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Hanson: How I'm Playing the Preakness and the Late Pick 5
A disappointing week weather-wise continues for Preakness Day, but we'll try and make the best of it by cashing a few tickets. Here's a look at how we'll be playing later in the card.
Race 9 -- Gallorette (G3)
ULTRA BRAT (#3) was clearly ou ...
Racing
Wet-track horses for Preakness Day
The Triple Crown has not caught a break from the weather this year. Two weeks after a rain-soaked Kentucky Derby Day, Saturday’s Preakness will be contested over a sloppy Pimlico track. And with the soggy conditions in mind, I’ve identified a quart ...
Racing
My Magic Pick-4 Play on Preakness Day
A $2 million guaranteed Pick-4 pool is offered at Pimlico on Saturday, spanning races 10-through-13 and concluding with the 143rd Preakness Stakes. I will take a shot at it.
Race 10
Maryland Sprint (G3) attracted nine and the race looks logic ...
Racing
Attacking Saturday's Late Pick 5 Carryover at Churchill Downs
No one connected on Friday’s Late Pick 5 at , so that means a carryover of $26,498 into Saturday’s sequence that commences in Race 7 and concludes with the finale in Race 11.
Here are my thoughts on each of the 5 races: Race 7:
There does ...
Racing
2018 Preakness Stakes one-liners
After summing up each Kentucky Derby (G1) contender in one line , the same treatment is in store for the Preakness (G1). This time, though, the verdicts will go faster with just eight entrants in the Triple Crown’s middle jewel .
Away we go, i ...
Racing
How to bet the 2018 Preakness Stakes
Justify at Pimlico Park for the Preakness Stakes (Horsephotos.com)
How to bet the 2018 Preakness Stakes
With a smaller field and a heavy favorite, how does one select which contender to bet in the Preakness Stakes?
#7 Justify
...
Racing
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Yonkers, Pocono Downs, Meadowlands and Rosecroft offer weekend action
Not long after the Preakness Stakes is concluded and racing enthusiasts know whether or not Justify will head to the Belmont Stakes with a chance at becoming thoroughbred racing's 13th Triple Crown winner, harness racing fans will pay close attention ...
Racing
Pedigree fun facts for 2018 Preakness Stakes
As a follow-up to the pedigree fun facts for the Kentucky Derby (G1), Saturday’s 143rd running of the Preakness (G1) warrants a similar look - with an eye toward the prevailing sloppy conditions.
Kentucky Derby winner Justify sports a nifty ...
Racing
Pimlico hosts Preakness Stakes on stellar Saturday card
Tomorrow afternoon all eyes in the thoroughbred racing world will focus on Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland as the historic Old Hilltop oval hosts the 143rd running of the Grade I, $1.5 million Preakness Stakes, the middle jewel of thorough ...
Racing
Hanson: Spot Plays for Black-Eyed Susan Day
BALTIMORE -- As expected, weather conditions in Baltimore are unchanged and unlikely to be in the next 36 hours or so as rain continues to pelt the area, Pimlico in particular. A sloppy main track and a soggy turf are givens for Friday's Black-Eyed S ...
Racing
The 2018 Preakness Stakes Betting Guide FREE Download
2018 Preakness Stakes Betting Guide
A free handicapping tool for better Preakness Stakes bets!
This free PDF download will not only prepare you with smart Preakness Stakes bets, but covers three undercard races on Black-Eyed Susan day as well ...
Racing
Scully: Black-Eyed Susan Day plays at Pimlico
Here are some thoughts of Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan Day program at Pimlico.
Pimlico Special, 9 th race
The first of two graded stakes races Friday, the Pimlico Special (G3) features a number of horses who like to race on or close to the fron ...
Racing
How to bet the Preakness Stakes if you like Justify to lose
Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up and Preakness Stakes (G1) contender Good Magic (c) Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
by Scott Shapiro
Earlier I wrote a piece on “ How to Bet the Preakness Stakes if you think Justify will win. ”
Most handicapp ...
Racing
Betting Longshot Bronson in the Louisville Handicap
Saturday’s $100,000 Louisville Handicap (gr. III) at Churchill Downs might not be the most prestigious race of the day from a class perspective—it’s only a Grade 3—but it is certainly shaping up to be a highly competitive event with plenty of op ...
