Churchill Downs šš¾// Thurs., Apr. 30, 2026
- Fink
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Happy Thurby & National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day! ššāš¦ŗššāā¬š¢š“
Weāre just one day away from the Kentucky Oaks and two days away from the Derby. Today is another chance for the locals to show up in their Derby best at lower prices, and weāre all for that. It used to be more accessible to everyone, but many high-priced corporate sponsors have priced most people out.
Yesterday was our best day of the meet, and weāre hoping that means weāre hitting our stride at just the right timeājust like the runners in the Oaks and Derby.
Disclaimer: Due to changes in Race 6, only 3 of 8 horses ended up running, so we did not include that race in our tracking.
We hit 4 of 9 top picks yesterday for a profit of +$21.76 with an ROI of 120.9%, plus one additional winner from our second picks for a profit of $8.42 and an ROI of 23.4%. Our best win came in the sixth race with a nice $27.62 payoff, selected by Mr. W as his top pick of the day.
Just a reminder: our tracking is based on a hypothetical $2 win bet on our top two picks in each race. Thatās not to say you should bet every race, but we need a consistent metric to measure performance, and thatās the one we use. We hope you can use our top-rated horses in each race to build your exotic tickets, whether youāre a horizontal ticket player or a vertical ticket player.
Todayās card features 12 total races, four stakes races, and two featured events.
First up, we have the Arabian horses in the UAE Presidentās Cup Arabian Stakes, which is Race 6. This is a 1 1/4-mile route on the dirt with a purse of $400k. If youāre not familiar with this breed, Arabian horses are known for their distinct concave ("dished") facial profile, high tail carriage, and large, expressive eyes. (Thanks to Google AI for the assist.)
For a more traditional Kentucky feature, we head to Race 11 and the Grade 3 Mamzelle Stakes. This is a 5 1/2-furlong sprint on the turf with a $300k purse for three-year-old fillies only. Donāt blink when they leave the gate, or you might miss the whole race.
We have a best bet in this race and are excited to see if she can perform as well as she has in her last two starts and keep the momentum going all year. Her connections are surely hoping to be Breedersā Cup-bound in November.
The weather today looks excellent, with highs in the mid-60s and sunny skies. As of this writing, track conditions have not been officially posted, but we anticipate a fast main track and firm turf, which should mean limited race changes due to weather.
Yes, the write-ups are getting longerābut thatās because as the week goes on, we have more races, more information, and our excitement just keeps building, so we have more to say. Thank you for reading this far. Weāre looking forward to cashing some tickets with you for the rest of the week!
Thurby is a relatively modern addition to the Kentucky Derby Week festivities, officially launched by Churchill Downs in 2014 to provide a dedicated day of celebration for the Louisville community. As the Kentucky Oaks and the Derby evolved into massive international attractions that often priced out or overwhelmed local residents, Thurby was established on the Thursday before the Derby to reclaim the "locals-only" spirit. The event has grown rapidly from a casual racing day into a major cultural tradition that highlights Kentucky pride, featuring live performances by local musicians, partnerships with regional institutions such as the Frazier Kentucky History Museum, and a heavy emphasis on Bluegrass staples like bourbon and garden-party fashion.
Need help picking winners? We've got you covered! Our (Always Free) Lundin Line'sĀ top picks and best bets are below. We use them to help narrow the field while putting our tickets together. The first post will be here soon, so don't be late - It's time to get #InTheMoney! š°š°š°
Churchill Downs šš¾ // Thur., April 30th 2026
First Post @ 12:45 EDT/ 9:45 PDT
R1: 1-7-3
R2: 4-1-5
R3: 5-7-4-6
R4: 4-11-10-5
R5: 3-8-10-12
šR6ā/AH: 6-4-3-9
R7: 1-5-15(AE)-7-13(AE)
R8: 6-2-1-7
R9ā: 8-6-9-5
R10ā: 9-7-8-3
šR11ā: 5ā-8-6-3
R12: 6-7-9-10
š= Featured Race(s)
AH = Arabian Horses
āBest Bet(s)
R11: Cy Fair (#5)
ātakes Race(s)
šR6 400K UAE President's Cup Arabian S. (G1)
1 1/4 Miles for Arabian 4 Yr. Olds & Up
R9: 350K Opening Verse S.
1 Mile on Turf for 4 Yr. Olds & Up
R10: 200K St. Matthews Overnight S.
6 Furlongs on Dirt for 4 Yr. Olds & Up
šR11: 300K Mamzelle S. (G3T)
5 1/2 Furlongs on Turf for 3 Yr. Old Fillies
Photo from our friends over at National Day Calendar
Hit us up @_TurtleSports and let us know what you think!
Oh, and don't forget to follow us @_TurtleSportsĀ and subscribe to our site so you don't miss any of the action. You'll be glad you did!
/ As always, please forgive any typos and grammatical errors
Comments