Horse Racing This Weekend: Key Races, Top Horses & Best Bets, August 8
Nitrogen wins the Alabama at Saratoga. (Photo by Coglianese Photo)
August 8th, 2026
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Whitney Stakes 2026 LIVE coverage is here!
Stay up-to-the-minute on all the happenings during Saratoga Stakes racing this weekend during Whitney Stakes Day with live odds, expert picks, post times, track conditions, horse racing news and more! Don't miss a minute of our wire-to-wire coverage!
LIVE Whitney Stakes 2026: Odds, entries, picks, post time and results
Jason Beem Horse Racing Podcast
Jason discusses the Preakness (G1) date change before Kellie Reilly joins for International Radar. And he takes a look Saturday's Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.
Top horses and best bets for horse racing this weekend
Click to jump to each race listed!
Best Bets for the 2026 Whitney Stakes
Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2026 Whitney Stakes
A star-studded cast of eight fantastic thoroughbreds will run 1 1/8 miles over the Saratoga main oval in Saturday’s historic, $1 million Whitney (G1). Who is your best bet?
Whitney Stakes Picks
- #6 Sovereignty
- #8 Baeza
- #1 Magnitude
Whitney Stakes Wagers
- $20 exacta 6 with 1,8
- $3 trifecta 6 with 1,8 with all
- $.50-cent superfecta 6,8 with 6,8 with 1 with all
Top Horses for the 2026 Whitney Stakes
#6 SOVEREIGNTY (3-1): Reigning Horse of the Year ran some monstrous races on the surface in 2025 and will be set for a peak showing while making his third run of 2026. The dual classic winner has not been as sharp as a four-year-old yet, but he loves the oval and will return to his best from off the pace on Saturday. Regular pilot Junior Alvarado will guide the Godolphin homebred.
#8 BAEZA (7-2): Grade-1 winning son of McKinzie was a tough-luck second in the Stephen Foster (G1) following an awful break at Churchill Downs, and the Mott trainee will be a major threat with a better start on Saturday. The four-year-old bay is twice graded-placed on the strip from a pair of local outings, and the colt could peak in his third run of the year, as well, at a distance that I feel is his best one. Flavien Prat stays in the silks.
#1 MAGNITUDE (9-5): Current leader of the older male division is three-for-three this season, led by impressive wins in the Dubai World Cup (G1) and Stephen Foster (G1) for Steve Asmussen. The four-year-old son of Not This Time has recorded two bullet morning drills on the Oklahoma training surface leading up to his second local appearance, and the Kentucky-bred will be forcing the action from the fence with Jose Ortiz in the irons.
Sargent Bilko wins at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)
Pick 4 of the Week: Ellis Park Sunday, August 9
A total of six black-type races will highlight a fantastic card at Ellis Park on Sunday.
Race 4 Wager
50-cent Pick 4: 2,4,5,6,7 with 1,2,5 with 6,8 with 4,5 ($30)
RELATED: Ellis Park Pick 4 Play for Aug. 9
Best Bets for the 2026 Test Stakes
Read the full analysis here: Betting With, and Against, Explora in the Test Stakes
Grade 2 heroine #7 Explora (5-2) has been installed as the morning-line choice for Saturday’s $500,000 Test S. (G1) at Saratoga. The seven-furlong dash on the dirt is a very competitive race with numerous reasonable contenders, though the Bob Baffert trainee will be tough to upend with her best effort. However, if you're money doesn't feel right on Explora, then take a look at these options both with, and against the current favorite.
Explora – With
Explora – Against
- $25 win #5 Goodall ($25)
- $1 trifecta 5 with 1,6,7 with all ($18)
Top Horses for the 2026 Test Stakes
#5 Goodall (5-1) ran a winning race in defeat when checking in a clear second in the Victory Ride S. (G3) on the oval most recently and rates a big chance with even minor improvement on Saturday. The $525,000 daughter of Yaupon is quick from the gate but doesn’t need the lead to run well, and I envision her receiving a fine voyage while pressing the pace early on with John Velazquez picking up the live mount.
#6 On Time Girl (7-2) has amassed an 8-5-2-1 mark in her career to this stage of her development and was a clear second behind Explora at Churchill Downs in her latest foray. Not This Time filly is a two-time winner at seven-eighths from three tries at the trip and will be moving best of all late beneath Irad.
#1 Movie Night (7-2) has improved her Brisnet Speed number in each race to date and is a logical contender while making her stakes debut for Will Walden. Speightstown three-year-old has been visually impressive in her two dominant wins in advance of this, and the WinStar homebred drilled a bullet five panels on the Churchill Downs dirt in preparation for the dash. Jose Ortiz will be on board.
