In light of his stellar performance in last Saturday’s $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, Hot Rod Charlie should be taken very seriously when he makes his next start in the Grade I, $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 6. Ridden by Flavien Prat and trained by Doug O’Neill, Hot Rod Charlie […]
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Let’s be frank. There’s nothing simple about picking winners. That’s especially true during ultra-competitive Saratoga and Del Mar meetings. Saturday cards at the Spa and Where the Turf Meets the Surf are great examples of how players can find solid horses with real chances to win at great odds. But it’s not easy. Putting 5 […]
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It’s hard for me to believe that 31 years have passed since I called the official race chart for the inaugural running of the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Best Pal won the 1 1/4-mile event by one length in 1:59 4/5. The California-bred gelding not only defeated his elders that day, he broke […]
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Week 2 of Xpressbet’s entertaining and profitable Fun in the Sun competition is Saturday and it’s your chance to make hay while the sun shines on racing at Saratoga and Del Mar. The competition is limited to Xpressbet account holders only and awards cash and Final Table seats to top players each Saturday. There’s […]
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There certainly is a lot to unpack regarding last Saturday’s $1 million Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park. Jockey Paco Lopez was abruptly unseated from Midnight Bourbon during the stretch drive. Hot Rod Charlie and Mandaloun then proceeded to battle furiously all the way to a head-bobbing finish. Hot Rod Charlie beat Mandaloun by a […]
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Summer fun in the sun begins Saturday when weekends start to include racing from Saratoga and Del Mar. One look at entries for either track will trigger a horseplayer’s mouth to water. Fields are thick and contention runs deep. Through Labor Day weekend, the action will be entertaining and challenging to all players and particularly […]
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The $1 million Haskell Stakes, premier race of the 2020 Monmouth Park meet, has attracted a field of seven to do battle at 1 1/8 miles. Louisiana Derby winner and Belmont Stakes runner-up Hot Rod Charlie has been installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the Grade I event. When I have attempted […]
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Saturday, the Gr. 3, $200k Smile Sprint and Gr. 2 $350k Princess Rooney are ‘Invitational’ meats in a tasty Gulfstream Park Pick 4 sandwich. The former, afternoon’s 10th race at 5:02 pm ET, is a six-furlong sprint with a field of 8 topped by the versatile 6-year-old Gulfstream specialist #6 Diamond Oops. He’s 5-2 on […]
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Going all the way back to 2004, I have come up with my list of the Top 10 performances by a Thoroughbred in the United States during the first half of the year for Xpressbet.com. Starting on New Year’s Day, I keep an eye out for a performance that I deem a possibility for […]
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There is something of a lull going on right now during this year’s Triple Crown series before it concludes with the Grade I Belmont Stakes on June 5. I will have my Belmont selections and analysis for Xpressbet.com next week. I thought this would be a good time to go over my list of […]
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Trainer Michael McCarthy sent out Rombauer for an upset victory in last Saturday’s $1 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. While Rombauer’s triumph in the Grade I event took many bettors by surprise, it really was not an upset for his 50-year-old conditioner to win a Kentucky Derby, Preakness or Belmont. His background […]
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Nearly two weeks ago, official race results for the 147th Kentucky Derby were etched into history books. Not so fast, my four-hooved friend! To say that a lot has transpired since would be an open-lengths understatement. Derby winner Medina Spirit’s initial post-race drug tests revealed an apparent rules infraction based on the presence […]
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Before I get to my selections for this Saturday’s Grade I, $1 million Preakness Stakes, I can’t ignore the elephant — or more specifically, the horse — in the room. The horse, of course, is Medina Spirit. As of May 12, Medina Spirit is still the official winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby. But […]
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The 147th Kentucky Derby is in the books. Hats off to winner Medina Spirit and to his connections, including trainer Bob Baffert, who became the winningest Kentucky Derby conditioner in history. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez won his fourth Derby and second consecutive Run for the Roses at the age of 49 and cemented […]
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One-hundred years ago, Herbert J. Thompson won the Kentucky Derby with Behave Yourself. That 1921 triumph was just the beginning for Thompson, who went on to also win the Run for the Roses with Bubbling Over in 1926, Burgoo King in 1932 and Brokers Tip in 1933. Those four victories earned Thompson the […]
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