Saratoga: Spot Plays for June 6, 2025

Fri Jun 06 2025Vance Hanson

Weather and track conditions for Friday's blockbuster card at Saratoga remain uncertain at this writing, but the hope is that the following horses of interest will be suited by a dry or wet main track.
2025 Epsom Oaks: Giselle, Elwateen have appeal at a price

Fri Jun 06 2025Kellie Reilly

Godolphin’s #1 Desert Flower (6-5) brings an unbeaten record into Friday’s Oaks (G1) at Epsom, but will she be as effective on the step up to 1 1/2 miles?
How to bet the 2025 Ogden Phipps Stakes

Fri Jun 06 2025John Mucciolo

Seven graded stakes winners, four of which have achieved glory at the Grade 1 level, will tussle in Friday’s exciting $500,000 Ogden Phipps S. (G1) at Saratoga.
Scully: Pick 3 play for Belmont at Saratoga Friday

Fri Jun 06 2025James Scully

Friday’s 14-race Belmont at Saratoga program includes six stakes, and Grade 1 winners Good Cheer, Raging Sea, and She Feels Pretty loom as imposing favorites over the final six races on the card.
Betting exotics in the 2025 Mighty Beau Stakes

Fri Jun 06 2025J. Keeler Johnson

It’s not every day you see a Kentucky Derby (G1) alumnus entered in a five-furlong turf sprint, but Saturday’s $225,000 Mighty Beau S. at Churchill Downs features such a situation.
Betting the 2025 Belmont Stakes on Different Budgets

Thu Jun 05 2025John Mucciolo

For the first time since 2013, each of the top-three Derby finishers will compete in the race, making the spectacle even that much more exciting.
The Best Longshot to bet in the 2025 Belmont Stakes

Thu Jun 05 2025John Mucciolo

Saratoga Race Course will play host to the $2 million Belmont S. (G1) for the second consecutive season in 2025, and this edition of the race is one of the strongest in recent memory.
Betting With, and Against, Good Cheer in the Acorn Stakes

Thu Jun 05 2025John Mucciolo

Six sophomore fillies will attempt to take down unbeaten Kentucky Oaks (G1) phenom #2 Good Cheer (1-2) in Friday’s $500,000 Acorn S. (G1) at Saratoga.
Tips, picks, and bets for the 2025 Tremont and Astoria at Saratoga

Thu Jun 05 2025J. Keeler Johnson

It can be tricky to handicap early-season stakes races for two-year-olds, such as Thursday’s $150,000 Tremont S. and $150,000 Astoria S. at Saratoga.
Thursday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Saratoga’s $55,493 Pick 6 carryover

Thu Jun 05 2025J. Keeler Johnson

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Thursday, June 5 at Gulfstream Park, Saratoga, and Churchill Downs, including a horse to single in Saratoga’s $55,493 Pick 6 carryover.
Saratoga: Spot Plays for June 5, 2025

Wed Jun 04 2025Vance Hanson

After a Wednesday program devoted primarily to New York-breds, Thursday's card at Saratoga is nearly free of restricted races save one maiden for fillies and mares on the turf.
Saratoga: Spot Plays for 2025 Belmont Stakes Day

Wed Jun 04 2025Vance Hanson

Saturday's Belmont Stakes Day program at Saratoga is tremendous in many respects, but I'll be taking a swing against some of the shorter-priced favorites.
Epsom Derby, Belmont Stakes Double a bet worth having

Wed Jun 04 2025Vance Hanson

The New York Racing Association announced this week that on June 7, it would offer a special transatlantic Double wager linking two of the world’s oldest and most prestigious classics: the Derby (G1) at Epsom and the Belmont (G1) at Saratoga.