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Potential value plays at Belmont Park Friday
A strong 11-race card, including five stakes, will be offered the day before the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes and I’ll recommend a few horses today at a decent price on the morning line.
Race 2
Inside posts have fared well in turf sprints th ...
Racing
International scouting report for 2018 Belmont Gold Cup, New York Stakes
The European raiding party for Friday’s $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup (G2) is only half of the size of last year’s six-strong phalanx that swept the superfecta , but all are Group performers, and one in particular brings a rich vein of form.
Even t ...
Racing
How to Bet the Ogden Phipps Stakes
On paper, the key to handicapping Saturday’s $750,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park might be determining whether #6 Abel Tasman is ready to rebound from a sub-par showing in her most recent start.
Certainly Abel Tasman is by fa ...
Racing
Mohawk offers solid Saturday night card
Not long after thoroughbred racing fans have had the chance to digest the results of Saturday's 150th Belmont Stakes as Justify seeks to become the sport's 13th Triple Crown winner on the latter portion of a stellar, stakes-filled card, harness racin ...
Racing
Mucciolo’s Spot Plays for Friday of Belmont Stakes week
The 150th Belmont Stakes is on Saturday where Justify will hope to seal the deal in his Triple Crown bid.
But the Friday card is a great one with 11 races on the slate including five stakes, four of which are graded. I have highlighted a few run ...
Racing
Playing a six race show parlay on Belmont Stakes day
A fun, but sneaky challenge of a wager...one bump in the road and you are out of the bet!
by Dick Powell
On Belmont Stakes day TwinSpires will have a $5,000 prize to split among players who can withstand the parlay journey, starting with race ...
Racing
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Looking for Value in the Belmont Stakes
On my personal fair odds line, I have Justify listed as a 6-5 shot, meaning that at 6-5 or higher I think he would represent betting value and perhaps even be worthy of a win bet. But at lower odds—such as his 4-5 morning line price—Justify becomes ...
Racing
How to bet the Belmont Stakes if against Justify
by Scott Shapiro
Yesterday I wrote a piece on how to bet the Belmont Stakes (G1) if you think Justify will become the 13th Thoroughbred to win the Triple Crown, which you can find here .
However, there is certainly a case to be made for tak ...
Racing
Handicapping Thursday's stakes action at Belmont
The three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival kicks off with a dynamite nine-race card Thursday including a trio of stakes for females (races 6-8).
Here are my thoughts on the sequence:
Race 6, Astoria
None of the eight juvenile fillies hav ...
Racing
Eliminations Erupt In Canada As Top Soph And Aged Affairs Headline; Graduates Take The Stage In A Bundle At Tioga
The big guns are locked and loaded on the second weekend in June with elimination features topped by the North America Cup. The first of the biggest glamour-boys-and-girls (the Fan Hanover) events is ready to fire at the new year-round (Woo ...
Racing
Major Test For Hopeful Trotting Colts In Goodtimes Elims At Woodbine/Mohawk
The first of the Grand Circuit stakes events on the Hambletonian Trail, the Goodtimes Trot, attracted 21 total glamour boys and 12 total Hambletonian hopefuls collected into two eliminations on the Friday, June 8 program at Woodbine Mohawk ...
Racing
Speed Makes Lull Dangerous in Just a Game Stakes
She won’t be the most popular choice in the wagering, but I have the feeling that #4 Lull might get out in front and forget to stop in Saturday’s $700,000 Just a Game Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park .
When this talented daughter of War Front g ...
Racing
Belmont Day Pick 4 strategies with different takes on Justify
Belmont Day has become the finest collection of races on the calendar in my opinion. It will play host to 10 stakes races, including a staggering six Grade-1 tilts led by the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes .
Justify will lead a talented field postwa ...
Racing
How to bet the Belmont Stakes if you think Justify can’t Lose
By DICK POWELL
Having an odds-on favorite like JUSTIFY can make betting this year’s Belmont Stakes problematic. But, not impossible.
If you think Justify will win, forget win, place and show bets. Not enough reward for the risk. It looks ...
