Horse Racing This Weekend: Key Races, Top Horses & Best Bets [July 11]
Sierra Leone wins the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga. (Photo by Coglianese Photo)
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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.
Spot Plays for the horse racing this weekend
- Stakes Spot Plays for Woodbine Sunday, July 12
- Stakes Spot Plays for Colonial Downs Saturday, July 11
Jason Beem Horse Racing Podcast
Jason talks about some overseas news and welcomes Kellie Reilly for International Radar. He also discusses racing this weekend at Prairie Meadows and Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Top horses and best bets for horse racing this weekend
Click to jump to each race listed!
Best Bets for the 2026 Victory Ride Stakes
Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2026 Victory Ride Stakes
A swift cast of 10 three-year-old fillies will speed 6 1/2 furlongs on the Saratoga main strip in Friday’s $225,000 Victory Ride (G3). Who is your best bet?
Victory Ride Stakes Picks
- #10 Goodall
- #5 Tommy Jo
- #4 Sneaky Good
Victory Ride Stakes Wagers
Top Horses for the 2026 Victory Ride Stakes
#10 GOODALL (3-1): Top choice was very professional in her Jersey Girl S. triumph here last time and will be tough with a repeat of that showing from a clear outside draw. The Asmussen pupil has won three of her last four leading up to this dash and has posted a trio of morning moves on the Oklahoma in advance of the heat, as well. I feel that she will press the pace and take over in the lane with Flavien Prat in the silks.
#5 TOMMY JO (7-2): Two-time Grade 1 queen was fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) in her latest showing and has trained well for her 2026 debut. The bay daughter of Into Mischief posted a pair of super impressive tallies on the course as a juvenile and will be tough to knock off with a top run off the shelf for Pletcher. The Spendthrift homebred will have regular pilot John Velazquez on board.
#4 SNEAKY GOOD (8-1): Into Mischief filly has never run a bad race in her lifetime and wouldn’t be a surprise for Brad Cox. The Kentucky-bred bay will go route-to-sprint in the event and will likely make one run from off the pace with Jose Ortiz in the irons.
Racing at Ellis Park (Photo by Coady Photography/Ellis Park)
Pick 4 of the Week: Ellis Park Saturday, July 11
I really like the late Pick 4 sequence at Ellis Park on Saturday, which features a trio of maiden races and a turf sprint allowance event.
Race 6 Wager
- 50-cent Pick 4: 1,2,3,5,8 with 1,2 with 1,6,8 with 1,12 ($30)
Best Bets for the 2026 Iowa Derby
Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2026 Iowa Derby
A talented field of nine will run 1 1/16 miles on the Prairie Meadows main oval in Saturday’s $250,000 Iowa Derby. Who is your best bet?
Iowa Derby Picks
- #1 The Hell We Did
- #5 Desert Gate
- #7 Bricklin
Iowa Derby Wagers
Top Horses for the 2026 Iowa Derby
#1 THE HELL WE DID (9-2): Lexington (G3) runner-up was outrun in the Preakness (G1) in his last offering and comes in fresh with a good draw on the rail for Fincher. The top pick faces a more reasonable assignment in the heat, and the stalker could get a nice trip with a lot of pace in the field, too. He will relish the cutback in distance beneath Ramkon Vazquez.
#5 DESERT GATE (9-5): Morning-line choice and horse to beat is a Grade 3 hero with a pair of Grade 1 placings, making his third run off the layoff. The chestnut son of Omaha Beach burned money when fourth in the deep Ohio Derby (G3) most recently, but is a fine fit in this one and will be formidable with something close to his best. Florent Geroux will ask the colt for speed from the break.
#7 BRICKLIN (6-1): Dark bay son of Nyquist was last seen checking in fourth in the Long Branch S. at Monmouth and will add pace to the race, if not more, for trainer Rodolphe Brisset. The Kentucky-bred colt has good ability and appears to be training in fine fashion leading into this local debut. The $450,000 purchase will get a nice trip just off the pace with Kimura in for the ride.
Italian Soiree wins the Coronation Cup at Saratoga. (Photo by Coglianese Photo / Credit to Janet Garaguso)
Pick 3 of the Week: Saratoga Saturday, July 11
The Pick 3 of the Week will come from Saratoga on Saturday, where a pair of Grade 2 tilts will highlight the card.
