Horse Racing This Weekend: Key Races, Top Horses & Best Bets [June 21-22]

June 21st, 2025

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

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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.



Top horses and best bets for horse racing this weekend

The key horse races this weekend to focus your best bets on with top horses include a the last day of Royal Ascot week, and other notable races at Woodbine, Laurel Park, and Churchill Downs.

The international horse racing front has been buzzing this for the races at Ascot Racecourse. The multi-day program has offered some extravagant horse races with packed fields and big payouts. Saturday will be the final day of racing for Royal Ascot week with the prestigious Royal Ascot itself. Check out our coverage of the event and picks, alongside racing at Churchill Downs, Woodbine, and more. 

Click to jump to each race listed!



The Official Free 2025 Royal Ascot Betting Guide has arrived! Explore expert picks, longshots, handicapping, analysis and tips for the day's racing. Also, find out more information for our first Royal Ascot Tournament. Discover content from our experts Vance Hanson and Kellie Reilly before preparing your best bets for Royal Ascot 2025. It's a must have for any horse racing enthusiast. 

RELATED: International horse racing betting tips and schedule: Final day of Royal Ascot and more


 


2025 Royal Ascot Scenic from day one of racing.

Royal Ascot scenic on a sun-splashed opening day of the 2025 meeting (Photo by Horsephotos.com)

TwinSpires.com announces Royal Ascot Challenge Series

Join in the thrill!

TwinSpires.com, the official online betting partner of the Kentucky Derby, is expanding its repertoire of tournaments to an iconic event on the international stage – Royal Ascot.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!


Best Bets for the 2025 Chicago Stakes

Read the full analysis here: Betting With, and Against, Emery in the Chicago Stakes

A total of 11 fillies and mares will jaunt seven-eighths on the Churchill Downs dirt in Saturday’s feature, the $300,000 Chicago S. (G2). The deep and accomplished group boasts multiple graded stakes heroines, including the Brad Cox-trained #1 Emery (5-2). However, if you're not one to bet favorites here are some best bets with, and against, Emery in the Chicago S.

Emery – With

  • $24 win #1 Emery ($24)
  • $4 trifecta 1 with 5,9 with 4,5,9,11 ($24)

Emery – Against

  • $1 trifecta 5,9 with 1,4,5,9,11 with 1,4,5,9,11 ($24)
  • $1 superfecta 5,9 with 1,5,9 with 1,4,5,9,11 with 1,4,5,9,11 ($24)


Top Horses for the 2025

#5 Vahva (3-1), winner of the 2024 Derby City Distaff (G1) at this venue, is an obvious contender for trainer Cherie DeVaux. The Gun Runner mare was off the board when trying to defend her title in the race in her 2025 debut, but the bay has come back with a handful of solid morning drills in the interim and will be formidable with her best showing. Vahva will stalk the pace from the second or third flight early before being asked for her best under Irad Ortiz, Jr

#9 My Mane Squeeze (5-1) is perfect on the local strip with a pair of graded tallies to her credit for Mike Maker. The Audible filly has come home third in both the Madison S. (G1) and Ruffian S. (G2) to commence this campaign and could peak in her third appearance of the season. Bred in New York, the dark bay filly has won or placed in each of seven lifetime tries at the distance and wouldn’t be a surprise with Luis Saez in the stirrups. 

#11 Zeitlos (8-1) is four-for-six with a second beneath the Twin Spires and comes off a measured victory at Pimlico most recently. 

#4 Brightwork (10-1) has raced just three times dating back to her juvenile season and has to be given a look at a nice price with Brian Hernandez, Jr. taking the reins.


The Jury: Expert Picks, Bets, and Fades for Churchill Downs, Woodbine & Royal Ascot

Domestic stakes action from Churchill Downs and Woodbine, along with international flair from Royal Ascot, are on the docket for the TwinSpires Jury, who will provide their best bets, fades, and whatever else catches their interest.



Woodbine Racing (Michael Burns Photography)

Pick 3 of the Week: Woodbine Sunday

A pair of stakes events will take place at Woodbine on Sunday, and I’ll include one of them in the Pick 3 of the Week. 

Race 7 Wager

$1 Pick 3: 1,2,6,7 with 1,4,7 with 3,4 ($24)

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!


Inveigled wins at Gulfstream Park (Photo by Coglianese Photography)

Pick 4 of the Week: Laurel Park Saturday, June 20, 2025

The Pick 4 of the Week will come from Laurel Park on Saturday, and I will take aim at the closing four-race sequence, which includes the pair of black-type tilts on the card. 

Race 6 Wager

  • $1 Pick 4: 1,5,6,8,9 with 3,7 with 1,2,5 with 8 ($30)

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!

RELATED: How to bet the Wilton Stakes (Sunday Stakes)


 

Cupid's Crush wins the Frances Genter Stakes at Caterbury Park.

Cupid's Crush wins the Frances Genter Stakes at Caterbury Park. (Photo by Coady Media)

Exotics Plays for the Lady Canterbury Stakes

An octet of well-matched fillies and mares will travel one mile on the lawn in Saturday’s $50,000 Lady Canterbury S. at Canterbury Park. 

Lady Canterbury Exotics

  • $15 exacta 1 with 3,7 ($30)
  • 50-cent trifecta 1 with 3,4,7,8 with all ($12)
  • 30-cent superfecta 1,3,7 with 1,3,7 with 1,3,7 with all ($9) 

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!


McAfee wins at Churchill Downs.

McAfee wins at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)

Betting on the 2025 Ohio Derby

A nice field of 10 sophomores will run 1 1/8 miles on the Thistledown main strip in Saturday's lucrative, $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3). The three morning-line choices in the event look formidable to me, and I will put much of my focus on that trio.

Ohio Derby Wagers

  • $25 win #4 McAfee ($25)
  • $1 superfecta 2,4,6 with 2,4,6 with 2,4,6,10 with 2,4,6,10 ($12)

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE! 


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