Racing
How to bet the Belmont Stakes if you like Justify to win
by Scott Shapiro
In just a few days, Justify will try to become the 13th three-year-old to capture Thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown. The Bob Baffert trainee drew the rail and is listed as the 4-5 favorite in the 150th running of the $1.5 millio ...
Racing
Low weight spread could drag down Bolt d'Oro's chances in Met Mile
Aside from select spots like the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), there appears to be a larger enthusiasm gap of running accomplished three-year-olds against older males at a mile or over on dirt during the course of the year ...
Racing
Belmont Stakes: My 2018 Belmont Stakes Picks
think he's a tired horse. He beat his competition in the Preakness Stakes on sheer will. That could work in a 1 3/16 mile race. That won't work in a 1 1/2 mile race. Justify is a good race horse. You must be a special race horse to win the Triple Cr ...
Racing
Hi Happy winning the Pan American Stakes (gr. II) - Photo by Lauren King/Adam Coglianese Photography
How to Bet the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Stakes
Handicapping major turf races in New York is often a question of identifying the horse with the most brilliant burst of acceleration, since slow early paces tend to place a premium on the ability to finish fast down the homestretch.
With this in m ...
Racing
Keying Bee Jersey in the Metropolitan Handicap
If you’re looking for a great betting race to play this Saturday, look no further than the $1.2 million Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) at Belmont Park .
The historic “Met Mile” has drawn eleven starters, but lacks a clear standout. As a result, ...
Racing
Monomoy Girl Stands Out in Acorn Stakes
With a purse of $700,000 and a prominent place on the racing calendar, the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park is one of the most prestigious events in the country for three-year-old fillies.
Held at one mile around one turn, you can usually co ...
Racing
Mask Seeks Rebound in Easy Goer Stakes
It might not offer the spotlight and prestige of the Belmont Stakes , but Saturday’s $150,000 Easy Goer Stakes at Belmont Park is a pretty good consolation prize for three-year-olds that weren’t quite good enough to run in the “Test of Champio ...
Racing
Shapiros' Fair Odds Line for the 150th Running of the Belmont Stakes
Last week I did a preliminary Fair Odds line for the 150 th running of the , but after further research and the post-position draw here is my final rendition:
#1 Justify (Even money) - The undefeated dual Classic winner obviously has a ton goi ...
Racing
Justify will bid for Triple Crown from rail post
Justify will try to become Thoroughbred racing’s 13 th winner of the American Triple Crown, and join Seattle Slew (1977) as only the second undefeated victor, when he lines up for Saturday’s 150 th running of the Belmont Stakes . The well-built ch ...
Racing
Thursday Afternoon Spot Plays at Belmont Park
Thursday afternoon starts the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in Elmont, New York.
The New York Racing Association has a massive three days of thoroughbred racing in store headlined by attempt at history in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.
With ...
Racing
150th Belmont Stakes Field
150TH BELMONT STAKES
PP
HORSE
TRAINER
JOCKEY
ML ODDS
...
Racing
Currier & Ives Classically Contribute Along The ‘Trail’ With Divisions At The Meadows; Some Colts At Buffalo
Hambletonian Trail action aplenty during the weekdays for sharp bettors as the Meadows offers fillies and colts top dollars in the traditional trotting series, the Currier & Ives (C & I).
The fillies meet in three divisions o ...
Racing
Belmont Stakes: Top 5 That Failed
Stakes. He, like Real Quiet, had the Test of Champions won. It turned out that Birdstone was just slightly better at 1 1/2 miles than Smarty Jones. Even if Stewart Elliott had waited to move Smarty, would have mattered? Maybe. Maybe, not. The 5 Be ...
Racing
Harness action survives the elements
Harness racing fans and their accompanying owners and trainers were asked to battle through the elements over the weekend at two tracks along the east coast deluged by several heavy rain showers, but conditions were much clearer when action resumed o ...
Racing
Powell reviews turf action from Penn National to Epsom Derby
by DICK POWELL
Racetracks take a big risk when they schedule their major races on the turf for their biggest day of racing. But, despite rain in nearby areas, Penn National completed a great day of racing on Saturday over firm turf.
HAWKISH ...
Racing
How to plot a Belmont Stakes wagering strategy with Justify as odds-on favorite
Justify trains for the Belmont Stakes at Churchill Downs (Horsephotos.com)
How to navigate betting the Belmont stakes with Justify at odds-on
"Justify is blazing a path unique in the annals of modern racing."
