Plenty of resources can tell you about the horses running in the Belmont Stakes or even who will win, but how to bet on the 3rd jewel of the Triple Crown is a separate challenge. Let the experts at TwinSpires.com, the official wagering platform of the Kentucky Derby, help you out.
Ed DeRosa called the Travers Stakes day card on Saturday, August 26, at Saratoga Race Course, the best non-Breeders' Cup card in the history of the American Turf, and beyond a highly competitive Midsummer Derby is a graded stakes slate featuring many of the top superstars in training. The graded stakes action kicks off with the Personal Ensign Stakes, the first of six Grade 1s on the card and featuring champion Songbird against multiple Grade 1 winner Forever Unbridled. The action continues with the Ballerina Stakes before moving onto the all-Grade 1 Pick 4 of the Jerkens for three-year-olds going 7 furlongs, the Forego for older sprinters going 7 furlongs, the Sword Dancer at 1 1/2 miles, and the Travers. Ed DeRosa and Scott Shapiro discuss each race as well as their wagering strategy for clobbering the Pick 4. For Brisnet.com handicapping information, CLICK HERE.
This year's Travers Stakes drew a dozen three-year-olds with seemingly something for everyone: all three classic winners are in, as are the winners of the major prep races for this race. Where will the public's money go, and more importantly where should your money go? Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com and Danny Zucker of Predicteform.com help answer that question. The pair go through the field with analysis of each runner as well as some wagering strategies. For a full slate of Brisnet.com's handicapping reports, CLICK HERE.
The premiere summer meetings--Saratoga Race Course & Del Mar Thoroughbred Club--have teamed to present a cross country Pick 4 on Saturday, August 19, linking two of the most prestigious races in the U.S. with a pair of graded stakes on turf. The $1-million Pacific Classic at Del Mar is the anchor leg of the Pick 4 that begins with the Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga and includes the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes also at Saratoga and the Del Mar Handicap for turf males. Ed DeRosa of TwinSpires.com and Scott Shapiro of Brisnet.com's Daily Selections full-card analysis with best bets, will discuss the sequence, including key opinions and wagering strategy. To read Scott's write-up, including ticket construction, visit the TwinSpires.com blog. For Del Mar handicapping reports, CLICK HERE. For Saratoga handicapping reports, CLICK HERE.
Ed DeRosa and the teams at Brisnet.com & TwinSpires.com shift their focus for a bit from Big Event handicapping to big race meeting handicapping with the dawn of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and Saratoga Race Course meetings this week. Scott Shapiro is Ed's first guest, and the pair discuss the meetings in general as well as the opening day card at Del Mar. For great deals on Brisnet.com handicapping information for summer racing, CLICK HERE. For Scott's Daily Selections full-card analysis with best bets for every day of the Del Mar meeting, CLICK HERE.
With guaranteed pools in all Pick 5s and Pick 4s on the 13-race Queen's Plate card Sunday, July 2, at Woodbine, wagering on Canada's biggest day of racing is so much more than just the Queen's Plate, though that is a great handicapping puzzle as well with 13 horses going 1 1/4 miles on the synethetic Tapeta surface. Discussing Woodbine handicapping and this card in particular with Ed DeRosa is Emily Gullikson of OptixEQ. The pair dive into the Queen's Plate most in-depth but also touch on other races throughout the day. For Woodbine handicapping materials from Brisnet.com, CLICK HERE. For FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances on the Queen's Plate race, CLICK HERE.
The Queen's Plate field is set for Sunday, July 2, at Woodbine with a baker's dozen set to contest the Canadian classic. Woodbine public handicapper Dawn Lupul joins Ed DeRosa to discuss the field and where the value might lie and which horses to lay. For FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances of the Queen's Plate race, CLICK HERE. For FREE Brisnet.com Premium Past Performances of the Queen's Plate card, CLICK HERE. For all Brisnet.com handicapping products for Woodbine, CLICK HERE.
The first in a 3- or 4-part series has Ed DeRosa discussing Woodbine handicapping with the track's Communications Manager Keith McCalmont. Ed & Keith touch on horsemen to watch, how the track plays, and adapting to the wagering menu's $0.20 minimums for Pick 3s, Pick 4s, and Pick 5s. The pair also touch on the Queen's Plate field as it coalesces toward Wednesday's draw and Sunday's races. Follow Keith on Twitter @TripleDeadHeat. For Woodbine handicapping materials from Brisnet.com, CLICK HERE.