Racing
How to wager the Preakness Stakes if you think Justify will win
Kentucky Derby winner (G1) Justify and trainer Bob Baffert (c) Horsephotos.com
by Scott Shapiro
Like any race, formulating an opinion on the favorite is the first step a handicapper should make when analyzing the 2018 Preakness Stakes.
...
Racing
2018 Preakness contender profiles
With no surprises at entry time for the 143rd running of the Preakness S . (G1), seven challengers will line up against Kentucky Derby (G1) hero Justify in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.
Three of them are familiar foes from the Derby – r ...
Racing
Why I'm Keying Justify in the Preakness Stakes Exotics
It’s the question that all handicappers are asking right now—what’s the best way to make a meaningful profit betting on Saturday’s $1,500,000 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico?
With the impressive Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner #7 Justify t ...
Racing
Preakness Stakes New Shooters 2018
Quip arrives at Pimlico Park for the Preakness Stakes (Horsephotos.com)
2018 Preakness Stakes New Shooters
by John Mucciolo
What can we learn about new contenders on the Triple Crown series and how could they perform in the Preaknes ...
Racing
Bankroll Builders for Friday and Saturday at Pimlico
In addition to the plethora of stakes races at during weekend, there are also a number of competitive races on the Friday and Saturday undercard that offer horseplayers a chance to build their bankroll before the graded stakes events get rolling l ...
Racing
Three-Year-Old Pacers Battle For Big Bucks In Sires Stakes And Art Rooney Elims; Trotting Graduates Face Ariana G; ‘Cup” Upset May Appear
Mid-May Saturday action includes the return of some big names from 2017, including Ariana G and the harness press’s predicted best among glamour-boy pacers this year—Lost In Time, Stay Hungry and a few others. Some of the sophs are battling for berth ...
Racing
Hambletonian Trail: Glamour-Boy-And-Girl Trotters Mix It Up At Vernon And The Meadows
Hambletonian Trail competition returns to Vernon Downs and the Meadows on Friday, May 18 and Saturday May 19, respectively, with Vernon hosting both sexes of soph trotter with a total of five eliminations for the Empire Breeders Classic (EB ...
Racing
Justify in perfect spot for 2018 Preakness Stakes
Justify and trainer Bob Baffert (c) Horsephotos.com
by Dick Powell
Bob Baffert could not have had a better Preakness Stakes (G1) post-position draw. JUSTIFY drew post seven, just like in the Kentucky Derby (G1), and is outside the other ...
Racing
My 2018 Preakness Stakes Picks
The 2018 Preakness Stakes is here. Unlike most everyone else on the planet, I don't believe that Justify is a lock. In fact, I'm leaving Justify out of my exacta. I explain why, along with releasing my Top 4 in the following blog.
My 2018 Preakness ...
Racing
Chad Brown Well Represented in Soaring Softly Stakes
Pimlico isn’t the only racetrack hosting competitive graded stakes races this Saturday. Belmont Park in New York will also be in on the action with the $100,000 Soaring Softly Stakes (gr. III) , a seven-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares. ...
Racing
How to Bet the Black-Eyed Susan/Preakness Stakes Daily Double
The biggest racing weekend of the year in Maryland is upon us and that means the Grade 2 $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on Friday followed by the Grade 1 $1.5 million dollar on Saturday afternoon.
In addition to all of the wagering opportuniti ...
Racing
Switzerland Steps Up in Maryland Sprint Stakes
Although the highlight of Pimlico ’s stakes-packed Saturday card is undoubtedly the Preakness Stakes , handicappers can look forward to top-notch racing throughout the day, with the $150,000 Maryland Sprint Stakes (gr. III) being one of the mo ...
Racing
World Approval Seeks Another Dixie Stakes Victory
One year ago, World Approval won Pimlico ’s $250,000 Dixie Stakes (gr. II) by a decisive 2 ¼ lengths, the first of four graded stakes wins during a 2017 campaign that saw him earn an Eclipse Award as North America's champion male grass horse.
...
Racing
Post Positions (and Keeler Johnson's Fair Odds Line) for the 2018 Preakness Stakes
The small field and the presence of a heavy favorite makes it difficult for any horse to start at a particularly enticing price, and indeed, I don’t have any of the Preakness starters listed as overlays based on their morning line odds. Justify and ...
