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How I'm playing the Southwest Day Late Pick 5 at Oaklawn
Four races for three-year-olds -- the Southwest (G3), two allowances, and a maiden -- plus the Razorback H. (G3) for older horses comprise Monday's intriguing Late Pick 5 sequence at Oaklawn Park.
Race 6 -- #3 LIONITE (5-2) placed twice at Sarat ...
Racing
Shapiro: How to Bet the Southwest at Oaklawn Park
by SCOTT SHAPIRO
The Southwest Stakes (G3) winner has not hit the wire first in the “Run for the Roses” since Smarty Jones did in 2004, but a strong group of three-year-olds in search of 10 qualifying points on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” br ...
Racing
Handicapping Southwest, Razorback at Oaklawn Park
A Kentucky Derby qualifier, the $500,000 Southwest (G3) highlights a 10-race Presidents’ Day card at Oaklawn Park and the 1 1/16-mile event appears to have attracted plenty of speed including Mourinho, who shipped in to post a wire-to-wire win in t ...
Racing
2018 Kentucky Derby workout report for February 18
Bravazo just got the best of pacesetter Snapper Sinclair in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) on February 17 at Fair Grounds (c) Amanda Hodges Weir/Hodges Photography
Bravazo jumped to the top of the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard thanks to a 21-1 upset wi ...
Racing
Rosecroft kicks off 2018 campaign on Sunday
Following a modest two-month hiatus for the winter, Rosecroft Raceway kicked off its 2018 live racing slate on Sunday evening with a formful card that offered plenty of promise for future payoffs. In the opening race on the card, Mister Travel (Russ ...
Racing
Mine That Bird Derby Highlights Sunday Card at Sunland Park
On a bit of a quiet weekend of racing, Sunland Park in New Mexico will take center stage on February 25th when hosting a nine-race card that includes three stakes races.
The first of the featured events is the $75,000 Island Fashion Stakes (Rac ...
Racing
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Pedigree Handicapping: From Dirt to Turf to the Winner's Circle
When a horse tries a different racing surface for the first time, it can be difficult for handicappers to know what to expect. For example, if the horse has been racing on dirt, how will they react when switching to turf?
Due to the uncertainty in ...
Education
Shapiro on Sunday's Double Pick 6 Carryover at Santa Anita
by SCOTT SHAPIRO
Despite winning favorites to close the Saturday action at Santa Anita Park there is a two-day Pick 6 carryover of $133,642 starting with Race 4 on Sunday afternoon.
The pool that according to Santa Anita sh ...
Racing
Bravazo Finishes Fast in Risen Star Upset
Let’s face it—it’s just doesn’t feel like Kentucky Derby prep season if the Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas doesn’t have a horse in the mix, which is why you have to be pleased by the results of Saturday’s $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (gr. II) at ...
Racing
Paved Beats the Colts in El Camino Real Derby
Question: When was the last time a filly won a Kentucky Derby prep race ?
Prior to yesterday, and subject to correction, the most recent example I could think of was Evita Argentina beating colts in the 2009 San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) sprinting ...
Racing
How to Bet President's Day Racing
Gulfstream Park Turf Racing (Coglianese Photos)
Dick Powell helps us plan our President's Day tickets
President’s Day will be celebrated around the country on Monday and Gulfstream Park has their usual 12-race card with 96 horses entered in ...
Racing
East-Meets-West Success—Cal-Expo $49 Winner, Yonkers $21 Feature Score Top Weekend’s Abbreviated Action
The Saturday surprise on the East Coast was a larger-than-life snowstorm. It took out our Feb. 17 features, which were at the Meadowlands. After three races the track cancelled racing, leaving our features for the week ending Friday. Another few trac ...
Racing
Presidents' Day Spot Plays at Oaklawn Park
Monday is Presidents’ Day and that means it is Southwest Stakes Day at Oaklawn Park .
The racing office in Hot Springs, Arkansas has a special holiday card on tap that includes not only the Grade 3 Southwest, but also the 59 th running of the Gr ...
Racing
Horses to watch in Louisiana Derby Preview Day grass stakes
It's an unseasonably warm day in New Orleans for Louisiana Derby Preview Day, which means the grass stakes scheduled on the Risen Star (G2) undercard will be contested on ideal firm ground. Here are thoughts on those three stakes.