How one approaches ...
Racing
Holy Helena, Fahan Mura Bring Win Streaks to New York Stakes
Two fillies with win streaks against vastly different levels of competition will face off in Friday’s $600,000 New York Stakes (gr. II) going 1 ¼ miles over the inner turf course at Belmont Park .
Holy Helena is 3-for-3 this year and enters t ...
Racing
Top Sprinters Face Off in True North Stakes
Some of the best male sprinters in the country are set to face off in the June 8th $250,000 True North Stakes (gr. II) , one of five stakes races scheduled for the Friday card at Belmont Park .
In fact, every one of the eight starters in this si ...
Racing
Soph-Stakes Winners And $57 Place Pacer In Public Upset; ‘Battle’ Victor At Northfield; ‘Gemini’ Wins 12th-Straight
Live horses paid in 38-percent across-the-board finishes in our horses-to-watch list (H2W) and they were prevalent in all of our features as we opened June. And the Hambletonian Trail trotters continued to prove the divisions are ...
Racing
Chad Brown Sends Out Three in Wonder Again Stakes
Belmont Stakes week at Belmont Park is always a memorable time packed with top-notch stakes races, and the action this year gets started on Thursday with an excellent card highlighted by the $200,000 Wonder Again Stakes (gr. III) for three-yea ...
Racing
Shapiro: How to play Churchill's mandatory Single 6 jackpot payout
by SCOTT SHAPIRO
With $695,728 in the Single 6 jackpot pool after Friday, the management of Churchill Downs has opted to make the first "Downs After Dark" card a bit more interesting. $300,000 of the carryover pool will be part of a mandatory pa ...
Racing
2018 Epsom Derby one-liners
With hopes of a Triple Crown in the balance on both sides of the Atlantic, undefeated 2000 Guineas (G1) hero Saxon Warrior aims to justify favoritism in the Derby (G1) at Epsom. The Aidan O’Brien star faces 11 challengers, in addition to the questi ...
Racing
The 2018 Belmont Stakes Betting Guide
2018 Belmont Stakes Betting Guide
A free handicapping reference for Belmont Stakes bets!
This free PDF download will help prepare any level of horse player with smart Belmont Stakes bets. The guide will cover picks and plays, but also has a ...
Racing
Saxon Warrior imposing, but balancing play in Epsom Derby
Ever since an impressive victory in last month's 2000 Guineas (G1), SAXON WARRIOR has been heavily backed to take the second jewel in the English Triple Crown, Saturday's Epsom Derby (G1), and has been talked of as being that rare individual that c ...
Racing
Spot Plays for "Downs After Dark"
The first “Downs After Dark” card of 2018 is on Saturday in Louisville and the racing office at put together an extremely strong 11-race card that is headlined by the Grade 3 Aristides run at six panels over the main track.
There are several race ...
Racing
How to bet the Belmont Stakes Festival weekend
by DICK POWELL
Three days of racing, 18 total stakes races. Six Grade 1s, four Grade 2s, five Grade 3s -- from 5 1/2 furlongs all the way to the 150th running of "Test of the Champion;" the Belmont Stakes (G1), at 1 1/2 miles.
If yo ...
Racing
How to Bet the Beholder Mile
Saturday’s feature at is the $400,000 Grade 1 Beholder Mile.The race named for the star Richard Mandella trainee only drew a field of six, but it does not lack star power given the presence of Unique Bella, Vale Dori and Paradise Woods.
Don Albe ...
Racing
Betting horses in their race following the Oaks/Derby
by Scott Shapiro
The Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) is clearly the goal for top three-year-olds. However, the majority of these horses fail to live up to expectations at Churchill Downs. The question for handicappers, then, becomes ho ...
Racing
How to bet the Beholder Mile
Champion Unique Bella leads a compact but talented field of six to the post in Saturday’s $400,000 Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park.
MUNNY SPUNT (#1) – Former claimer was outrun in a recent allowance dash and looks up against it. Mu ...