Racing
2018 Preakness BRIS Speed Rating Report
Justify remained perfect winning Kentucky Derby and has registered triple-digit BRIS Speed ratings in all four career starts. The Bob Baffert-trained colt will face seven challengers when he lines up for Saturday’s second leg of the American Triple C ...
Racing
Preakness Stakes Contender Pedigree Power
Justify wins the Kentucky Derby (Melanie Martines Photo)
Preakness Stakes Contender Pedigree Power
by Dick Powell
The Preakness Stakes G1 is run at 1 3/16ths miles and is less of a test of stamina than the Kentucky Derby G1 for thre ...
Racing
Pink Lloyd enjoying crazy success
I know of a Thoroughbred who was a 2017 Horse of the Year and has now picked up 10 straight stakes wins following a dominant score Sunday. The gelding set a track record when making his 2018 debut in late April and extended his winning ways in a virt ...
Racing
Keying Sara Street in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes
Not to rain on the parade, but it sounds like there will literally be rain on the post parade for Friday’s $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II) at Pimlico Racecourse .
Only one of the ten fillies entered in the nine-furlong event has ever ...
Racing
Harrington, Rosecroft offer competitive cards
Over the past two evenings much of the best harness racing has been conducted at a pair of ovals in the Mid-Atlantic region as Harrington Raceway in Delaware presented its card of the week on Monday, one day after Rosecroft Raceway in Maryland hosted ...
Racing
2018 Preakness Stakes Jockey Facts and Trends
Every year, bettors handicapping the Kentucky Derby study a huge number of factors and trends that could affect the outcome of the race, placing greater emphasis than usual on things like history, pedigrees, and jockey assignments.
In contrast, th ...
Racing
2018 Preakness Stakes Contenders and Workouts
With just two days remaining until entries for the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) are drawn, the field is pretty much set and the competitors have completed the majority of their pre-race training.
Let’s take a look through the list of prospective s ...
Racing
Youth Versus Experience in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes
Veterans, up-and-comers, specialists sticking with their forte, plus newcomers looking to shake things up—there’s something for everyone in Friday’s $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes at Pimlico Racecourse .
Held at five furlongs on turf, th ...
Racing
Triple Crown Veterans Face Off in Pimlico Special
One day prior to hosting the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) , Pimlico Racecourse will put on a stakes-packed Friday card that includes the $300,000 Pimlico Special (gr. III) , a 9.5-furlong race that will pit veterans of the 2017 Triple Crown trail ...
Racing
Has the Preakness Become the Tougher Jewel to Win?
For years, in the 1980's and 1990's, the Kentucky Derby appeared to be the hardest of the three Triple Crown races to win. Favorites languished in the Kentucky Derby. It took forever for a favorite to win the Derby. Then, when a favorite won the Derb ...
Racing
When and Where to Watch the 2018 Preakness Stakes
Get ready! The 143rd running of the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (gr. I) is coming up on May 19th at Pimlico Racecourse , and we couldn’t be more excited to see if Kentucky Derby winner can prevail in the second leg of the Triple Crown.
In ...
Racing
H-Trail Triple Elements With Favorite Deliver $416 Triple, $130 Exacta; $25 Top Watch Winner; Series Soft Vs. Chalk
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 series.
...
Racing
Mucciolo: Graded stakes plays at Belmont Park
Four graded races will be held at Belmont Park Saturday. I will take a look and give some opinions on each of them.
Vagrancy Handicap (G3)
Five fillies and five-year-old mare will travel 6 1/2-furlongs on the dirt in the affair. #2 KIRBY’S P ...
Racing
How to Bet the Man o’ War Stakes
A total of five stakes, four of which are graded, will highlight a fine Saturday card at Belmont Park. The finale is the $700,000 Man o’ War Stakes (G1) at 1 3/8 miles on the lawn and a strong field of 10 will test the grassy marathon.
#1 POSTULA ...
Racing
How to Bet the Lazaro Barrera Stakes
Just how many talented three-year-olds does trainer have in his barn this year?
