Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Pappacap, who is ranked No. 4 on my Kentucky Derby Top 10 list, makes his 2022 debut this Saturday (Jan. 22) in Fair Grounds’ Grade III Lecomte Stakes. The 1 1/16-mile affair has enticed a field of nine. Pappacap is the 8-5 favorite on Mike Diliberto’s morning line. […]
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Past performances for last Saturday’s Gulfstream Late Pick 4 looked like Greek to us and we weren’t alone. Zero Xpressbet account holders among those registered for a weekly $2,000 bonus submitted a winning ticket! That’s saying something. Actually, a couple of things. First, you’ve got to make sure to register for […]
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As the kick-off of the winter-spring Santa Anita Park meeting on Dec. 26 approaches, I was inspired to put together a list of some — just some — of my many favorite races that I’ve seen at Santa Anita through the years. They are listed below in chronological order: FEBRUARY 20, 1977 — SAN […]
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Gulfstream Park’s 2021-22 Championship meeting is off and running and Saturday’s Claiming Crown card is a challenging way to begin the season. Let’s amend that…Saturday’s Claiming Crown card is an extremely challenging way to begin the season. Besides paying homage (and rich purses) to horses that often race with luggage pre-packed like one-on-one […]
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In what will be the final big day of racing in New York this year, Aqueduct presents a 10-race card this Saturday topped by the Grade I Cigar Mile. The $750,000 Cigar Mile is named in honor of the 1995-96 Horse of the Year and 2002 Hall of Fame inductee. This year’s renewal has […]
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$1 MILLION JUVENILE TURF SPRINT (FRIDAY) AVERLY JANE (5-2 on my official BC morning line) Undefeated filly with 4 wins by combined 22 1/4 lengths ONE TIMER (4-1) Undefeated gelding with 3 wins by combined 17 lengths TWILIGHT JET (15-1) Drew rail (morning line made before post-position draw) Nice-price danger: TIME […]
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Breeders’ Cup is the annual time to take your best shot at some deep fields of talented horses. Horseplayers don’t get chances like this very often, so we’d love to take advantage of a limited opportunity. For certain, there’s nothing easy about handicapping BC races. Horses arriving from around the world make sorting out Cup […]
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Time’s running out for you to hit the Late Pick 4 at Santa Anita and to earn a share of a $2,000 daily bonus from Xpressbet and 1/ST BET. Just three days remain in the meet before action shifts to Del Mar next Wednesday and the Breeders’ Cup there Friday and Saturday. Last week successful […]
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Pre-entries for all 14 of this year’s Breeders’ Cup races at Del Mar on Nov. 5-6 have been announced. This will be the 38th Breeders’ Cup, which was launched at Hollywood Park in 1984. Del Mar, known as the track “where the turf meets the surf,” is playing host to the equine extravaganza for […]
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Xpressbet and 1ST BET continue to offer a daily sweetener to account holders who hit Santa Anita’s Late Pick 4 and are registered for a $2,000 bonus. For the most part, these added-money kisses aren’t life-changing scores, you’ll still need to find those in the main arena, but who doesn’t mind a little extra cash? […]
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The 2021 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar is fast approaching. With that in mind, it’s interesting to examine the history of the Beyer Speed Figures for the richest of the 14 Breeders’ Cup races, the $6 million Classic. Sunday Silence and Ghostzapper share the distinction of having achieved the top Beyer Speed Figure in […]
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The 38th annual Breeders’ Cup, a 14-race extravaganza topped by the $6 million Classic, will be held at Del Mar on Nov. 5-6. I, like many others, am looking forward to seeing what happens in the $2 million BC Juvenile, a 1 1/16-mile race on the main track for 2-year-olds. No doubt many […]
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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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