Check out my Wednesday (6-10-26) Churchill Downs Race 8 analysis below.
CD 8 (OC-80k/2x, 3&up, 8f dirt) – Post Time 4:22 PM ET
Primary – #7 CRUSHED IT, #9 Bullard
Secondary – #5 Rothko, #4 John Hancock
Horse Comments:
#7 Crushed It (9-2) easily won his last two starts as the favorite at one mile for Mike Maker. I like his tactical speed and Jose Ortiz is his new pilot.
#9 Bullard (3-1) won his first two starts in 2024 including the G3 Bob Hope, and he is 0-for-6 since. He seems to be rounding back to top form. He was a close third from post 12 in an all-weather route at TP March 20, and he stalked from post 14 and was second best in a similar local flat mile affair May 2. An outside stalking trip is expected.
#5 Rothko (2-1) was beaten a dozen lengths in his extended sprint bow July 2024 and was part of the exacta in all four starts since. He exits a sharp entry level allowance route win at KEE. He cuts back in distance, reconnects with Irad Ortiz, Jr., and he fired a local 5f bullet for this June 3.
#4 John Hancock (10-1) was an also-eligible scratch in a 7f event at KEE April 4 (race 5), and he finally made his first start since March 2025 on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 2, and he set the pace and weakened to 6th of 14 (Bullard 2nd). He won his first two starts as the favorite last year including the Sam F. Davis, and he went to the sidelines after setting the pace and weakening to 4th of 10 as the beaten chalk in the G2 LA Derby (March 2025). He sports three local works since his last start and might go better in his second start off a long layoff.
Wagers:
#7 to win
Exacta box 7-9
Trifecta 7-9/4-5-7-9/4-5-7-9
Recent 2026 Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners
May 27 – Jes See Me/Revolutionnaire Exacta ($11.20)
May 30 – Decapo ($5.20), Exacta ($11.60), Trifecta ($32.40)
May 31 – Miso Phansy ($4.80)
June 1 – Hector ($3.00), Exacta ($8.60), Trifecta ($19.60)
June 4 – Magnanimous Max ($7.90), Exacta ($68.58)
June 5 – Portfolio Duration ($10.00), Trifecta ($424.68)
*All winning wagers based on $2 payoffs unless noted otherwise.
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