$50,000 Colonel ...
Racing
Keying Dark Repulser in Japan's Hyacinth Stakes
Jockey Keita Tosaki, who rode Ruggero and Dark Repulser in their last starts, will stick with Dark Repulser for the Hyacinth. I’m a little concerned about the wide draw for Dark Repulser, though there is a very long run to the one turn in the Hyacint ...
Racing
Handicapping the Risen Star, Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds
Saturday’s $400,000 Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds represents the first of 16 qualifiers in the Road to the Kentucky Derby’s Championship Series and the 10-horse field includes #5 Instilled Regard , who shipped in to post a convincing Lecomte (G3 ...
Racing
How to bet the 2018 Southwest Stakes
The second of four Kentucky Derby qualifiers at Oaklawn Park, Monday’s $500,000 Southwest (G3) has attracted a field of 11 and a wet track is possible.
Let’s preview the runners:
#1 My Boy Jack was never a factor finishing third to McKinzie ...
Racing
Lewis Bay, Curlin's Approval Set for Rematch in Royal Delta Stakes
Five graded stakes winners are among the eight fillies and mares that have been entered to run in Monday’s $200,000 Royal Delta Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park , the featured race on the Presidents’ Day card.
Leading the charge is Lewis Bay ...
Racing
How to bet the 2018 El Camino Real Derby
by SCOTT SHAPIRO
The Road to the Kentucky Derby not only continues in Louisiana and Arkansas this weekend, but qualifying points will also be on the line in Northern California on Saturday afternoon in one of the most notable events of the year ...
Racing
Will Combatant Upset Mourinho in the Southwest Stakes?
In recent years, no trainer has dominated the Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races at Oaklawn Park more thoroughly than Bob Baffert.
Since 2010, the Hall of Fame trainer has won 13 of the 30 Derby prep races contested at Oaklawn, including fo ...
Racing
Five things to know for 2018 Risen Star
If the New Orleans road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) looked to be stronger than the historical norm for its first Derby points race, the January 13 Lecomte (G3), then the next Fair Grounds scoring race, Saturday’s $400,000 Risen Star (G2), has uppe ...
Racing
Friday plays at Fair Grounds
A busy weekend lies ahead with two days at Fair Grounds (Friday-Saturday) followed by a double-header at Oaklawn Park (Sunday-Monday).
I’m looking forward to Saturday’s $400,000 Risen Star (G2), which contains a number of exciting Kentucky Derby ...
Racing
Saturday Afternoon Spot Plays for Starter Stakes Day at Gulfstream Park
There is no graded stakes action on Saturday at Gulfstream Park , but that is because it is Starter Stakes Day in Hallandale, Florida.
The entire twelve race card is filled with conditional stakes events written for horses that have competed in ...
Racing
Keying Paved in the El Camino Real Derby
Every now and then, I’ll see a young horse win for the first time and think to myself “I want to play that horse next time it runs, because I think it could be a star in the making.”
Such a horse is set to compete in the February 17th $100,000 El ...
Racing
Horizontal Plays on Risen Star Stakes Day at Fair Grounds
Fair Grounds takes center stage on Saturday afternoon as the stakes laden card in Louisiana is headlined by the $400,000 Risen Star.
The mile and a sixteenth event is the first prep race that offers competitors 50 qualifying points on the “Road ...
Racing
Power Plays Feature Comeback Kids; Exciting Exotic Action Highlights Mid-Month Weekend
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We’re keeping the cold season hot with live contenders for all types of harness wagers as our in-the-money percentage of strikes hovers in the 40s, with many of our suggested contenders participating in all single- and ...
Racing
Kentucky Derby Pedigree Profile: Avery Island
Avery Island (Coglianese Photos/Joe Labozzetta)
Withers Stakes Winner Avery Island
by Alastair Bull
McKinzie may be the most talked about son of Street Sense aiming for the Kentucky Derby as of early February 2018, but Avery Island ...
Racing
How to bet the 2018 Risen Star Stakes
So impressive in taking last month's Lecomte (G3) by nearly four lengths over the same track, Instilled Regard is the horse to beat in Saturday's $400,000 Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds, the first Road to the Kentucky Derby series prep of the s ...