Racing
Mucciolo: How to bet the Penn Mile
by JOHN MUCCIOLO
A fine field of eight sophomores will take aim at the lucrative, $500,000 Penn Mile (G2) at Penn National on Saturday evening. The turf test is growing rapidly in popularity and attracted some sharp runners for this event.
#1 ...
Racing
Powell: How to bet the Aristides Stakes at Churchill Downs
by DICK POWELL
It seems like only yesterday when ARISTIDES won the first running of the Kentucky Derby (G1). But here we are, 143 years later, and trying to make some sense out of a six-furlong sprint named after him. Since 2004, it has been run ...
Racing
Defections could yield mild surprise in Epsom Oaks
Unlike Saturday's Epsom Derby (G1) for the colts, there's a general suspicion that Friday's Epsom Oaks (G1) does not contain the crème de la crème of the leading middle-distance three-year-old fillies in England and Ireland.
The defections of the ...
Racing
Sophs ‘Somewhere’ Prep For ‘Cup’; Graduates Go North; Chicago Steps Up Stakes; Indiana Sophs Soar
As we leave May behind, June begins with more serious approaches for glamour-boy-and-girl pacers. Aside from two events—the Graduate and Battle Of Lake Erie—all of the sport’s major features during the first weekend in June are sophomore-re ...
Racing
Monticello Hosts Fillies In Four Sires Stakes Divisions; Few Eligible In Meadowlands Finals
With the major stakes on the Hambletonian Trail looming in the approaching month, hopefuls continue their preps on local circuits in sires stakes action over the first weekend of June with “Oaks” contenders competing in four divisions of th ...
Racing
Rosecroft offers four Maryland Sire Stakes finals on closing night
Wednesday evening may have marked the final program of the Rosecroft Raceway winter-spring meet, but for numerous owners, trainers and drivers with trotters and pacers competing in their respective Maryland Sire Stakes finals and overnight events it ...
Racing
Keying Hawkish in the Penn Mile Stakes
The $500,000 Penn Mile Stakes (gr. II) at Penn National has only been run five times, but with a list of winners that includes the Breeders’ Cup champions Bobby’s Kitten and Catch a Glimpse, the one-mile turf race has already stamped itself as a ...
Racing
2018 Belmont Stakes BRIS Speed Rating Report
Known as the “Test of the Champion,” the Belmont Stakes serves as the third jewel in the American Triple Crown and Justify will try to complete the sweep at its demanding 1 ½-mile distance. The well-built chestnut colt is unbeaten from five start ...
Racing
Tin Badge Faces State-Breds in Gray's Lake Stakes
The three races offer an opportunity for the best three-year-old Thoroughbreds in North America to showcase their talents in front of a worldwide audience.
In contrast, the audience will be much smaller for Saturday’s $63,150 Gray’s Lake Stakes ...
Racing
Terrific Field Assembles for Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo
There’s plenty of top-class racing action going on around the world this weekend, but arguably no race can offer a field as competitive and talented as the one that will line up to contest Sunday’s Yasuda Kinen (Jpn-I) at in .
Held at 1,600 met ...
Racing
Keying the Favorites in the Mighty Beau Stakes
While handicapping Saturday’s $75,000 Mighty Beau Stakes at Churchill Downs , it’s not hard to come to the conclusion that the race is essentially a showdown between three horses.
Held over five furlongs on the turf course, the Mighty Beau drew ...
Racing
Wilbo Should Receive Winning Trip in Aristides Stakes
The field for the $100,000 Aristides Stakes (gr. III) on Saturday at Churchill Downs might not be huge, but it’s certainly not lacking in early speed.
Four of the seven horses entered in this six-furlong sprint— #1 Smart Spree , #2 Shadow Tra ...
Racing
Keying Justify in the Belmont Could Produce Better Payoffs Than You Think
So let’s say you’re convinced that the unbeaten Justify will keep his perfect record intact with a victory in the June 9th Belmont Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park, in the process becoming the thirteenth horse to sweep the Triple Crown.
Thanks t ...
Racing
Analyze It Faces Deep Field in Pennine Ridge Stakes
Just how talented is the unbeaten three-year-old turf star Analyze It ? No one knows for certain, but we’ll get a better idea when he takes on a quality field of rivals in Saturday’s $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes (gr. III) at Belmont Park .