The Belmont Stakes is one of 13 races on Saturday at Belmont Park with 10 stakes encompassing many all-stakes multi-race wagers. As Ed DeRosa said on Monday's podcast looking ahead to the week, having opinions on your opinions is a big part of wagering success. Which races and wagering types are Ed and Scott Shapiro looking forward to pressing on Saturday? The pair discuss this incredible card. For FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances of the Belmont Stakes, CLICK HERE. For Scott Shapiro's SPOTLIGHT SELECTIONS of the Belmont Stakes card, CLICK HERE.
The Belmont Stakes tests not only horses given its demanding 1 1/2-mile distance but also jockeys considering the track's unique 1 1/2-mile circumference, sweeping turns, and relatively short stretch. What are some things to keep in mind when handicapping the race in terms of how it will be run? Ed DeRosa & Emily Gullikson of OptixEQ discuss as well as touch on how to approach big favorites on big racing days. For all Belmont Park handicapping products, CLICK HERE. For FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances of the Belmont Stakes, CLICK HERE.
With three days of great racing, balancing wanting to get involved with money management is paramount. All gamblers have a budget, and how they use that budget can be more important to winning and losing than actual handicapping. Ed DeRosa and Scott Shapiro discuss money management strategies ahead of the huge week of racing with many guarnateed multi-race wagering pools. For Belmont Park handicapping reports, CLICK HERE. For Belmont Stakes Ultimate Past Performances from Brisnet.com, CLICK HERE.
The first two jewels of U.S. Thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown are in the books, and along with it two gamblers' familiar lament of opportunities squandered. Part of beging a successful bettor is learning from your mistakes, accepting variance, and knowing the difference between bad handicapping, poor wagering strategy, and being wrong. In this final version of the Preakness betting podcast, Ed DeRosa & Scott Shapiro discuss where each of their key decisions fall.
Ed DeRosa & Scott Shapiro wrap up Preakness Stakes preparations by discussing their actual approaches to betting on the race. For FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate PPs of the race, CLICK HERE. Ed's strategy. Scott's strategy. Ed & Scott agree that one of the chalks will win and have some agreement on potential key horses underneath, and yet it's unlikely that both will hit the race, which should make for a lively discussion at least.
You've seen them on the Churchill Downs simulcast feed, now listen to them talk about handicapping the Preakness Stakes! In a role reversal, Churchill handicapper Joe Kristufek joins podcast host Ed DeRosa to discuss betting the Preakness Stakes. Joe hit the Derby tri with a key + spread approach. What strategy is he thinking about for the Preakness, and will it involve Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming? For FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances of Preakness Stakes contenders, CLICK HERE.
The results of the Kentucky Derby did not surprise the wagering public, as Always Dreaming became the fifth consecutive favorite to win the roses, but Always Dreaming's victory did surprise Ed DeRosa, who was against the Florida Derby winner at a (relatively) short price. How should Kentucky Derby opinions affect Preakness Stakes wagering (if at all)? Ed discuses the Triple Crown trail so far with Brisnet.com Daily Selections handicapper Scott Shapiro. For Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances of Preakness Stakes probables, CLICK HERE.
The 2017 Kentucky Derby field is set (click for FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate PPs) and with it the final pieces to put together the Kentucky Derby superfecta puzzle. Ed DeRosa & Danny Zucker use the Brisnet.com PPs and Predicteform's performance figures to discuss the fields and who are the best bets not only to win but also to spice up the exotic wagers. For all Brisnet.com handicapping information, click here.
Months of talking about a race is down to less than a week to prepare for the Greatest Two Minutes In Sports, and final opinions are beginning to be formed with only the post position draw the final piece of information awaiting handicappers. Ed DeRosa & Scott Shapiro discuss the tools available to make final decisions and what historical trends are worth a Derby handicapper's attention. For all of Brisnet.com's Kentucky Derby reports, visit Brisnet.com/derby. For FREE Kentucky Derby past performances, CLICK HERE.
Michael "the champ" Beychok is one of horse racing's most celebrated contest players, having won $1-million at the 2012 National Handicapping Championship. He parlayed that success into a role in the reality series "Horseplayers" and is a frequent contributor to Brisnet.com's Spotlight Selections, which will be available for Kentucky Oaks & Derby days. The Champ spends some time ahead of New Orleans Jazz fest to discuss how he prepares to pick the Kentucky Derby for Brisnet.com and wager it for himself. For all of Brisnet.com's Kentucky Derby reports, visit Brisnet.com/derby. For FREE Kentucky Derby past performances, CLICK HERE.