Racing
Monomoy Girl Stands Out in Rachel Alexandra Stakes
The $200,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (gr. II) on Saturday at Fair Grounds is a pretty important stop on the Road to the .
The 8.5-furlong event is the first Kentucky Oaks prep race to offer 50 qualification points to the winner, and in all likel ...
Racing
How to Bet the Fair Grounds Handicap
Good luck finding the winner of the $150,000 Fair Grounds Handicap (gr. III) on Saturday at Fair Grounds !
Bettors that correctly identify the winner will surely be rewarded, for the nine-furlong turf race has drawn a huge and competitive field o ...
Racing
Kentucky Derby Pedigree Profile: Audible
Audible (Coglianese Photos)
Holy Bull Stakes Winner Audible
by Alastair Bull
Audible’s arrival on the 2018 Kentucky Derby trail was heard loud and clear in the Holy Bull Stakes , as he dashed away from a good field.
The big questi ...
Racing
Kentucky Derby BRIS Speed Rating Report – Sam F. Davis
Flameaway was headed in the stretch but displayed excellent resolve battling back to edge Catholic Boy in the February 10 Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs, recording a 10-1 upset in the Kentucky Derby qualifier. He registered a career-best 1 ...
Racing
Oaklawn Veterans Face Off in Bayakoa Stakes
A couple of local veterans and an accomplished stakes winner from Dubai are among the seven fillies and mares set to face off in the $150,000 Bayakoa Stakes (gr. III) on Saturday at Oaklawn Park .
The 8.5-furlong event is part of a series of fill ...
Racing
Rachel Alexandra could be ripe for an upset
by DICK POWELL
The Risen Star (G2) will get lots of attention on Saturday's card from the Fair Grounds so I decided to concentrate on the Rachel Alexandra (G2) for sophomore fillies.
MONOMOY GIRL is the 8-5 morning line favorite and rig ...
Racing
Kentucky Derby Sophmore Spotlight: Sam F. Davis Stakes
Kentucky Derby Sophmore Spotlight: Sam F. Davis Stakes 2018
A strong field of six went to post in the $200,000 Sam F. Davis S. (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday. And I came away impressed with each of the top three.
The Mark Casse-trained ...
Racing
An Early Preview of Next Month's San Felipe Stakes
The San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park is not until March 10 th , but the two-turn event for three-year-olds is shaping up to be the race of the winter in Southern California.
The mile and a sixteenth affair conducted over the main track appea ...
Racing
Keying Instilled Regard in the Risen Star Stakes
With 50 Kentucky Derby qualification points on the line, you can bet that the race for victory in Saturday’s $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (gr. II) at Fair Grounds will be competitive and exciting.
Ten horses have turned out to contest the 8.5-furl ...
Racing
Sophomore Spotlight: Vino Rosso getting better like a…
People in my circle can attest that I thoroughly enjoy a good glass of red wine now and again. It’s even something of a family hobby ( https://muccwines.com/ ). But beyond my partial obsession with the liquid form, it is the equine version that made ...
Racing
2018 Kentucky Derby Futures Pool 2 Recap and Analysis
The 2018 Kentucky Derby Futures Pool 2 took place this past weekend. As to be expected, Bolt d'Oro remained one of the favorites at 8/1. Also at 8/1 is Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Good Magic. Audible, who captured the Grade 2 Holy Bull, ended up th ...
Racing
Charles Town offers solid card on Valentine's Day
While the track may still be two months away from hosting its first stakes of the season and its entire week of racing was nixed last week by inclement weather and poor track conditions, Charles Town is offering an intriguing card on Wednesday evenin ...
Racing
Keeler Johnson's Kentucky Derby Top 10 -- 2/12/18
Last Saturday, two horses listed in my weekly Kentucky Derby Top 10 competed in graded stakes races.
One— Catholic Boy —was beaten a half-length in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III), an official prep race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby . The o ...
Racing
How to play dirt races at Fair Grounds on Fat Tuesday
by Dick Powell
Fat Tuesday is the last day of living large, at least for those drinkers out there. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and many followers of the Catholic faith will give up many things in the next 40 days including meat.