Th ...
Racing
Shapiro's Fair Odds Line for the Belmont Stakes as of May 30th
In just ten days dual classic winner Justify will attempt to make history and become the second Triple Crown winner this century for Hall of Fame trainer .
It is hard to believe that this son of Scat Daddy has accomplished so much in such a short ...
Racing
Meet Bandua, Ireland's Belmont Stakes Contender
It's the question being asked by most handicappers when they see his name among the list of possible starters for the Belmont Stakes —“Who in the world is Bandua ?”
Who in the world, indeed, since unlike most Belmont Stakes contenders, Bandua ...
Racing
Run styles & the Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes will be contested over a 1 ½-mile distance many participants will never see again. Stamina matters, but the extended distance leads to a false impression it benefits late runners.
Barring an early duel, Belmont Stakes horses w ...
Racing
Justify Could be More Vulnerable in the Belmont than Anyone Believes
Justify heads to the Belmont Stakes with a chance to become the second Triple Crown winner since 2015. That's somewhat amazing considering that until American Pharoah won the Crown, horse racing fans had waited for 37 years. Can Justify do it? No dou ...
Racing
Harrington offers memorable Memorial Day card
Monday might have meant the Memorial Day holiday for many Americans but harness racing fans may have made the journey to Harrington Raceway for the live card. In the opening race on the Monday card, Cinder Block (Mike Cole) left to secure good early ...
Racing
Why the Belmont Stakes is the Best Triple Crown Race to Bet
For years, the Kentucky Derby was the best Triple Crown race to bet. In some ways, the Derby is still the best race to bet. The Derby superfecta paid huge. However, the exacta and trifecta weren't nearly as large as they could have been. Not only tha ...
Racing
Hanson: Playing Pimlico's Rainbow 6 mandatory payout
Memorial Day marks the closing day of the brief 2018 Pimlico meet, and aside from Justify's thrilling win through the fog in the Preakness (G1) last weekend, it's been a spell of racing negatively affected by weather. More than half a foot of rain fe ...
Racing
Maiden Special Weight to Maiden Claiming: A Classic Class Drop
In the sport of horse racing, you’ll often hear handicappers refer to horses that are “dropping in class.”
The definition of dropping in class is simple—it means that a given horse is going to be facing easier competition than in his previous star ...
Education
Three Double-Digit Winners At Hawthorne; Camluck Classic Conquered With Valued Favorite; Choices Strewn Across The Board
Two days of the weekend holiday were jammed with features and horses to watch (H2W) and our contenders were busy finishing in all three payoff spots—four if you count those pesky superfecta finishers. Also, another week of sharp Hambletonian Trail fi ...
Racing
Royal Ascot on the horizon: Lady Aurelia, Yoshida tune up while European preps offer clues
If Memorial Day weekend marks the virtual beginning of summer, Royal Ascot isn’t far behind, and the meeting’s marquee events are beginning to take shape.
American-based performers will be in the spotlight on the June 19 opener. Defending champion ...
Racing
Shapiro’s Memorial Day 2018 Spot Plays
by Scott Shapiro
Before anything, I just want to say a heartfelt thank you to all who have died while serving in the Armed Forces for the United States of America.
With the Memorial Day holiday comes an extra day of racing to end the week. The ...
Racing
Keying Grecian Fire in the All American Stakes
Could handicapping Monday’s $100,000 All American Stakes (gr. III) on the Tapeta track at Golden Gate Fields be as simple as backing the horse trained by Jerry Hollendorfer?
The Hall of Fame trainer has long dominated racing at Golden Gate Fie ...
Racing
A look at how Justify and his challengers are coming up to the 2018 Belmont Stakes
With two weeks left to go until JUSTIFY puts his Triple Crown hopes to the test in the June 9 Belmont Stakes (G1), it’s time to take stock of how the field is shaping up.
Unbeaten Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1) hero Jus ...
Racing
Belmont's Memorial Day Card Packed With State-Bred Stakes Races
If you thought that the upcoming racing action on Saturday and Sunday at Belmont Park seemed a bit thin in terms of stakes races, you’re correct, but that’s because Belmont is saving most of the weekend action for Memorial Day.
