 7

  • 1. TRIPP'S PROMISE

    HIS ONE TURN RACES HERE AT CD ARE HIS BEST RACES

Selections:

1-5/10-12-11-2

Race 8

  • 5. KAPOOR

    AFTER TODAY SHE BECOMES A HOUSHOLD NAME, FUTURE STAR

Selections:

5/1-7-6/3-8

Race 9

  • 6. LAHAINALUNA

    HIS RECENT FIRST TURF START WAS VERY ENCOURAGING

Selections:

6/10-9-1-8-4-2

JOE K'S 2026 SPRING STATS THRU 5-17

RACES                                           106
'A' COLUMN WINS 59
'A' COLUMN WIN % 55.7%
TOP PICK WINS 25
2ND 21
3RD 17
WIN % 23.6%
WPS % 59.4%
$2 ROI $1.64
$6 WPS ROI $5.05

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 5-21

RACES                                           104
'A' COLUMN WINS 68
'A' COLUMN WIN % 65%
TOP PICK WINS 22
2ND 21
3RD 21
WIN % 21%
WPS % 62%
$2 TOP PICKS ROI $1.24
$6 WPS ROI $4.77

TONY'S 2026 SPRING MEET THRU 5-10

RACES                                           83
'A' COLUMN WINS 47
'A' COLUMN WIN % 57%
TOP PICK WINS 22
2ND 14
3RD 10
WIN % 26.5 %
WPS % 55%
$2 ROI $1.55
$6 WPS ROI $4.75

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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