Fair ...
Racing
Good Magic, Bolt d’Oro top individual interests as Mutuel Field closes at favorite in Pool 2 of 2018 Kentucky Derby Future Wager
The Mutuel Field (#24) in Pool 2 of the 2018 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) closed as the favorite when wagering ended Sunday evening.
Listed at 7-2 on the morning-line, the “All Other Three-Year-Olds” interest was bet down to 5-2 favoritism ...
Racing
Littlemore wins 19th NTRA National Horseplayers Championship (NHC)
Chris Littlemore, a retired autoworker from Whitby, Ontario, Canada, took home the top prize of $800,000 and an Eclipse Award as Horseplayer of the Year on Sunday after winning the 19th annual National Horseplayer Championship (NHC) at Treasure Islan ...
Racing
Maryland racing takes center stage this weekend
This coming weekend many Americans will get an extra day off courtesy of the President's Day holiday on Monday, Feb. 19, and many racing fans in Maryland will need that day to recover after consecutive cards at Laurel Park and Rosecroft Raceway. Sat ...
Racing
2018 Kentucky Derby workout report for February 11
As the Road to the Kentucky Derby heats up, there hasn’t been much change in regards to who is on top on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard. The races will be getting tougher, though, and there have been some upsets, so stay tuned!
FREE Brisnet Pa ...
Racing
Clock, Eye Test Tell Different Stories in Sam F. Davis Stakes
The clock told one story and my eyes told another when it came to Saturday’s $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) at , an official prep race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby .
The clock suggested that the 8.5-furlong race was a strong event—th ...
Racing
Power-Plays Profits Include $137 Trifecta; Exacta Explosion With Two $50 Hits At Freehold; $29 Tops Winner Prices
It was a good week all around. Here's what happened in chronological order --
Severe Race Coverage For Harness Bettors
Thursday, Feb. 8
Our Partners For Picks (PFP) at Freehold didn’t produce a Pick-4 winning ticket b ...
Racing
Aged pacers battle the elements throughout Saturday cards
Last Saturday may not have provided harness racing fans and combatants with ideal conditions for competing or viewing, but horses and drivers braved the elements during the morning, afternoon and well into the night at a quartet of venues. Saturday ...
Racing
Scully: Playing straight exacta in Sam Davis
Last seen posting a 4 ¾-length victory in the Remsen (G2), Catholic Boy will launch his 3-year-old season against six rivals in Saturday’s Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs. It doesn’t appear to be an imposing spot.
The 1 1/16-mile Davis awards ...
Racing
Five things to know for 2018 Sam F. Davis
Tampa Bay Downs is the next stop on the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail, with Saturday’s Sam F. Davis (G3) worth points on the 10-4-2-1 scale. The 1 1/16-mile test serves as a course-and-distance prep for the March 10 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) that offers fiv ...
Racing
Apostle key to strong maiden race
The $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf H. (G1), which attracted a solid field of nine, serves as Saturday’s feature and the $150,000 Suwanee River H. (G3) on the green for fillies and mares is also part of the program, but it’s a Gulfstream maiden race th ...
Racing
Potential "CAP" horses at Santa Anita on Saturday
by Scott Shapiro
Saturday marks the second of three days at the National Handicapping Tournament (NHC) at Treasure Island in Las Vegas.
With only the top 10 percent advancing to Day 3 of the NHC, picking double-digit winners will be at a premi ...
Racing
Finding Value in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager
by SCOTT SHAPIRO
Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager began at noon (EST) on Friday. The pool will remain open for three days closing on Sunday February 11 at 6 p.m.
After getting my money in well in Pool 1 with McKinzie at 12-1, t ...
Racing
Gary Stevens is Winning at Oaklawn
The Ageless One, Gary Stevens, has taken his tack to Oaklawn Park. With only 46 rides as of Feb. 7 this year, Stevens has 6 wins, 8 second place, and 7 third place finishes. He's been a beast of a rider at Oaklawn. It only figures to get better for ...
Racing
Late Pick 4 Analysis for Saturday Afternoon at Santa Anita Park
The stakes action at Santa Anita Park takes place before the late Pick 4 begins, but the racing office has provided horseplayers with a challenging sequence to close Saturday afternoon at “The Great Race Place.”
