Pick Pony Picks – Consensus Expert Picks for Churchill Downs, September 16, 2026.


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Pick Pony takes pride in providing the most accurate expert picks available today. Pick Pony Expert Picks are carefully selected by our team of analysts based on analytics from our advanced Past Performance Sheets and Racing Forms. For potential longshot selections, check out Pick Pony's AI Picks.

Consensus Expert Picks

Consensus rankings based on 6 experts. Scoring: 1st pick = 4 pts, 2nd = 3 pts, 3rd = 2 pts, 4th = 1 pt. Agreement % = share of experts that included each horse. A gold star (⭐) next to a horse means Pick Pony's AI independently ranks that horse #1 as well — historically the strongest-hitting subset of picks. A recycle mark (↻) means that AI pick is the re-ranked one, after this morning's official scratches and surface changes were applied.

Race 1

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Win:3 – Rising Creek (2-1) ⭐6/6100.0%22 pts
Place:4 – She's Gotta Go (4-1)3/650.0%11 pts
Show:2 – Serenity Song (4-1)2/633.3%5 pts

Alternatives

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Alt 1:5 – Strife (20-1)2/633.3%4 pts
Alt 2:1 – Pink Moon (12-1)2/633.3%3 pts
Alt 3:8 – Rumbar (3-1)2/633.3%3 pts
Alt 4:6 – Vinno Ronnie (15-1)1/616.7%2 pts
Alt 5:7 – Beauxbatons (8-1)0/60.0%0 pts

Race 2

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Win:5 – Inordinary (3-1)5/683.3%16 pts
Place:6 – Weaponized (2-1)4/666.7%15 pts
Show:8 – Dispersion (8-1)4/666.7%6 pts

Alternatives

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Alt 1:4 – Culprit (2-1)3/650.0%10 pts
Alt 2:1 – Carcar Express (12-1)1/616.7%2 pts
Alt 3:2 – Surfin' M (10-1)1/616.7%1 pts
Alt 4:3 – Valiant Award (30-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 5:7 – Mountain Wolf (30-1)0/60.0%0 pts

Race 3

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Win:3 – Ritzy Rags (4-1)4/666.7%10 pts
Place:7 – Amazing Max (2-1)3/650.0%11 pts
Show:2 – Tmac's Royalty (6-1)3/650.0%11 pts

Alternatives

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Alt 1:1 – Chrome (4-1)3/650.0%8 pts
Alt 2:5 – Concrete Overlay (4-1)3/650.0%6 pts
Alt 3:4 – Camping Siete (20-1)1/616.7%3 pts
Alt 4:6 – Mambo Man (30-1)1/616.7%1 pts
Alt 5:8 – Honor And Courage (15-1)0/60.0%0 pts

Race 4

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Win:1 – Bestfriend Rocket (4-1)6/6100.0%18 pts
Place:7 – J B Strikes Back (1-1)3/650.0%11 pts
Show:5 – California Burrito (4-1)3/650.0%8 pts

Alternatives

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Alt 1:3 – Dai Vernon (15-1)3/650.0%6 pts
Alt 2:4 – Curlin's Malibu (2-1)2/633.3%5 pts
Alt 3:2 – Real Fast (20-1)1/616.7%2 pts
Alt 4:6 – Smoken Boy (20-1)0/60.0%0 pts

Race 5

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Win:14 – When I Go (4-1)3/650.0%12 pts
Place:12 – Charging Force (4-1)2/633.3%7 pts
Show:6 – Drain The Shot (8-1)2/633.3%7 pts

