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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. 

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Top horses and best bets for horse racing this weekend

The key horse races this weekend include a loaded card at Churchill Downs, and some notable races at Santa Anita and Woodbine. 

With the last leg of the Triple Crown upon us, it is time to prepare for the Belmont Stakes! Join us all next week for expert coverage and analysis of the races, and don't forget to join us for our LIVE coverage Friday and Saturday of Belmont Weekend. 

During Belmont you'll find many 2025 Kentucky Derby and 2025 Preakness contenders including Derby winner Sovereignty and Preakness winner Journalism. Who will be crowned the 2025 Belmont Stakes victor. 

Click to jump to each race listed!

Best Bets for the 2025 Mint Julep Stakes

Read the full analysis here: How to bet the 2025 Mint Julep Stakes

A very good field of 11 fillies and mares will travel 1 1/16 miles over the Churchill Downs turf in Sunday’s $250,000 Mint Julep S. (G3) as part of an exciting night. Who will be your best bet? Here are some expert betting options below. 

Mint Julep Wagers

• $1 trifecta 9 with 2,8,11 with all ($27)
• $1 trifecta box 2,8,9,11 ($24)

Top Horses for the Mint Julep Stakes:

#9 Charlene’s Dream dominated the recent Gallorette S. (G3) at Pimlico at nice odds but was not a fluke for conditioner Ed Moger, and I’ll come right back with the fleet filly. By Qurbaan, the chestnut is three-for-four on the turf in her lifetime and really made a great impression most recently when leaving her foes no chance from the break three weeks prior. The four-time stakes heroine has performed nicely on both firm and good turf, and if she gets out of the gate well, then I envision her being very tough on the front end every step of the way. Rafael Bejarano has the assignment. 

#11 Deep Satin was given a tough assignment from the widest post in the field, but the Cherie DeVaux pupil had a fine prep for this in her seasonal debut and looms large second time off the break on this occasion. The American Pharoah four-year-old has been first or second in each of her five lifetime runs to date and finished a clear second in her lone prior effort on the oval, too. Kentucky-bred bay will stalk the tempo with Jose Ortiz. 

#2 Movin’ On Up has never been better and is a prime win threat in the field as one of two for Saffie Joseph. The four-year-old daughter of Accelerate was ultra-impressive in her Sand Springs S. triumph at Gulfstream Park two back, and the filly ran a bang-up third against a nice crew in the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) locally last time out. Frankie Dettori will guide the Kentucky-bred. 

#8 Pin Up Betty ran a winning race in defeat in the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) most recently for Mike Maker, and any improvement off of that showing will give her a big chance on Sunday. The Constitution four-year-old sports a 4-2-1-0 local line and will have Luis Saez in the irons.

Best Bets for the Audubon Stakes

Read the full analysis here: Betting With, and Against, Early Adopter in the Audubon Stakes

A well-matched field of eight sophomores will travel nine furlongs on the Churchill Downs green in Saturday’s $275,000 Audubon S. Chad Brown’s #8 Early Adopter (3-1) has been installed as the slight morning-line choice in the group. However, if your best bet isn't quite with the favorite, here are some betting options from our experts that may be perfect for you.  

Early Adopter – With

• $12 trifecta 8 with 3 with 1,5 ($24)
• $6 trifecta 8 with 1,5 with 3 ($12)
• $.50-cent trifecta 8 with 1,3,5 with all ($9)

Early Adopter – Against

• $12 trifecta 3 with 8 with 1,5 ($24)
• $6 trifecta 3 with 1,5 with 8 ($12)
• $.50-cent trifecta 3 with 1,5,8 with all ($9)

Top Horses for the Audubon Stakes: 

#3 Scipio (7-2) has shown nice improvement in a trio of races this campaign with the blinkers off for conditioner Richard Baltas. The son of Caravaggio kicked off 2025 with a tally in the Baffle S. in a turf dash at Santa Anita, prior to finishing a closing second in the Transylvania S. (G3) at Keeneland. In the especially deep American Turf S. (G1) on the local grass most recently, the Kentucky-bred made a nice middle move to get into range but finished just evenly late in a race that is better than what it appears to be on paper. I expect Luis Saez to have him a bit closer to the pace on Saturday. 

5 Charlie’s to Blame (5-1) is the expected pacesetter in the group for conditioner Peter Eurton. The Blame colt stopped at the turn for home in the recent Juff Ruby Steaks (G3) on the synthetic at Turfway Park, but he had won two in succession on the green prior to that, led by a tally in the Kitten’s Joy S. at Gulfstream Park. The bay has been training forwardly and will force the action under Joel Rosario. 

#1 Tomasello (5-1) has compiled two wins and a second from a trio of outings since moving to the turf. The bay son of Authentic is moving in the right direction in advance of his stakes debut, and it’s a benefit that he aced his first local test on the course last time out, as well. Jose Ortiz will pilot the colt. 

Best Bets for the Triple Bend Stakes

Read the full analysis here: How to bet the Triple Bend Stakes

A strong cast of five dashers will travel seven panels on the Santa Anita dirt in Saturday’s $100,000 Triple Bend S. (G3). If you still don't know who your best bet could be, take a look at the bet below, and place those bets on race day!

Triple Bend Wagers

• $15 trifecta key 2 with 3,5 ($30)
• $3 trifecta 3,5 with 2 with 3,5 ($6)

Top Horses for the Triple Blend: 

#2 Nysos (3-5) finished a fantastic second in the high-quality Churchill Downs S. (G1) off a 15-month layoff last time out for conditioner Bob Baffert, and the son of Nyquist will be a formidable foe with even minor improvement in his second run of the season. 

#3 Spirit of Makena (12-1) won this race in 2023 and will also be making his second run off of a very lengthy absence in the heat. Trained by George Papaprodromou, the Ghostzapper chestnut has room for improvement with just nine lifetime runs to his credit, and the seven-year-old had a nice prep for this when in the hunt late before checking in third in the recent San Carlos S. (G3) on the surface. I envision a trip where the top-three threat forces the pace from second early with a chance at the top of the lane beneath Kyle Frey. 

#5 Dr. Venkman (2-1) was a smart runner-up in the race last season and will make his first appearance since running an even fourth in the Pacific Classic S. (G1) at Del Mar in the summer. The Mark Glatt trainee is well drawn on the outside and has never run a bad race in his lifetime, but he will possibly need a run off the pine before being at his top level. With that said, the son of Ghostzapper wouldn’t be a major surprise with Antonio Fresu in the stirrups. 

The Jury: Expert Picks, Bets, and Fades

The TwinSpires Jury of James Scully, Ashley Anderson, and Darin Zoccali debate their best bets and fades at Churchill Downs for Stephen Foster Preview Day.

Saturday's 11-race card will include six stakes, five of which are Grade 3s, highlighted by the 1 1/8-mile Blame (G3), the local prep for the $1 million Stephen Foster (G1).

Join us on June 7 for a rematch that will shake the stands. Many top Kentucky Derby contenders return for the Belmont S. (G1) to fight for the finish, including probable contender Journalism, winner of Preakness 150, and Sovereignty, winner of Derby 151. Who will stand in the winner's circle for Belmont?

Stay with us throughout Belmont Day during stakes races as we bring you the latest horse racing news, live odds, expert picks, and more. It is sure to be an exciting day of racing!

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