Race 5 Wager
$1 Pick 3: 3,4,6 with 3,5,6,7 with 1,2 ($24)
TwinSpires Jury
This week's TwinSpires Jury spotlights major racing from Horseshoe Indianapolis, Prairie Meadows, and Saratoga Race Course, featuring important races for three-year-olds, older turf runners, and horseplayers looking to cash on another outstanding Saturday card.
Best Bets for the 2026 Bowling Green Stakes
Read the full analysis here: Exotics Plays for the Bowling Green Stakes
A total of seven are entered for the lawn in Saturday’s $250,000 Bowling Green (G2) at Saratoga. The 1 3/8 contest on the inner turf features an interesting group at a fairly unique distance, and I will dabble with multiple runners in what appears to be a mostly wide-open tilt. Who is your best bet?
Bowling Green Exotics
- $2 exacta box 1,4,5,6 ($24)
- $1 trifecta key 1 with 4,5,6 with all ($15)
- 50-cent superfecta box 1,4,5,6 ($12)
Top Horses for the Bowling Green Stakes
#1 Ole Crazy Bone was assigned the rail for his first run at this venue and has been sharp in three runs since being claimed by this outfit. The Ghostzapper gelding capped 2025 with a daylight win in the lucrative Kentucky Cup Turf (G2) in August, and the six-year-old kicked off this campaign with a nice runner-up result in a deep allowance tilt at Churchill Downs on May 21. His latest showing at 1 1/16 miles was a fine prep for today, and the tactical dark bay will endure a fine trip potentially on the lead while saving ground throughout the race, as well. Flavien Prat will be in the stirrups.
#5 Carson’s Run just yet for trainer Miguel Clement. The Cupid five-year-old really likes this turf course and was a winner in the 2024 Jockey Club Derby (G3) in his lone prior run at today’s distance, too. The Kentucky-bred chestnut has not shown much from a pair of tires in 2026, but his works have been steady, and a return to The Spa will be a good thing for the $1.6 million earner. Joel Rosario will ride, and the price will be fair.
#6 Minaret Station was a bit unlucky when rallying to be second-best behind the surging Lagynos in the Arlington (G3) in his second run off the shelf and could peak third time back. The William Walden-trained colt is a mystery at the distance, but he is very talented and wouldn’t be a surprise in his first run at this extended trip. The Instilled Regard four-year-old will stalk the action from the break beneath Jose Ortiz.
#4 Fort George is the wildcard in the heat, but has to be included for trainer Ed Walker. The Grade 3 winner was a clear second in the Dubai City of Gold (G2) two back behind living legend Rebel’s Romance, and he wasn’t disgraced behind Ombudsman and others in the Dubai Turf (G1) in his latest venture. The Territories four-year-old has shown nice improvement in 2026 and will be dangerous in his stateside bow under Kieran Shoemaker.
Prom Queen wins the Gulfstream Park Oaks at Gulfstream Park. (Photo by Coglianese Photos)
Betting With, and Against, Prom Queen in the Indiana Oaks
A strong field of six sophomore fillies will travel 1 1/16 miles on the main oval at Horseshoe Indianapolis in the $200,000 Indiana Oaks (G3) on Saturday. Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) queen #5 Prom Queen (9-5) has faced Grade 1 fields in two straight and will appreciate the class relief in the affair. Trained by Brad Cox, the bay daughter of Quality Road had a tricky voyage when fifth in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) two back, and she was a distant fourth behind a trio of really good ones in the Acorn (G1) at Saratoga in her latest performance. The talented three-year-old will be closer to the pace on Saturday and rates a big chance with Irad in the irons.
Prom Queen – With
Prom Queen – Against
- $30 exacta 4 with 5 ($30)
- $5 trifecta key 4 with 2,5 ($10)
Navajo Warrior wins the Pimlico Special. (Photo courtesy of the Maryland Jockey Club)
How to bet the 2026 Cornhusker Handicap
A well-matched field of nine will run 1 1/8 miles over the Prairie Meadows dirt in Saturday’s $300,000 Cornhusker H. (G3). Recent Pimlico Special S. (G3) winner #8 Navajo Warrior (5-2) will tote 121 pounds in the field, but I will give the peaking five-year-old top billing in the feature, nonetheless.
Cornhusker Wagers
- $10 exacta 8 with 3,5,6 ($30)
- 50-cent superfecta 8 with 3,5,6 with 3,5,6 with all ($18)
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