If you ask professional or serious horseplayers their opinions on show betting, most will tell you to not waste too much time with this type of bet.  As the easiest bet to hit on the wagering menu, payouts are low.  Even if you are an excellent handicapper, it is hard to make money betting on [...]

On Wednesday August 24 the field for the 142nd Travers Stakes was drawn at Saratoga Race Course.  In a racing season that has seen the same group of top 3-year-olds winning one big race only to fall short next time out, racing fans are looking for a definitive performance by one of the top choices [...]

Horses exiting the Kentucky Derby have a leg up in the Preakness. A remarkable 23 of the past 26 Derby runners captured the second leg of the Triple Crown. The exceptions came during the 21st Century: Rachel Alexandra, ’09; Bernardini, ’06; and Red Bullet, ’00. Four Derby champs the past decade were successful at Pimlico: [...]

Scores of upsets in major preps and injuries have muddled my Top 10 Kentucky Derby contenders. But here’s my final list from the bottom to the top: Stay Thirsty: Although the son of Bernardini ran poorly in the Florida Derby, he did defeat Wood Memorial victor Toby’s Corner in the Gotham. On April 24, he [...]

This week we will begin to hear all sorts of Derby info. Some will be good and some will be disappointing. It happens each year, and this one should be no different. Where there were yearlings romping in fields a few years ago, there were great hopes on many farms. As the managers watched with [...]

I am really starting to put things together in my noggin about what my tickets will look like. You will start hearing all sorts of  “ins and outs.” Rosie will be the first woman in the Derby since Rosemary, and Shane Sellers may make it back to the spotlight if Twinspired gets in. This is better [...]

Horses worth watching, a list of runners compiled by handicapper/turf writer Greg Melikov, should do well next time out. These thoroughbreds won five times, finished second twice and ran third five times since Jan. 23. They’re worth considering when developing your wagering strategy for online betting or at your favorite track. Aqueduct Autumnlady: Raced more [...]

After the Toyota Bluegrass and the Arkansas Derby, I have come out with a few thoughts. With all due respect; you can keep Santiva, Brilliant Speed, Uncle Mo, Elite Alex, Anthony’s Cross, Silver Medallion, Sway Away, The Factor, Comma to the Top, and Pants on Fire. Some won’t have enough earnings, and this is the [...]

Do you remember when Keeneland had that fast, speed favoring, dirt course? If you got on the lead, the race was for place. But, with poly track being installed, many trainers look elsewhere to prep to get ready for the dirt. This is no dig in any way against Keeneland. It is the preferred method [...]

The Arkansas Derby could be called the Rebel Stakes II with six runners from the runner-up through the seventh-place finisher seeking a reversal of fortune against the winner — The Factor. The son of War Front is indeed the main factor in the $1 million Grade 1 on Saturday at Oaklawn Park, where on March [...]