Jeff Siegel’s National Best Plays for Friday, September 23, 2022
Churchill Downs – Seventh Race – Post time: 3:50 ET
7-Ghostly Girl (15-1)
Let’s go for a long shot gamble in this wide open seven furlong maiden affair for juvenile fillies. Bred for a distance of ground on both sides of her pedigree, this daughter of Shaman’s Ghost nevertheless has breezed well leading up to her racing debut, and in a field that appears to lack depth the Kenny McPeek-trained filly – a $100,000 yearling purchase – should have every chance to at least outrun her 15-1 morning line odds and maybe even spring a major upset. With one of the barn’s go-to riders (B. Hernandez, Jr.) taking the call, she has a look of a live item, and a gate workout at Keeneland in late August (:46 4/5, fastest of 20) indicates she has plenty of run.
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Churchill Downs – Tenth Race – Post time: 5:26 PT
10-Childers (2-1)
Flashed excellent speed when facing an infinitely stronger group of maidens in his debut at Saratoga in mid-August, and while he weakened to wind up a well-beaten third in a fast, highly- rated and productive heat, the son of Bernardini should stick much better with that effort behind him in this restricted maiden dash for juveniles. The B. Cox stable has a terrific record (29%) with second time starters, and with the switch to the barn’s main guy T. Gaffalione this speedy colt should be capable of taking control early and never looking back.