One week after winning the Kentucky Derby with the unbeaten Justify, Baffert will send out two more promising colts in Saturday’s $100,000 Lazaro Barrera Stakes (gr. ...
Racing
How to Bet the Peter Pan/ Man o' War Double at Belmont Park
The action in New York heats up on Saturday at Belmont Park as a stakes-laden card is headlined by the $700,000 Grade 1 Man o’ War.
The all-stakes Pick 4 that commences in Race 8 with the $150,000 Runhappy Stakes will be an extremely popular hori ...
Racing
Miss Panthere, Lys Gracieux Meet Again in Victoria Mile
The spring racing season in is well underway, with top-quality races offering huge purse money on the agenda seemingly every weekend.
This week is no exception, as Tokyo Racecourse is set to host the $1.874 million Victoria Mile (Jpn-I) on Sund ...
Racing
Shapiro's Thoughts and Suggested Wager for Friday's Pick 5 Carryover at Churchill Downs
I failed to take advantage of the six-figure Pick 6 carryover with a mandatory payout yesterday at Churchill Downs, but hopefully I can make up for my subpar handicapping on Thursday evening with a strong effort in the late Pick 5 on Friday.
No o ...
Racing
Will Lido Upset the Beaugay Stakes?
Saturday’s $200,000 Beaugay Stakes (gr. III) at Belmont Park might be packed with proven stakes winners, but in handicapping the race, I’m drawn to one of the up-and-comers.
Held at 8.5 furlongs over the inner turf course, the Beaugay has attr ...
Racing
Hi Happy winning the Pan American Stakes (gr. II) - Photo by Lauren King/Adam Coglianese Photography
Keying Hi Happy in the Man o' War Stakes
If you’re looking for a handicapping challenge, I encourage you to test your skills on Saturday’s $700,000 Man o’ War Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park .
Held at 1 3/8-miles on turf, the Man o’ War has attracted a highly competitive field of ten a ...
Racing
How to Bet the Peter Pan Stakes
Are you looking for up-and-coming three-year-olds that could have an impact in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) four weeks from now?
If so, then you’ll want to see what transpires in Saturday’s $350,000 Peter Pan Stakes (gr. III) at Belmont Park ...
Racing
Surge Of The Sophomore Pacers: Grand Circuit At Yonkers Ensues; Meadowlands Starts Soph Series; Another ‘Cup’ Coming
The second weekend in May brings out a swarm of fillies and mares that are now sophomores. We are involved with their development, banking on some to show they will thrive before the crowds bet them into oblivion. Grand Circuit stakes get hot, with R ...
Racing
The Hambletonian Trail: Sires Stakes Cash Attract Colts And Fillies At Vernon And Meadows
Both Vernon and the Meadows take center stage to the weekend’s Hambletonian Trail action, with colts competing in three divisions of the $121,000 New York Sires Stakes (NYSS) Friday, May 11 and fillies in three divisions of the $174,637 Pen ...
Racing
Up-and-Coming Stakes Winners Face Off in Vagrancy Handicap
The Kentucky Derby might be behind us, but the spring racing season is well underway and another big weekend is already on the horizon.
The May 12th card at Belmont Park is a high-quality day of racing featuring five stakes races, four of them g ...
Racing
Preakness field taking shape to challenge Justify
With 10 days remaining until the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes , Justify may not have to face a full cast of challengers when he lines up for the second leg of the American Triple Crown on May 19. The 1 3/16-mile Preakness is limited to 14 runners ...
Racing
Shapiro: Suggested Wagers for Pick 6 Carryover at Churchill Downs
By SCOTT SHAPIRO
The biggest week of the season may be over at Churchill Downs, but there are still plenty of reasons to be ready to fire when racing continues on Thursday evening. A 20-cent Pick 6 carryover of $385,132 with a mandatory payout t ...
Racing
Powell: Reviewing the 2018 Kentucky Derby Future Wager pools
by DICK POWELL
Pool 1 for the 2018 Kentucky Derby Future Wager closed on November 26, 2017. As usual for the first pool, the Mutuel Field (All Others) was the 6-5 favorite and paid $4.40 to win since nobody other than Bob Baffert had heard about ...
