Horse Racing This Weekend: Key Races, Top Horses & Best Bets [March 27]

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.

2026 Kentucky Derby Corner & the 2026 Kentucky Oaks

Come here every week to discover everything you need to know about the 2026 Kentucky Derby. With some of the most influential races happening this weekend, it'll be important to check back next week to see all the changes. 

• Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Four Triple Crown noms graduate
• 2026 Kentucky Derby News and Notes
• Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Emerging Market
• Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Fulleffort
• Kentucky Derby Roundup: Fulleffort tops the leaderboard
• Kentucky Oaks Roundup: Spotlight on Arkansas and Florida races

Jason Beem Horse Racing Podcas

Jason welcomes in Kellie Reilly for our weekly International Radar segment to talk Dubai World Cup. And Jason discusses the Arkansas Derby and the Gulfstream Park Oaks. 

Top horses and best bets for horse racing this weekend

Click to jump to each race listed!

Best Bets for the 2026 Florida Derby

Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2026 Florida Derby

A fantastic field of eight sophomores will run 1 1/8 miles on the Gulfstream Park main strip in Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby (G1). The 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series contest will reward the top five finishers with qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale. 

Florida Derby Picks

• #4 Commandment
• #2 Chief Wallabee
• #6 Nearly
• #8 The Puma

Florida Derby Wagers

• $25 to win on #4 Commandment
• $4 Trifecta: key 4 with 2,6,8

Top Horses for the 2026 Florida Derby

#4 COMMANDMENT: Top pick from the barn of Brad Cox has rolled home in three straight, led by a visually impressive tally in the Fountain of Youth in his second run of the season. The $500,000 son of Into Mischief is bred to run long and is two-for-two on the local strip, and the bay drilled a bullet five-eighths in preparation for this tilt, as well. Flavien Prat inherits the mount. 

#2 CHIEF WALLABEE: Bill Mott trainee was a fine debut winner locally and followed that effort up with a huge second in the Fountain of Youth (G2) most recently. The Constitution homebred has earned triple-digit Brisnet Late Pace ratings in both runs to date and will handle the transition to nine furlongs with ease in this endeavor. Junior Alvarado will guide the exciting prospect. 

#6 NEARLY: Not This Time colt has dominated a trio of fields in succession on the surface leading up to this tilt and has recorded a pair of bullet morning drills in advance of his toughest test to date. The $350,000 yearling purchase has substantial early foot combined with a fine closing burst, and he draws on the outside of two of his main foes in the group, too. Regular pilot John Velazquez will take the reins. 

#8 THE PUMA: Tampa Bay Derby (G3) star has run three good ones to begin his career, and the son of Essential Quality is a win threat for Delgado. The chestnut colt has closed well in each race to date and will appreciate the added ground on Saturday. Javier Castellano will be in the stirrups and have the talented colt stalking the pace from the break. 

RELATED:

• Meet the Contenders: 2026 Florida Derby
• Spot Plays for 2026 Florida Derby Day at Gulfstream Park

LIVE Florida Derby 2026

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Best Bets for the 2026 Arkansas Derby

Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2026 Arkansas Derby

A strong field of eight three-year-olds will run 1 1/8 miles on the dirt at Oaklawn Park in Saturday’s $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1). The 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series tilt will reward the top five across the line with qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale. 

Arkansas Derby Picks

• #6 Renegade
• #2 Silent Tactic
• #3 Blackout Time
• #9 Litmus Test

Arkansas Derby Wagers

• $20 to win on #6 Renegade
• 50-cent Superfecta: 6 with 2,3,9 with 2,3,9 with ALL

Top Horses for the 2026 Arkansas Derby

#6 RENEGADE: Top pick was excellent in rallying from well back to win the Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs in his 2026 debut and rates a big chance with a step forward in his second try of the year. The Todd Pletcher pupil has been very good since stretching out in distance and has posted four solid morning drills leading up to his Grade 1 debut. Regular pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr. will guide the Into Mischief colt.  

#2 SILENT TACTIC: Talented son of young sire Tacitus has been first or second in each lifetime run to date and comes off a nose defeat in the Rebel (G2) in his latest endeavor. The $500,000 juvenile purchase boasts a big turn of foot and showed last time that he could stay in range early without being left with too much to do in the stretch, and he will be formidable with even slight improvement on Saturday. Regular rider Christian Torres will be in the irons. 

#3 BLACKOUT TIME: Kenny McPeek trainee had a fine juvenile campaign and was fourth in the Rebel in his 2026 bow. The Nyquist colt has posted a pair of solid morning drills leading up to this tilt and will move forward in his second run of the year with Brian Hernandez, Jr. in the silks. The Not This Time colt will stalk the action in the early stages of the race. 

#9 LITMUS TEST: Baffert trainee was a clear third in the Rebel after leading early on and will run with blinkers off in this event. The $875,000 Nyquist colt is a Grade 2 winner with a lot of class to him, and he could enjoy a nice trip from the outside in his second run over the oval. The Kentucky-bred colt will never be far back with Francisco Arrieta inheriting the mount. 