The four-race slate commences wi ...
Racing
Saturday Yonkers, Meadowlands cards highlight aged pacers
This coming Saturday evening, while many sports enthusiasts across America recover from last week's Super Bowl 52 drama, both Yonkers Raceway and The Meadowlands will offer decent overnight cards with a trio of their two dozen events highlighting som ...
Racing
How to Bet the San Vicente Stakes
Saturday’s action at Santa Anita Park features three graded stakes events starting in Race 4 with the Grade 2 Santa Maria featuring Unique Bella and concluding in Race 6 with the Grade 2 San Vicente for three-year-olds.
The San Vicente does not r ...
Racing
Early Pick Five analysis for Saturday afternoon at Gulfstream Park
The Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf run at a mile and an eighth headlines Saturday’s card in Hallandale, Florida. The $300,000 event for four year olds and upward will be conducted as the ninth race on the twelve race card.
Despite the lack of star ...
Racing
How to Bet the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs
After a busy week with the Robert B. Lewis, the Withers and the Holy Bull, things are quiet on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” this weekend outside of the Grade 2 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs.
The Sam F. Davis Stakes , a prep for next month’ ...
Racing
Will Heart to Heart Rebound in the Gulfstream Park Turf Stakes?
Is it possible that a single factor could determine the outcome of the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Stakes (gr. I) on Saturday at Gulfstream Park ?
The nine-furlong turf race has drawn eight starters, with none more accomplished than the speedy ...
Racing
How to Bet Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager
By Dick Powell
The second of four pools, Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager runs Friday-Sunday this weekend and offers intriguing value.
Let’s start with last Sunday’s Super Bowl LII. When the conference championships were ...
Racing
Will Vino Rosso Upset the Sam F. Davis Stakes?
In January 2017, the Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez made a special trip to Tampa Bay Downs to ride one horse in an ordinary maiden special weight.
The trip proved to be worth his effort, for the horse was Always Dreaming, who went on to win th ...
Racing
Keying Three Stakes Race Favorites at Santa Anita
Three graded stakes races are scheduled to be run on Saturday at Santa Anita , and at first glance, making a decent wagering score could be challenging.
After all, each race features a standout runner that figures to be favored at a short price, ...
Racing
How to Bet the Sam F. Davis
A strong field of seven will go to post at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday in the $250,000 Sam F. Davis S. (G3). The 1 1/16-mile event is a good one with some fine long-term prospects, but the goal is to cash on this Road to the Kentucky Derby serie ...
Racing
Hearty Menu Of Picks For Exotic Players; High-Price Contenders Covered In Multi-Race Wagers
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This second week in a cold February includes our preview blog’s popular presentations, Partners For Picks, Power Plays and some personally selected features—all for TwinSpires’ harness bettors. The ever-popular weekly H ...
Racing
A Moment in Time – October 14, 1978
Two Triple Crown winners dramatically beaten
For the first, and to date only, time in U.S. horse racing history, the Triple Crown was won in successive years in 1977 and 1978. The horses in question: Seattle Slew, the first horse to be unbeaten ...
Racing
Kentucky Derby BRIS Speed Rating Report: Holy Bull
Audible put on a show making his two-turn debut and first start in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series, dominating the February 3 Holy Bull (G2) at Gulfstream Park by a widening 5 ½-length margin.
A New York-bred son of Into Mischief trained by ...
Racing
Kentucky Derby BRIS Speed Rating Report: Withers Stakes
After concluding 2017 with a second in the Remsen (G2), Avery Island returned to Aqueduct to open his 3-year-old campaign with a victory in the Withers (G3). The Street Sense colt has never run a bad one since stretching out to a route four starts ...
Racing
Sophomore Spotlight: Withers, Robert B. Lewis & Holy Bull
A trio of graded races for Kentucky Derby hopefuls was contested last weekend and I will shed some light on what I took from each.
Withers (G2)
Aqueduct feature attracted just five and the race was a formful one. Grade 2 star AVERY ISLAN ...