Racing
Mucciolo: Potential Churchill Pick 6 Singles
Thursday’s card at Churchill Downs plays host to eight races and it will be the first day of racing following a wildly successful Kentucky Derby weekend. It also marks the initial offering of the 20-cent Pick 6 Jackpot, which features a mandatory pay ...
Racing
A Few Horses to Consider for the Thursday Pick 6 Carryover at Churchill Downs
Thanks in large part to the upset victory by Funny Duck in Saturday’s Pat Day Mile there is a Pick 6 carryover of $385,132 with a mandatory payout on Thursday at legendary Churchill Downs .
The six-race sequence commences in Race 3 and concludes ...
Racing
Bob Baffert's 5 Kentucky Derby Winners Ranked
On May 5, Justify became Bob Baffert's fifth Kentucky Derby winner. Baffert is probably the greatest 3-year-old trainer of all time. I mean, who's better? Because Justify so easily handled his competition in the 2018 Kentucky Derby, I thought it migh ...
Racing
Will Justify Win the Triple Crown?
That's not where Justify gets most of his stamina. He gets most of his stamina from his broodmare, Stage Magic. She's from the Awesome Again, Pulpit, Ghostzapper line. Ghostzapper was a freak. His grandson looks like a freak as well. This is Bob B ...
Racing
Powell: Justify was good value; Saxon Warrior a Triple Crown threat for Coolmore
by DICK POWELL
We hear the term "value" thrown around by many and I have written extensively on the subject. Short version is that I think it is misleading to declare that every favorite lacks value. It is a measure of risk versus reward and som ...
Racing
The Hambletonian Trail: Trotting Fillies Called To Post in New York Sires Stakes At Yonkers
Tuesday, May 8, brings to Yonkers a crew of soph-filly trotters on their early hike to the “Oaks” and/or a battle with the boys in August. These eligible fillies will race for some hefty purses in divisions of the New York Sires Stak ...
Racing
History Can Be Your Guide in Graded Stakes Races
In theory, it seems sensible that handicappers should approach every race the same way and utilize their preferred methods of analysis to determine the most likely winner.
In practice, this is far from the case. Different types of races warrant di ...
Education
2018 Kentucky Derby: A Horse-By-Horse Recap
The results of the 144th Kentucky Derby are in the history books, and it was a day for records to broken.
Record rainfall. Record wagering. The demise of the fabled “Apollo Curse.” Throw in the fact that favored Justify delivered with a huge vic ...
Racing
Powell on how track condition factored into Justify's Kentucky Derby victory
by DICK POWELL
Some early impressions of the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby (G1).
JUSTIFY exceeded expectations in a race where if he made one mistake, he doesn’t win. I know he’s the best horse but he broke perfectly, let Mike Smi ...
Racing
Rosecroft, Pompano Park and Pocono Downs offer solid Sunday cards
One day after millions of Americans watched Justify capture the Grade I, $2 million Kentucky Derby over a sloppy track at Churchill Downs, harness racing fans had the chance to catch the action at a trio of five-eighths mile ovals in the same time zo ...
Racing
Dare we dream of two Triple Crowns?
Going into Saturday’s 144th Kentucky Derby (G1), the year 1882 featured prominently in the discussion as the last time that an unraced two-year-old, Apollo, had gone on to win the Derby. Now that Justify has put the “Curse of Apollo” to r ...
Racing
Features,Watch List Produce $119 Exacta Among Six-Plus Combos With Favorites; $27 Top Win; Double Digit Place Prices
Kentucky Derby weekend had many of our harness-racing features and horses-to-watch (H2W) choices in the mix; and though more contributed to exactas than they were winners, we collected a few sharp winners and combos from our high-percentage ...
Racing
Harness action heats up after Derby ends
While thoroughbred racing fans may have been looking for an early evening respite after Justify splashed home three lengths clear as the 5-2 favorite in the latest renewal of the $2 million Kentucky Derby, serious harness racing fans were paying clos ...
Racing
Justify wins Kentucky Derby 144
Justify captures the 144th Kentucky Derby (G1) under jockey Mike Smith (c) Jamie Newell/Horsephotos.com
Justify moved his record to a perfect four-for-four on Saturday when taking the 144th running of the $2,192,000 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Chur ...