Six of the ten ...
Racing
Highway Star, Holiday Disguise Face Off in Critical Eye Stakes
Monday’s $200,000 Critical Eye Stakes at Belmont Park might be restricted to New York-breds, but don’t let that distinction trick you into thinking that the race is among the less significant events on the holiday weekend.
Actually, the one-mi ...
Racing
Diversify Faces State-Breds in Commentator Stakes
It’s not every day that you see a proven Grade 1 winner running in a race for state-breds, but such will be the case when Diversify runs in Monday’s $200,000 Commentator Stakes at Belmont Park .
The one-mile Commentator is the ninth race on a ...
Racing
How to Bet the Gold Cup at Santa Anita
takes center stage on Saturday afternoon as “The Great Race Place” offers racing fans three graded stakes events headlined by the $500,000 Grade 1 Gold Cup.
The fifth race on the nine-race card concludes the early Pick 5, and gets the late seque ...
Racing
Harness action heats up Memorial Day weekend
While many Americans will head to the beach or simply to their backyards for cookouts this coming Memorial Day weekend, harness racing enthusiasts will have ample time to devour plenty of races in addition to burgers and hot dogs. Saturday evening t ...
Racing
Justify: The Latest Success Story for Baffert and Smith
Question: What do Justify, Arrogate, Abel Tasman, West Coast, Drefong, McKinzie, Mastery, and Mor Spirit all have in common?
Answer: They all won Grade 1 races for trainer and jockey , arguably the most powerful trainer/jockey duo in U.S. racing ...
Racing
How to Bet the Arlington Classic
By Dick Powell
Beautiful Arlington Park will host the Arlington Classic (G3), a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3yos. It will be followed on July 7 by the American Derby (G3) going 1 1/8 miles and the series culminates on August 11 with the Secretariat ...
Racing
How to Bet the Lone Star Park Handicap
A trio of millionaires will lead a field of five to the starting gate in Sunday’s $200,000 Lone Star Park H. (G3).
#1 MUBTAAHIJ – Bob Baffert trainee makes his first appearance since finishing a good third in the $10 million Dubai World Cup (UAE ...
Racing
Handicapping Evangeline Downs' Louisiana Legends All-Stakes Pick 4
by Dick Powell
Saturday night is Louisiana Legends night at Evangeline Downs and they will have an All-Stakes Pick 4 beginning in the 4TH Race with a $50,000 guaranteed pool. If you play $25 into it on Twinspires.com you will earn a 10 percent bo ...
Racing
Ezmosh Stands Out in Arlington Classic
It’s not a Triple Crown race, and it’s not even being held on dirt, but Saturday’s $100,000 Arlington Classic (gr. III) at Arlington Park has nevertheless attracted a couple of horses that were briefly on the Triple Crown trail.
The most promi ...
Racing
Danon Premium, Epoca d'Oro Face Off in Japanese Derby
If you’re a fan of talented three-year-old Thoroughbreds and top-quality Triple Crown races, then you’re in for a treat on Sunday morning!
While the countdown to the June 9th Belmont Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park continues, you can tune in to t ...
Racing
Art Rooney, Lismore Sophs Seek Champs; Camluck Classic In Canada; PA Holiday-Weekend Features And Sires Stakes
Feature action on Memorial Day weekend focuses on Saturday, with some Sunday stakes (no pun intended). Sophs are battling again at Yonkers in the big-money Art Rooney Final and the Lismore Final. As well, the glamour divisions race in minor ...
Racing
Trotters’ Trials Trot Deeply For Pumped Purses In Sires Stakes, Empire Breeders Classics
Hambletonian Trail action resumes on the sires stakes’ circuits this final weekend of May with three divisions of the $171,290 Pennsyvlania Sires Stakes (PASS) for soph-colt trotters at at Pocono Saturday, May 26, while both sexes set foot ...
Racing
How to Bet the Lone Star Park Handicap
Granted, the field that has assembled for Sunday’s $200,000 Lone Star Park Handicap (gr. III) at Lone Star Park isn’t very large. Just five horses have been entered, and one of them— #2 Full of Luck —may scratch from the race.
But even if just ...