Alternatives

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Alt 1:2 – Soap Note (20-1)2/633.3%6 pts
Alt 2:3 – Farrokh (10-1)2/633.3%4 pts
Alt 3:5 – Psalm One Eighteen (12-1)2/633.3%3 pts
Alt 4:10 – Breadcrumb Trail (4-1)1/616.7%3 pts
Alt 5:4 – Cicero Ave (6-1)1/616.7%3 pts
Alt 6:9 – Good Lies (20-1)1/616.7%2 pts
Alt 7:11 – Knicks Warrior (20-1)1/616.7%2 pts
Alt 8:1 – Divine Truth (20-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 9:7 – Jersey Jack (6-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 10:8 – Modern (6-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 11:13 – Double Arrow (10-1)0/60.0%0 pts

Race 6

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Win:12 – Diagram (4-1) ⭐5/683.3%16 pts
Place:4 – Modern Sound (3-1)4/666.7%14 pts
Show:7 – Glazin' Fury (6-1)2/633.3%5 pts

Alternatives

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Alt 1:2 – Ashkenazi (15-1)2/633.3%4 pts
Alt 2:3 – Dancewhenyoucan (5-1)1/616.7%4 pts
Alt 3:11 – Call Me Angel (10-1)1/616.7%2 pts
Alt 4:5 – Code Of Valor (20-1)1/616.7%2 pts
Alt 5:1 – Magic Seeker (12-1)1/616.7%2 pts
Alt 6:9 – Super Costly (15-1)1/616.7%1 pts
Alt 7:8 – Ducat (15-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 8:10 – Miss Pierre (12-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 9:6 – Bright Lady Day (20-1)0/60.0%0 pts

Race 7

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Win:10 – Unbridled Freedom (1-1) ⭐5/683.3%19 pts
Place:2 – Uncle With Money (12-1)4/666.7%7 pts
Show:7 – Pirate Ship (5-1)3/650.0%11 pts

Alternatives

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Alt 1:1 – Touch Money (8-1)2/633.3%4 pts
Alt 2:12 – Major John (15-1)1/616.7%3 pts
Alt 3:14 – Bonzo (8-1)1/616.7%3 pts
Alt 4:11 – Clonmacnoise (12-1)1/616.7%2 pts
Alt 5:3 – Coltrane (15-1)1/616.7%1 pts
Alt 6:4 – Detention (8-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 7:5 – Lindenborg (20-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 8:6 – Golden Reserve (12-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 9:8 – Mitole Joe (30-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 10:9 – Sunfyre (20-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 11:13 – Buffalo Soldier (15-1)0/60.0%0 pts

Race 8

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Win:2 – Remi's Moon (2-1) ⭐5/683.3%16 pts
Place:5 – Bob's Carrot (2-1)4/666.7%12 pts
Show:4 – Trouble Time (4-1)4/666.7%5 pts

Alternatives

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Alt 1:7 – Mo Work (8-1)2/633.3%7 pts
Alt 2:1 – Ski Bum (6-1)2/633.3%6 pts
Alt 3:3 – Stomp (15-1)1/616.7%4 pts
Alt 4:6 – Ghostwritten (6-1)0/60.0%0 pts

Race 9

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Win:11 – Fraudster (4-1) ⭐5/683.3%17 pts
Place:13 – Cosmopolitan Lady (2-1)4/666.7%11 pts
Show:12 – Shot At Perfection (2-1)3/650.0%10 pts

Alternatives

PickHorseExpertsAgreementScore
Alt 1:10 – Market Strategy (4-1)2/633.3%6 pts
Alt 2:14 – Crystal Frost (6-1)2/633.3%2 pts
Alt 3:16 – Perpetua (6-1)1/616.7%3 pts
Alt 4:5 – Sister Wife (6-1)1/616.7%1 pts
Alt 5:15 – Wado Wave (8-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 6:7 – Total Fabrication (20-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 7:9 – Spotted (20-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 8:8 – Diamond Tiara (30-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 9:2 – Vinointhemoonlight (10-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 10:3 – Valiant War Girl (15-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 11:4 – Gucci Gammy (30-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 12:1 – Loves To Fish (15-1)0/60.0%0 pts
Alt 13:6 – No Mo Rags (30-1)0/60.0%0 pts

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