Horse Racing This Weekend: Key Races, Top Horses & Best Bets [Jan. 24, 2026]

Jump to each section below for easy access to everything you need for horse racing this weekend!

Get ready for horse racing this weekend

Discover everything you need to know about horse racing this weekend, including top horses, best bets, tournaments, key races, and many great promotional bonus offers you just can't say no to. 

Come back to find more weekly horse races and promotional offers every weekend.

Kentucky Derby Corner

Come here every week to discover everything you need to know about the 2026 Kentucky Derby.

• Kentucky Derby Roundup: Golden Tempo rallies late in Lecomte
• Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Three at Fair Grounds and Turfway
• Ted Noffey 6-1, All Others 7-2 in KDFW Pool 3
• Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Golden Tempo
• Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Six Speed

Weekend Windup

Jason Beem Horse Racing Podcast

Jason discusses the upcoming Pegasus World Cup. Then we welcome in handicapper and analyst Mark Patterson to talk about his career, Mountaineer and Mahoning Valley racing, what's next for him, and more! 

Top horses and best bets for horse racing this weekend

Click to jump to each race listed!

Best Bets for the 2026 Pegasus World Cup Invitational

Read the full analysis here: Betting With, and Against, Disco Time in the Pegasus World Cup

A full field will vie in Saturday’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park. The 1 1/8-mile feature on a huge day of racing is led by the unblemished #1 Disco Time (8-5), who will bring his pristine five-for-five mark to South Florida for his local debut. However, if Disco Time is your first choice, here are ways you can bet with, and against this contender. 

Disco Time – With

• $2 trifecta key 1 with 3,7,10,11 ($24)
• 50-cent trifecta 1 with 3,7.10,11 with all ($20)

Disco Time – Against 

• $2 exacta box 3,7,10,11 ($24)
• 10-cent superfecta 7,11 with 1,3,7,10,11 with 1,3,7,10,11 with all ($21.60)

Top Horses for the 2026 Pegasus World Cup Invitational

#1 Disco Time (8-5) raced just twice in the past 12 months and has been dominant on each occasion. The son of Not This Time led at every call in an easy St Louis Derby triumph at Fairmount Park in September, which preceded an impressive, 9 3/4-length waltz in the Dwyer S. at Aqueduct in November in his latest outing. He is improving with experience, and the colt was assigned the rail for his biggest test to date, which could be a benefit. The versatile favorite inherits Flavien Prat for the first time. 

#7 Tappan Street (6-1), also from the Brad Cox barn, is three-for-four in his lifetime, with each run coming over this course. The reigning Florida Derby (G1) champ returned off a long break to defeat allowance runners on this oval while going one turn on the oval, and he will move up second time back with more ground in this spot. The Into Mischief colt loves both the course and distance, and he is training in good fashion in advance of his test, too. Luis Saez will pilot the four-year-old colt. 

#11 White Abarrio (4-1) dons a 10-8-1-0 mark on this oval and wouldn't be a surprise for trainer Saffie Joseph. The seven-year-old son of Race Day comes in fresh off the long break and will be a menacing figure in the event if he continues his mastery of the Gulfstream Park dirt surface. 

#10 Mika (10-1) possesses blazing early speed and will dare this field to run with him early for Mike Maker. A neck second in the Cigar Mile (G2) at one turn last time out, the son of Catholic Boy seems poised to set the fractions early in the heat at a big price with Manny Franco retaining the ride. 

#3 Full Serrano (12-1) is the inside speed of the field and can’t be dismissed under Joel Rosario. The John Sadler trainee is obviously classy, and he will be especially dangerous late if he gets a favorable trip on this course.  

RELATED: Thursday Thoughts with Jason Beem for Jan. 22, 2026

Best Bets for the 2026 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf

Read the full analysis here: Exotics Plays for the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf

An overflow field of 14 has been entered for Saturday’s $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park. The wide-open affair for the ladies will be contested at 1 1/16 miles on the lawn and is an especially difficult handicapping assignment that is not for the faint of heart. I will spread with multiple runners while seeking value in the tilt. 