Racing
Keying Golden Mischief in the Winning Colors Stakes
After handicapping Saturday’s $100,000 Winning Colors Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs , I have to think that it’s going to take a monstrous effort for anyone to defeat #2 Golden Mischief in this six-furlong sprint.
On paper, the four-year ...
Racing
Horses to Consider for Thursday's Pick 6 Carryover at Santa Anita
A challenging set of results to conclude the action at Santa Anita Park on Sunday led to a Pick 6 carryover of $63,301 heading into Thursday afternoon.
The eight-race card features four maiden events, including a pair of $40,000 maiden claimers d ...
Racing
No matter the distance, the start is key
by DICK POWELL
So Bob Baffert, winner of seven Preakness Stakes, beat D. Wayne Lukas, winner of six Preakness Stakes, in last Saturday’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico over a sloppy (sealed) track. Baffert has now tied Lukas for the most Triple Cro ...
Racing
Rivals Best Suited to Deny Justify the Triple Crown
Justify is at -130 to win the Triple Crown. That means Justify is at -130 odds to win the Belmont Stakes. The Bob Baffert trainee certainly looks like a monster. If he were to win the Belmont, nobody would be surprised. But, the Belmont isn't called ...
Racing
Finding Value in an Unexpected Place
Being a profitable horseplayer not only takes proper preparation in the days leading up to a card, but also requires paying attention to detail in the minutes leading up to a race.
One thing that can get overlooked amid time spent on handicapping ...
Racing
Justify's True Chances of Winning the Triple Crown
You'd think after such a tough race Justify's odds to win the Belmont Stakes, the Third Jewel in Horse Racing's Triple Crown, might be around even money. Heck, maybe, even 5/2. Not the case. The Wynn in Las Vegas released Justify's odds of winning t ...
Racing
Justify Impresses Again With Gutsy Preakness Stakes Victory
At this point, is there anything left to say about the unbeaten Justify , who brought his record to a perfect 5-for-5 with a gutsy win in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico ?
We knew he had speed and talent—he showed that while w ...
Racing
Betting First-Time Starters in Maiden Claiming Races
Once in a while, handicappers will come across a maiden race filled with horses that seemingly lack the desire or inclination to win.
This can be particularly evident in maiden claiming races, the lowest category of races for horses that have neve ...
Education
Pocono Downs Presents Charge Of The Sires-Stakes Filly Brigade; Eligible Groups Connect For Cash
The “Trail” battles move to Pocono Downs on Monday, May 21, with three eligible-loaded Pennsylvania Sires Stakes (PASS) divisions of fillies worth $56,000-plus each. Only one entrant is not allowed for “Oaks” (or main-event) competition. So ...
Racing
Rosecroft, Pocono Downs, Pompano offer Sunday cards
Sunday's harness racing centered on a trio of five-eighths mile ovals in three different states and several trotters and pacers delivered solid efforts amid much, much warmer conditions as the tracks conducted a 'Trotting For Charity' promotion throu ...
Racing
Will Justify win the Triple Crown? Depends upon your interpretation of the Preakness
The Sunday after Justify withstood a punishing Kentucky Derby (G1) pace, and defied the “ Apollo curse ” as a Derby winner who was unraced at two, hopes were raised that here was a Triple Crown-caliber performer. Following a much narrower scrape ...
Racing
Three-Straight Payoff In H-Trail Colt Trots; Top Week’s Winner Pays $30; Series Pick Returns, Pays $19
Favorites swamped our features this past weekend but we took advantage of one of them in two big exotics on The Hambletonian Trail. A few other decent strikes kept us afloat as the season begins to heat up with Grand Circuit and local serie ...
Racing
2018 Preakness Stakes News & Notes
Close to two weeks ago, Justify splashed his way home under the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs to capture the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby (G1).
On Saturday, the chestnut colt affectionately called "Big Red" will attempt to continue his Tripl ...
Racing
Justify prevails in 143rd Preakness Stakes
Justify wears the Black-Eyed Susan blanket after winning the 143rd edition of the Preakness Stakes (G1) (c) Cecilia Gustavsson/Horsephotos.com
Justify held on by a half-length over a fast-closing Bravazo to take the $1.5 million Preakness Stake ...
Racing