Racing
Scully: Pick 4 Plays into Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby anchors an All-Stakes Pick 4 I will be playing. Here are my thoughts on the sequence:
Race 9, American Turf (G2)
#11 Untamed Domain should appreciate the return to turf for Graham Motion and rates a slight edge. I will al ...
Racing
Shapiro's Fair Odds Line for the 2018 Kentucky Derby
Today is the day. At 6:48 ET the anticipation ends and the gates open for the 144th Kentucky Derby .
With less than 12 hours before the big race there is little work left to be done. It is now in the hands of the racing gods.
With that being ...
Racing
2018 Kentucky Derby one-liners
If you’re looking for a quick take on each Kentucky Derby (G1) contender, you’ve come to the right place. After all of the virtual ink has been spilled and opinions hashed out, it can help to have one final distillation of the essentials.
So in ...
Racing
2018 Kentucky Derby News & Notes
The preps have been completed and the contenders are putting in their final major works – it's time for the 2018 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs!
The clock is ticking down the days – not the months, not the weeks, the DAYS! – until the 14 ...
Racing
Harness action heats up long after Derby ends
While most thoroughbred racing fans will look to take an extended nap after the conclusion of the Kentucky Derby tomorrow evening at Churchill Downs, especially those patrons confined to the Louisville oval for 10-12 hours, serious harness racing fan ...
Racing
Monomoy Girl refuses to yield in Kentucky Oaks 144
Monomoy Girl and Wonder Gadot (c) Bob Newell/Horsephotos.com
Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables LLC, The Elkstone Group LLC and Bethlehem Stables LLC’s Monomoy Girl dug deep in the stretch of Friday’s $1 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) to claim victory ...
Racing
Shapiro: How to bet the Kentucky Derby on different budgets
by SCOTT SHAPIRO
The Kentucky Derby is not only the most prestigious race in the world but it is a race for horseplayers of all levels.
If you have a large budget to invest on Saturday then perhaps the Pick 6 or $1 minimum superfecta wager is ...
Racing
Quality Field Assembles for Ruffian Stakes
The field for Sunday’s $250,000 Ruffian Stakes (gr. II) at Belmont Park might be small, but it’s certainly not lacking in quality.
Five of the six fillies and mares entered in the one-mile event are graded stakes winners, including Unchained Me ...
Racing
Value plays on Kentucky Derby undercard plus thoughts on other O’Brien shippers
Note the headline implies that the Aidan O’Brien horses on the undercard don’t represent value…
HUMANA DISTAFF (G1) : Expect AMERICAN GAL (7-2) to move forward off a close fourth in the Madison (G1) comeback that she really needed – a race that ...
Racing
Scully: Kentucky Oaks Day Pick 4 plays
The $1 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) for 3-year-old fillies serves as the main event Friday and anchors a Pick 4 (races 8-11). I will preview the sequence and list my Pick 4 tickets below.
Race 8
The Alysheba (G2) marks the second start ba ...
Racing
Mucciolo: Taking a swing at Derby Day Late Pick 4
Churchill Downs has a sensational, 14-race card for Kentucky Derby day, led by the Run for the Roses. I love a horse in the race following the big one, so the late Pick 4 is the most enticing multi-race play to me on the card.
Race 11
Old For ...
Racing
Mucciolo's Kentucky Derby longshots of interest
by JOHN MUCCIOLO
The much-anticipated 144th Kentucky Derby (G1) has finally arrived. A stellar field is set in what could be one of the more memorable Run for the Roses in recent times. I will take a look at a few longshot players that I feel can ...
Racing
Reilly’s Kentucky Derby horses of interest
If trying to handicap the Kentucky Derby (G1) is an annual exercise fraught with peril for me, Saturday’s 144th running is all the more so. I cannot remember another year with this strength in depth, where any of the first seven on my Top 10 list ...
Racing
Keeping it simple for Oaks-Old Forester-Derby Pick 3
Perhaps one of the more overlooked wagers on Kentucky Derby weekend, the Pick 3 that links the Kentucky Oaks (G1), Old Forester Turf Classic (G1), and the Derby (G1) itself has the potential to pay well, even if dominated by short-priced winners. I'l ...
Racing
Hanson: Horses of interest on Kentucky Derby Day
We'll have additional opinions on the Kentucky Derby Day card a little later, but here are horses of interest in several of the undercard stakes.
