Top 10 takeaways from 2025 Royal Ascot
“This place tames lions. It is so special to win here because it's so tough.”
Royal Ascot
Kellie Reilly
Kellie Reilly is a journalist and turf writer specializing in international horse racing.
Royal Ascot 2025: Selections for Saturday
An international cast of sprinters assembles for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee (G1), the feature on Saturday’s closing day at Royal Ascot.
Royal Ascot
Royal Ascot 2025: Selections for Wednesday
The highlight of day two of Royal Ascot, Wednesday’s Prince of Wales’s (G1), serves as a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1).
Royal Ascot
Royal Ascot 2025: Selections for Tuesday
Three Group 1 prizes, including two Breeders’ Cup Challenge races, and a typically loaded juvenile contest live up to the meeting’s reputation as a handicapping challenge.
Royal Ascot
Royal Ascot 2025: Five longshots to know
Here are five contenders, trading at double digits as we begin the week, who are worth knowing in their respective Group races.
Royal Ascot
Royal Ascot 2025: Australian Asfoora goes for title defense; Satono Reve flies flag for Japan
Royal Ascot has lured Australian mare Asfoora for a title defense in Tuesday’s King Charles III (G1), and Japan seeks a breakthrough with Satono Reve in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee (G1).
Royal Ascot
Royal Ascot 2025: Five stars to watch
By definition, Royal Ascot showcases star performers throughout its festive week. Here’s one to watch for each of the five days.
Royal Ascot
Royal Ascot 2025: Carl Spackler leads U.S. shippers
Although Wesley Ward will not be represented at Royal Ascot 2025, there is plenty of U.S. interest over the course of the week.
Royal Ascot
2025 Belmont Stakes winner: Sovereignty (5-2) wins 157th Belmont
In a stretch run reminiscent of the Kentucky Derby (G1), Godolphin’s homebred Sovereignty overhauled favored Journalism to prevail in Saturday’s $2 million Belmont (G1).
Triple Crown
Sovereignty upsets Journalism in the 2025 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. (Photos by Coady Media)
Belmont Stakes Head-to-Head: Sovereignty versus Journalism
Although Saturday’s $2 million Belmont (G1) has several angles, the most compelling is the rematch between the winners of the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1), Sovereignty and Journalism.
Belmont Stakes
Spot Plays for Churchill Downs on June 7
Horses of interest on the Saturday card at Churchill Downs include two longshots on turf, a first-time starter, and a Mighty Beau experimenter.
Wagering
International spotlight: 2025 Epsom Derby
After longtime antepost Derby (G1) favorite #17 The Lion in Winter (6-1) met with a setback that roiled his spring plans, his Aidan O’Brien stablemate #3 Delacroix (5-2) took over as the market leader.
International
Top 10 storylines for 2025 Belmont Stakes Day
If the third jewel of the Triple Crown offers most of the storylines, the undercard has its own brand of intrigue.
Belmont Stakes
2025 Epsom Oaks: Giselle, Elwateen have appeal at a price
Godolphin’s #1 Desert Flower (6-5) brings an unbeaten record into Friday’s Oaks (G1) at Epsom, but will she be as effective on the step up to 1 1/2 miles?
International
2025 Belmont Stakes Festival: International form in Friday's Belmont Gold Cup, Just a Game
We’ll take a look at two making their U.S. debuts in graded stakes on Friday, German shipper Flatten the Curve in the Belmont Gold Cup (G2) and Resolute Racing’s new recruit A Lilac Rolla in the Just a Game (G1).
International
International spotlight: ‘Hell’ to pay for Irish 2000 Guineas favorite?
Overturned as the favorite in the 2000 Guineas (G1) at Newmarket, Field of Gold turns up at the Curragh for compensation in Saturday’s Irish 2000 Guineas (G1).
International
British Racing $10 Money Back May 23: Play for Goodwood’s 4TH Race
Race 4 is the featured event, the Festival S., with two principals in a cast of nine.
International
2025 Preakness Stakes winner: Journalism (even-money) wins the 150th Preakness
Twenty years after Afleet Alex recovered from near-disaster to win the Preakness (G1), even-money favorite Journalism escaped from perilously tight quarters in Saturday’s renewal at Pimlico.
Triple Crown
British Racing $10 Money Back starts May 17: Play for Newbury’s 5th race
Whether you’re a longtime fan of British racing, or just curious to test the waters, TwinSpires.com’s money-back offer is a great opportunity to get involved in the action across the pond.
International
Preakness Stakes International Scouting Report: Heart of Honor
Heart of Honor, the near-misser in the UAE Derby (G2), is luring Jamie Osborne into a rare stateside raid for the Preakness (G1) and potentially the June 7 Belmont (G1).
Preakness Stakes
Pedigree clues for 2025 Royal Palm Juvenile contests
Saturday marks just the third running of Gulfstream Park’s Royal Palm Juvenile S. and its fillies’ counterpart, but each turf dash has had an impact at Royal Ascot already.
Pedigree
2025 Kentucky Derby reflections: Historic result in a vintage edition
Despite the sea of slop at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May, the 151st Kentucky Derby (G1) delivered a satisfyingly logical result.
Kentucky Derby
Dosage Index and birthdates for 2025 Kentucky Derby contenders
I regard it as more akin to reading tea leaves than offering meaningful insights into a horse’s genetic inheritance, or aptitude for 1 1/4 miles on the first Saturday in May.
Triple Crown
The 10 best Kentucky Derby winners of all time
The greatest Kentucky Derby winners didn’t just run the race of their lives as three-year-olds on the first Saturday in May. They built resumes, often as older horses, that stand the test of time.
Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby International Scouting Report: Luxor Cafe, Admire Daytona
After Japan came closer than ever in the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1), the two Japanese shippers for the 2025 Run for the Roses will attract plenty of attention.
Kentucky Derby
2025 Dubai World Cup: Top selections and price plays
Even in races with such lopsided favorites as Forever Young and Romantic Warrior, there’s no shortage of quality rivals who can outperform market expectations.
International
Top storylines for 2025 Dubai World Cup: Forever Young bids for historic double
Storylines for the big night at Meydan - Forever Young, Romantic Warrior, Rebel's Romance, Straight No Chaser, Kentucky Derby implications and more!
Dubai World Cup
2025 Takamatsunomiya Kinen: One-line assessments
Turf sprinters scramble about six furlongs in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1) at Chukyo late Saturday night stateside (2:40 a.m. ET), the first top-level turf race of the year in Japan.
International
2025 Dubai World Cup prospectus: Forever Young, Romantic Warrior part ways
Globetrotters extraordinaire Forever Young and Romantic Warrior, who served up a Saudi Cup (G1) thriller last time out, will return to action on Dubai World Cup (G1) night April 5.
International
Dubai Super Saturday: Japanese add interest to auditions for World Cup night
Meydan’s “Super Saturday” might not have the fanfare of last week’s Saudi Cup (G1), but the traditional dress rehearsal for the April 5 Dubai World Cup (G1) extravaganza remains informative.
Dubai World Cup