Racing
Pick 3 play for Louisiana Premier Night at Delta Downs
More than $1.1 million in purse money will be up for grabs Saturday night at Delta Downs when the track hosts its Louisiana Premier Night for state-breds. The 12-race card kicks off at 6:20 p.m. (EST).
The most interesting of the stakes might be t ...
Racing
Spot Plays for Louisiana Premier Night at Delta Downs
On Saturday night, Delta Downs will host the 14 th edition of Louisiana Premier Night.
The 12-race card features six stakes events and four starter stakes and is headlined by the $150,000 Louisiana Premier Night Championship run at a mile and a ...
Racing
All Others 7-2, McKinzie 8-1 for Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2
The second of Churchill Downs' four 2018 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) pools kicks off its three-day run on Friday, beginning at noon (EST).
The Kentucky Derby Future Wager, now in its 19th year, provides fans of Thoroughbred racing with oppo ...
Racing
Dream Tree no; Audible & Army Mule yes
By Dick Powell
Yes, 1-to-5 favorites are supposed to win and DREAM TREE delivered the goods by nearly four lengths in Sunday’s Las Virgenes Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita. But there were two issues I had with her dominating performance that might s ...
Racing
Six horses to watch on the Kentucky Derby trail
A year ago at this time the eventual Kentucky Derby (G1) winner, Always Dreaming, was generally off most people's radars. While the colt hailed from the powerhouse Todd Pletcher stable and had belatedly broken his maiden in late January by more tha ...
Racing
Keeler Johnson's Kentucky Derby Top 10 -- 2/6/18
Curly’s Rocket: Broke his maiden by a convincing 3 ¼ lengths for trainer Bob Baffert in a six-furlong race on February 3rd at Santa Anita. His stablemate Once On Whiskey also caught my eye by rallying from out of the clouds to finish second. Ex ...
Racing
Ten Stakes Races Scheduled for Louisiana Premier Night
If you’re a fan of stakes-packed race cards, then you won’t want to miss Louisiana Premier Night on Saturday at Delta Downs , which features ten stakes races for Louisiana-breds with a combined purse of $1.055 million.
The latter half of the card ...
Racing
Ward, Maker Fillies Square Off in Cincinnati Trophy Stakes
Two of the leading trainers at Turfway Park will square off in the $50,000 Cincinnati Trophy Stakes on February 9th, the most prominent race of the night at the Kentucky racetrack.
Mike Maker and Wesley Ward have dominated racing at Turfway Pa ...
Racing
Avery Island Rebounds in Withers Stakes
However, Avery Island’s final time of 1:51.01 for nine furlongs wasn’t all that fast considering that Aqueduct was playing quicker than usual on Saturday, and the resulting BRIS speed figure—a 94—was just a point higher than the 93 Avery Island recei ...
Racing
Audible stars at Gulfstream
Saturday’s $350,000 Holy Bull (G2) featured a fine field of Kentucky Derby hopefuls making their respective 2018 debuts and while I am rarely quick to rush to judgment, I think AUDIBLE has star written all over him.
Todd Pletcher pupil enter ...
Racing
In Defense of Lombo's Robert B. Lewis Victory
Perhaps the biggest storyline to come out of California so far this year is that Santa Anita Park —formerly renowned as one of the fastest racetracks in the country—has undergone a significant transformation to become a very slow and tiring track. ...
Racing
Why Audible's Holy Bull Victory Was Sensational
But wait, there’s more. Audible’s burst of speed was not a mere illusion brought about by tiring rivals—Free Drop Billy actually ran a huge race while finishing second, pulling 7 ¾ lengths clear of the rest of the field. But even more noteworthy, Aud ...
Racing
Three Sophomores Jump Onto Kentucky Derby Trail
This past Saturday on Feb. 3, a few three-year-olds showed that they might have what it takes to challenge on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Audible won the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Avery Island won the Withers at Aqueduct. Long shot Lom ...
Racing
Cold $24 Exacta At Yonkers; $83 Triactor, $20 Exacta Partners In Feature At Woodbine; 43 Percent Hit The Board
Our top winners were moderate this week, with many of our suggested contenders getting the favor of the public. Here’s the rundown for the first weekend of February harness racing from the preview blog.
Remember our 2018 slogan:
Twin ...