Filly and Mare Turf Exotics

• $2 exacta box 1,4,7,12 ($24)
• 50-cent trifecta 12 with 1,4,7 with all ($15)
• 10-cent superfecta 1,12 with 1,4,7,12 with 1,4,7,12 with all ($10.80)

Top Horses for the 2026 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf

#12 Movin’ On Up (12-1) is one of two in the cast for conditioner Saffie Joseph. By Accelerate, the five-year-old ran well in all but one of her 2025 assignments, which includes a trio of fine runs at Gulfstream. The mare might be a notch below some of her foes in the affair, in general, but she loves this locale and will be a nice number in the tilt. She finished a head second in the local Suwanee River S. in a race designed as a prep for this one, and the tactical Kentucky-bred should have clear sailing throughout while breaking from the outside beneath Edgard Zayas. 

#1 Ready for Shirl (20-1) is not super consistent and might prefer some moisture in the ground to deliver her peak performance, but the More Than Ready mare is plenty talented and comes in fresh for an expert layoff conditioner who knows how to point a runner towards a race. The five-year-old captured the Canadian (G2) at Woodbine three back while topping a good group, and if the homebred gets clear sailing from the rail in the lane, then I expect her to be a major threat late beneath Florent Geroux. 

Dance Smartly (G2) victress #4 Breath Away (8-1) ran a pair of good ones at Del Mar in the fall and has trained well in advance of her 2026 debut. The Miguel Clement pupil sports a solid 6-2-2-1 mark on the course in her lifetime, and the $625,000 November purchase has the turn of foot to be in the mix late if the pace backs up in the tilt, which is possible. I also like that Oisin Murphy will pilot the Bated Breath mare, as well. 

Chad Brown’s #7 Whiskey Decision (9-2) has a fine combination of decent early foot and a closing kick that should translate well to this course in her local bow. Purchased for $1.5 at Keeneland November, the Into Mischief five-year-old has posted two convincing wins in her last three outings and still has room to improve with just 10 lifetime runs to her credit. The bay will get first run on the deep-closing types at the top of the lane with Flavien Prat in the silks. 

TwinSpires Jury

The TwinSpires Jury of Darin Zoccali, James Scully, and Ashley Anderson share their picks for the 2026 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park.

Best Bets for the 2026 Baffle Stakes

Read the full analysis here: How to bet the Baffle Stakes

A very good field of seven three-year-olds will go 6 1/2 panels down the Hillside Turf Course at Santa Anita in Sunday’s $100,000 Baffle S. Who is your best bet?

Baffle Wagers

• $10 win and place #7 Later Than Planned ($20)
• $5 exacta key box 7 with 2,3 ($20) 
• $1 trifecta box 2,3,7 ($6)

Top Horses for the Baffle Stakes

 #7 Later Than Planned, the son of Cotai Glory, was runner-up in his debut in Ireland prior to arriving in the states. He has flashed good potential in the U.S., earning his first stakes win when taking the Speakeasy S. on the local lawn at five panels, which preceded his encouraging late run in the Breeders’ Cup. The bay colt has posted four morning drills in the interim to prepare for his seasonal bow. He drew well on the outside and will have regular rider Umberto Rispoli in the silks once again. 

#2 Greenwich Village in his turf debut under Juan Hernandez is intriguing. The $350,000 son of Quality Road chased the pace before tiring in the San Vicente (G2) in his latest outing and will race with the blinkers off for the initial time on Sunday. He is bred to thrive on the grass, and the Kentucky-bred will still show a measure of gate speed despite the equipment change. I expect the price to be fair and for the colt to be in the mix for a long time in the heat. 

#3 Hey Nay Nay comes off a close third in the Cecil B. Demille (G3) at Del Mar and will revert to a sprint off the layoff for John Sadler. The No Nay Never colt was a seven-length winner of the Tyro S. at Monmouth Park the last time he dashed on the green, and the $300,000 yearling purchase will be the one to run down at the top of the lane in the contest. Fine turf pilot Hector Berrios will guide the Irish-bred sophomore and have him forwardly placed from the outset. 

Promotional Bonus Offers

Live-Money Contest Talk: The Leaderboard Show with HHH Racing Podcast, Episode 11

This week features Howard Kravets, Matt Miller, and Jackson Muniz as the HHH Podcast crew recaps the Lecomte Day Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge Qualifier from last Saturday at the Fair Grounds.