Race 6 -- Humana Distaff (G1)
AMERICAN GAL (#8, 7-2) ran perhaps the best race among the ...
Racing
Shapiro's Approach to the Oaks/Derby Double
The two biggest races of the year at make up a Daily Double sequence that commences with the one-million dollar Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday and concludes with the world-famous Kentucky Derby sponsored by Woodford Reserve on Saturday ...
Racing
Kentucky Derby highlights stellar weekend of racing
This coming Saturday afternoon novice and serious thoroughbred racing fans alike will focus their attention on Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky as the famed oval amid the twin spires will host the latest renewal of the Grade I, $2 million Kent ...
Racing
Longshots in the Kentucky Oaks undercard stakes
Martini Glass wins the Azeri Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park (c) Oaklawn Park/Coady Photography
Five stakes help make up the undercard of the 144th running of the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on Friday at Churchill Downs, and the races offer the perfect ch ...
Racing
Top 3 picks and longshots in the Kentucky Oaks
Wonder Gadot (left) and Monomoy Girl (right) readying for the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs (c) Churchill Downs/Coady Photography
The Kentucky Oaks (G1) doesn't grab as much attention as the Kentucky Derby (G1) , but there are just as ma ...
Racing
Betting the Kentucky Derby Trifecta on a $100 Budget
$5,464. Favorites may have won the last five renewals of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (gr. I) , but the average payoff for the trifecta over that time frame has still been a hefty $5,464, because let’s face it—hitting the trif ...
Racing
How to Bet the Humana Distaff
Just how competitive is Saturday’s $300,000 Humana Distaff (gr. I) at Churchill Downs ?
Well, if the morning line odds are any indication, it’s one of the toughest races on the card. Six of the eight entrants in this seven-furlong sprint are li ...
Racing
Keying Synchrony in the Old Forester Turf Classic
The Kentucky Derby is undoubtedly the highlight of the Saturday card at Churchill Downs , but the stakes-packed day of racing includes many other competitive races as well, with one of the best being the $500,000 Old Forester Turf Classic Stak ...
Racing
Mucciolo's 'Dreaming' of big Pick 4 on Kentucky Oaks Day
by JOHN MUCCIOLO
The Friday card at Churchill Downs is a fine one, led by six graded stakes races. Race 11 is the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (G1), and I will tab a Pick 4 play concluding with the feature.
Race 8
I mentioned my affection for ...
Racing
Chad Brown Seeks Fourth Straight Win in Sheepshead Bay
Although most handicappers this Saturday will have their eyes on Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby , it could also pay to keep an eye on what transpires at Belmont Park .
Three graded stakes races are on the agenda, including the $200,000 ...
Racing
Apollo casts a long shadow but curses made to be broken
What does the Kentucky Derby hold for future contenders, what can we learn from the past? One of the longest-standing trends in sports, the Curse of Apollo says...
Racing
Hanson: How to bet the Kentucky Derby
Post-time favorites in the Kentucky Derby have not exactly been my friend. They've reached the winner's circle five years in succession, none without my support in the Win pool.
The last two favorites I did back in the race disappointed. Point Giv ...
Racing
The Hambletonian Trail: Trotting Trials As Dexter Cup, Lady Suffolk Set Stage For The New Season
May 5 marks the start of the 2018 season for three-year-old colt and filly trotters eligible to the sport’s premier events—The Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks—to pave their paths to the first Saturday in August, at the Meadowlands.
The Dext ...
Racing
Jam-Packed Harness Grid On Kentucky Derby Weekend; Meadowlands, Miami, Pocono Features Filled With Promise
All eyes are on Churchill Downs as the TwinSpires tower over the sport on the first Saturday in May. The Kentucky Derby will attract horseplayers of all equine breeds and countless other sports fans. The “Derby” will be featured on simulcasts everywh ...
Racing
Shapiro: How to play the Old Forester Turf Classic/Kentucky Derby Double
by SCOTT SHAPIRO
The wagering menu is as strong as ever in 2018 with the low-takeout Pick 5 added to the plethora of options available to racing fans leading up to the world-famous Kentucky Derby (G1).
With a slew of multi-race bets ...
Racing