Racing
Older pacers and trotters highlight Yonkers Saturday night card
One night before many Americans are set to watch the Super Bowl LII (52) clash between the defending champion New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles in the rematch of their Super Bowl XXXIV encounter, Yonkers Raceway hosted a solid card fil ...
Racing
Dream Tree a free space in Santa Anita Pick 5
A nine-race card has been set at Santa Anita on Sunday, with the feature coming in the form of the $200,000 Las Virgenes S. (G1) as Race 4. I think unbeaten DREAM TREE is easily among the top sophomore fillies in training and looks unbeatable with so ...
Racing
Speed play in Robert Lewis
The Holy Bull (G2) features a trio of high-profile sophomores and the six-horse Withers (G3) should be interesting to watch. But for my money, the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita has the most wagering appeal among the three Kentucky Derby prep r ...
Racing
Mucciolo: Gulfstream Park stakes plays
A fine Saturday card awaits us at Gulfstream Park, with a handful of graded races led by the $200,000 Holy Bull S. (G2). I will take aim at each of the five.
Swale (G3)
This is a race that I like a lot, as four of the six who will go postwa ...
Racing
Pavel looms large in San Pasqual
I have been a fan Doug O’Neill-trained PAVEL since his superb debut win at Santa Anita last summer. Son of Grade 1 winner and classic-placed Creative Cause was thrown to the proverbial wolves following that tally but held up pretty well after a fourt ...
Racing
Untamed Domain Looks Tough to Beat in Dania Beach Stakes
In going over the graded stakes races across the country this weekend, it’s hard to find a more likely winner than the promising colt that will start as the favorite in the $100,000 Dania Beach Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park .
That horse wou ...
Racing
Using Holy Bull pair in Derby Doubles bonus play
TwinSpires.com's Derby Doubles bonus is first available to players on Saturday and the concept is simple. Hit a Double that includes one of the three Kentucky Derby (G1) preps -- the Withers (G3), Holy Bull (G2), or Robert B. Lewis (G3) -- and e ...
Racing
Spot Plays in the Las Virgenes
Sunday at Santa Anita Park is not covered with graded stakes races throughout the day, but the card does contain a $200,000 event for three-year-old fillies to start the afternoon’s Pick Six. The Grade 2 Las Virgenes did not come up strong in 2018, ...
Racing
Six things to know for the 2018 Holy Bull, Withers, Lewis
The Kentucky Derby (G1) points chase picks up again in earnest on Saturday, as aspiring sophomores contest the Holy Bull (G2) at Gulfstream Park, the Withers (G3) at Aqueduct, and the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita.
We’ll begin our “six thi ...
Racing
Shapiro’s Late Pick 4 analysis for Robert B. Lewis Day at Santa Anita Park
Itsinthepost captured the San Gabriel to kick off his six-year-old campaign on January 6 (c) Benoit Photos
by Scott Shapiro
A foursome of graded stakes events headlines a strong Saturday afternoon card at “The Great Race Place.”
The Palo ...
Racing
How to Best Attack the Withers Day card at Aqueduct
The Grade 3 Withers Stakes headlines a Saturday afternoon card in New York City where sunny skies are in the forecast. The quality of racing outside of the featured $250,000 event on Saturday at Aqueduct is moderate, but there are still plenty of op ...
Racing
Spot Plays for Holy Bull Day at Gulfstream Park
The Pegasus World Cup may be in the rearview mirror, but Gulfstream Park has yet another strong card on tap for Saturday afternoon headlined by the Grade 2 Holy Bull.
With five graded stakes events scattered over the 12-race slate, there are plent ...
Racing
Brown reaches milestone but Foiled Again fades
In the span of 24 hours at a pair of tracks that have little in common, one trainer was able to record a milestone victory at Charles Town while an aged pacer failed in his second bid for another milestone. On Wednesday evening at Charles Town, trai ...
Racing
Good Magic Tops 360 Nominees for the 2018 Triple Crown
Good Magic , winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) and the Eclipse Award champion two-year-old male of 2017, is among the talented young horses that have been nominated to compete in the 2018 Kentucky Derby , Preakness Stakes, and Belmont S ...
Racing