Check out my Wednesday (4-29-26) Churchill Downs Race 9 analysis below.
CD 9 (Isaac Murphy Marathon, 4&up, 12f dirt) – Post Time 4:56 PM ET
Primary – #8 WYNSTOCK, #5 Interceptor
Secondary – #2 Parchment Party, #1 No Bien Ni Mal
Horse Comments:
#8 Wynstock (9-2) should be forwardly placed for the productive Irad Ortiz, Jr./Brad Cox team. He was claimed late last year and won a pair of races at 1 1/8 miles in 2026.
#5 Interceptor (6-1) brings solid Aqueduct form to the table and he is another one of those Michael Maker reclamation projects. Chad Brown used to have this one and he could only get this one to win a Mcl-100k affair. He has turned the corner for Maker this year. He won a starter allowance affair at 1 1/8 miles Feb. 6, and struck again in an OC-50k/1x affair at ten panels March 7. Last time, he stepped up and stalked, led, and was clearly second best in the Excelsior at a mile and a quarter April 4. Flavien Prat takes the call and he matched the winning par for this last time.
#2 Parchment Party (2-1) can run all day. He won two stakes races on the main track at 1 3/4 miles last year under Wednesday’s rider Johnny V including the G3 Belmont Gold Cup, and he returned from a layoff and struck as the even money favorite in the Temperence Hill at this distance March 28 (blinkers back on). He has won twice at CD and figures to stalk the pace.
#1 No Bien Ni Mal (3-1) is 6-for-12 overall and he won both starts in this country last year including the G3 Greenwood Cup as the favorite in September (runner-up next-out winner). This is his first start in mor than seven months and Paulo Lobo is a profitable 22% with this type of layoff runner. He drilled a 5f bullet for this April 16.
Wagers:
#8 to win
Exacta box 5-8
Trifecta 5-8/1-2-5-8/1-2-5-8
April 2026 Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners
April 2 – Charlie’s Curlin ($5.60)
April 3 – Joint Venture ($3.60)
April 4 – Meaning ($3.80)
April 8 – Dresden Row ($6.58), Trifecta ($67.28)
April 11 – West End Kid ($5.72), Exacta ($10.58), Trifecta ($29.28)
April 12 – In Our Time ($12.88)
April 13 – Play the Gray ($8.20)
April 15 – Rothko/Coalmoon Exacta ($42.26)
April 16 – Chapman’s Peak/Concord Green/Carcano Trifecta ($232.24)
April 21 – Black Rose/Quality View Exacta ($41.80)
April 22 – Evanescence/Beyond Belief Exacta ($11.32), Trifecta ($19.12)
April 28 – U Devil You ($9.26)
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