RELATED: 

• Meet the Contenders: 2026 Arkansas Derby
• Spot Plays for 2026 Arkansas Derby Day at Oaklawn Park

2026 Arkansas Derby LIVE Coverage

Welcome to our LIVE Arkansas Derby 2026 race coverage! Stay with us throughout the hour to find out the Arkansas Derby winners, post time, horses, odds and more. 

Don't forget to pop over to our other LIVE coverage of the Florida Derby and AMA on Reddit with our very own Vance Hanson discussing the Florida and Arkans Derby 2026. 

• 2026 Florida Derby LIVE coverage
• Reddit AMA hosted by Vance Hanson

Let's have a wonderful and eventful day of horse racing along the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

TwinSpires Jury

TwinSpires Jury Episode 135 brings together expert insight, sharp handicapping, and strategic wagering advice for one of the most important championship prep weekends on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. With Nick Tammaro, analysts James Scully and Darin Zoccali on board, the episode centers on two pivotal 100-point prep races that will play a major role in shaping the final Kentucky Derby leaderboard: the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park and the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.

Best Bets for the 2026 UAE Derby

Read the full analysis here: How to bet the 2026 UAE Derby

The Europe/Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby ends on Saturday morning U.S. time with the UAE Derby (G2) at Meydan in Dubai. It’s drawn a decent field, and two horses can potentially earn a spot in the 2026 Kentucky Derby (G1) by finishing in the first two.

Race 4, 9:30 a.m. ET: UAE Derby (G2), 1,900 meters (about 1 3/16 miles), dirt, open, $1 million

• $10 win/$30 show: #3 Six Speed ($40)
• $1 Trifecta: 1, 3 with 1, 3, 5 with 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 12 ($16)

Top Horses for the UAE Derby

#1 Pyromancer contests the race, having won the second leg of the Japan Road to the Derby, the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun; at his previous start, he beat Wonder Dean at Kyoto.

#2 Wonder Dean has since finished fourth in the Saudi Derby, won by Al Haram, who couldn’t make it here from Saudi Arabia due to war-related travel issues. He should go well again, but on form, Pyromancer is the better Japanese runner.

#3 Six Speed couldn’t have been more impressive when winning the UAE 2,000 Guineas (G3) from #7 Devon Island and #9 Union Security; his trainer wasn’t sure he would stay past a mile, but everything about the way he races suggests he will.

#12 Labwah, the other big local hopes are the UAE Oaks (G3) winner. 

#5 Salloom. The latter had locals thinking he was a superstar when he won his debut, but he then broke through the gates when favorite for the Dubai Road to the Kentucky Derby Stakes Feb. 20 and didn’t participate in a race won by #6 Brotherly Love. Salloom will need to improve his manners to be competitive in what is likely to be an even bigger crowd here. I’m not sure I’m willing to trust him. 

Best Bets for the 2026 Gulfstream Park Oaks

Read the full analysis here: Betting With, and Against, She Be Smooth in the Gulfstream Park Oaks

Fantastic Davona Dale (G2) starlet #6 She Be Smooth (7-5) has been installed as the morning-line choice in Saturday’s $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2). The ever-important Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifier will see seven three-year-old fillies run 1 1/16 miles on the dirt, but much of the attention will be on the Todd Pletcher trainee.

She Be Smooth – With

• $8 Exacta: 6 with 2,4,5 ($24)
• $1 Superfecta: 6 with 2,4,5 with 2,4,5 with ALL ($24)

She Be Smooth – Against

• $2 Trifecta: 2,4,5 with 2,4,5,6 with 2,4,5,6 ($36)
• $1 Trifecta: 2,5 with 2,4,5,6 with 2,4,5,6 ($12)

Top Horses for the 2026 Gulfstream Park Oaks

#6 She Be Smooth debuted on this strip on Jan. 23 and was a fine maiden winner going one mile when earning a 99 Brisnet Late Pace rating. In her second and most recent appearance, the Lexitonian filly rated patiently at the back early on prior to unleashing a devastating turn of foot to put her foes to rest by six lengths under the wire. The chestnut has posted two morning maintenance works in the interim and will be imposing at the top of the lane with Flavien Prat retaining the mount. 

#2 My Miss Mo was no match when second in the Davona Dale, but the Uncle Mo filly has the potential to be controlling speed in this spot and could get brave if she is left alone for too long on the lead. The $320,000 juvenile purchase has performed well in each of her three lifetime runs on the surface, and while she might not be the most talented member of the group, she does have a tactical edge and a nice draw near the rail, as well. Tyler Gaffalione retains the ride. 

#5 Prom Queen was a sharp runner-up to the favorite in her debut and came back with a daylight maiden win second time out. The Quality Road homebred clearly has a lot of ability, and if she takes a step forward, then the twice-raced lass will be a major player in the latter stages of the affair, with Javier Castellano taking the reins. 

#4 Just Singing has closed with good energy in each of her four career runs to date and will have blinkers on for the first time. Third in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) in her 2026 debut, the daughter of Justify has posted four morning moves at Palm Meadows in advance of the affair and wouldn’t be a major surprise if the top one falters. John Velazquez will ride the Whisper Hill color-bearer.

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