Del Mar Grandstand before Breeders' Cup (Photo by Horsephotos.com)
Pick 3 of the Week: Del Mar Saturday, August 8
I’ll come swinging out of the gate by taking aim at the first three races on the Saturday card at Del Mar for the Pick 3 of the week.
Race 1 WagerDel Mar Grandstand before Breeders' Cup (Photo by Horsephotos.com)
$3 Pick 3: 4,5,8 with 2 with 2,3,6 ($27)
TwinSpires Jury
The TwinSpires Jury returns with another blockbuster weekend preview as Kali Francois, Darin Zoccali, and James Scully handicap three of the biggest stakes races of the weekend from Saratoga and Ellis Park. From a star-studded Grade 1 Whitney Stakes to the prestigious Grade 1 Fourstardave Stakes and Sunday's Cowboy Jones Stakes, the panel shares expert selections, wagering strategy, and their strongest opinions ahead of a huge weekend of racing.
Best Bets for the 2026 Fourstardave Stakes
Read the full analysis here: How to bet the Fourstardave Stakes
A splendid cast of seven of the top turf milers around will jaunt eight panels on the Saratoga inner turf course in Saturday’s $750,000 Fourstardave (G1). There is very little separation between the majority of the runners in the cast, which could make it a jockeys’ race, and I will put my faith in Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Fourstardave Wagers
- $30 win #1 Rhetorical ($30)
- $2 superfecta 1 with 2,5 with 2,5 with all ($16)
Top Horses for the Fourstardave Stakes
#1 Rhetorical (5-2) is a six-time winner on the lawn, with three of those coming on this surface, and the Will Walden pupil drew the rail for the heat. The five-year-old bagged the Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland last season at today’s trip, and he could get a good voyage on Saturday. The Not This Time gelding doesn’t need the lead in order to run big, proven by his efforts in 2025, and with plenty of pace to his outside, I expect Irad to let a few of the speedy types go early and secure a nice slot on the fence tucked in behind the swift tempo to the top of the lane.
#5 Deterministic (2-1) has won five straight dating back to May of 2025, which includes a fine score in the Manhattan (G1) at this meeting most recently. Trained by Miguel Clement, the five-year-old son of Liam’s Map won the race last season against a lesser group and will revert to one mile after running 1 3/16 in his latest venture. His conditioner continues to rave about how well he trains, and the Kentucky-bred is proven at the distance, as well, and he will be forcing the pace with Carmouche retaining the ride.
#2 Mi Bago (12-1) lacks the credentials of many in the field with four Grade 1 winners in the cast, but the Mark Casse trainee has never been better since having the blinkers removed two back. The fleet gelding aired in the Kingston S. over fellow New York-bred runners on the strip two back, which preceded a dead-heat win in the Kelso (G3) last time when he battled back gamely late when challenged by a serious foe, something that he had rarely done in the past. The four-year-old bay will be sent hard from the gate to secure the edge early, and if he does get it, then I feel that he will be stubborn late while holding on for a share at a nice price.
How to bet the 2026 West Virginia Derby
An octet of sophomores will travel 1 1/8 miles on the Mountaineer main oval in Sunday’s $400,000 West Virginia Derby (G3). #5 Zihnal (6-1) has been entered in numerous stakes races this campaign and looks to have found his best spot to shine for trainer Jonathan Thomas. The well-bred son of Quality Road has run positive races in each of his trio of lifetime tries on the dirt, which includes a fourth-place result in the Indiana Derby (G3) last time out.
West Virginia Derby Wagers
- $15 win and place #5 Zihnal ($30)
50-cent superfecta 5 with 3,4,7 with 3,4,7 with all ($30)
Sweet Rebecca wins the Sand Spring Stakes at Gulfstream Park. (Photo by Coglianese Photo)
Exotics Plays for the Yellow Ribbon Stakes
An octet of fillies and mares will contest the $200,000 Yellow Ribbon (G2) at Del Mar on Saturday. The 1 1/16-mile tilt on the grass features five shippers and three locally based contenders in a super-competitive affair, and I favor the ladies coming in for the feature of the afternoon.
Yellow Ribbon Exotics
$5 exacta key box 2 with 6,8 ($20)
$1 trifecta 2,6,8 with 2,5,6,8 with 2,5,6,8 ($18)
50-cent superfecta 2 with 5,6,8 with 5,6,8 with all ($15)
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