Fresh from the Ocala, Florida, April two-year-olds in training sale, Jet-setting Southern Claifornia-based clocker Gary Young brings his talents to Louisville to get a live look at Kentucky Derby hopefuls training at Churchill Downs. Young has been clocking horses for more than 30 years, but he called his shot on the horse of a lifetime two years ago with American Pharoah. "I have been doing this for 35 years, and he might be the best horse I've ever seen," Young said after American Pharoah's final Derby workout. "He's simply like Michael Jordan and stays in the air like he did in his rookie year. [American Pharoah] stays in the air longer than any horse, and you get the feeling that there's not one gear left, but he may have two, three or four gears." Young not only said American Pharoah had the talent to win the Kentucky Derby in a competitive year but also the Belmont Stakes. Who does he like this year? He won't answer that question on this podcast, but he will give perspective on what he looks for when he's at Churchill Downs. To watch his daily updates with Ed DeRosa, subscribe to the TwinSpires.com Youtube channel. For all of Brisnet.com's Kentucky Derby reports, visit Brisnet.com/derby. For FREE Kentucky Derby past performances, CLICK HERE.
The Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 6, at Churchill Downs, and Ed DeRosa of TwinSpires.com and Brisnet.com discusses how to bet the world's most famous race with special guest handicappers. The series continues with episode 3--pace prophecy--with Emily Gullikson of OptixEQ, which uses Brisnet.com data to help drive its Pace Projector. Emily is also part of the Optix team that populates the popular notes product on the site. The pair discuss how they balance black box products they believe in with their own personal handicapping methods (Ed uses Brisnet.com's ALLWAYS software religiously). For all of Brisnet.com's Kentucky Derby reports, visit Brisnet.com/derby. For FREE Kentucky Derby past performances, CLICK HERE.
The Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 6, at Churchill Downs, and for the next 12 days, Ed DeRosa of TwinSpires.com and Brisnet.com will discuss how to bet the world's most famous race with special guest handicappers. The series continues with Bruno DeJulio, who provides workout reports throughout the year and special Spotlight Selections for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby day full cards at Churchill Downs. The pair discuss how Bruno and his team watch not only official workouts but also all of a horse's training regimen leading up to the Derby and how to apply that information to wagering strategy. For all of Brisnet.com's Kentucky Derby reports, visit Brisnet.com/derby. For FREE Kentucky Derby past performances, CLICK HERE.
The Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 6, at Churchill Downs, and for the next 12 days, Ed DeRosa of TwinSpires.com and Brisnet.com will discuss how to bet the world's most famous race with special guest handicappers. The series kicks off with Scott Shapiro, who provides Daily Selections for Santa Anita Park and Indiana Grand Racecourse and will provide special Spotlight Selections for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby day full cards at Churchill Downs. The pair discuss how they balance their selections with wagering strategy and try to avoid information overload--what sources they trust and what to ignore. For all of Brisnet.com's Kentucky Derby reports, visit Brisnet.com/derby. For FREE Kentucky Derby past performances, CLICK HERE.
The Kentucky Derby points races are well under way, and while fans await the three-year-old debuts of top horses such as Classic Empire, McCraken, and Mastery, there is still plenty of points action in January including ght Smarty Jones Stakes on Monday, January 16, at Oaklawn Park. The race features Warrior's Club, who finished third behind McCraken last out and races in the colors of Churchill Downs Racing Club and its many members. Will it be a crowded winner's circle photo or does someone else figure? Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com & Danny Zucker of Predicteform discuss. For free Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances CLICK HERE.For all handicapping products for Oaklawn, click here.
The Breeders' Cup are November 4-5 at Santa Anita Park, and with pre-entries now available for all 13 World Championships races, handicapping has begun in earnest. Ed DeRosa and Danny Zucker take a first spin through the marquee matchups and identify potential underlays among the superstar horses expected to compete. What do the handicappers think of Songbird's chances? Listen to find out! For handicapping information, visit Brisnet.com/BC
The Travers Stakes attracted 14 entrants with the three-year-old male division's lone three-time Grade 1 winner this season leading the group in Santa Anita Derby-Preakness-Haskell winner Exagerrator. The only other Grade 1 winner in the field is Arkansas Derby-Belmont Stakes hero Creator, but the lack of Grade 1 success by the other 12 does not mean that can't happen at the Graveyard of Champions. For FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances of the Travers Stakes, CLICK HERE. To view the Predicteform webinar handicapping the all-stakes Pick 4 ending with the Travers Stakes, CLICK HERE.
In one of the most competitive matchups in a 1 1/4-mile race for older horses outside the Breeders' Cup Classic, Horse of the Year California Chrome, multiple champion and last year's winner Beholder, and two-time Grade 1 winner Dortmund will contest the Pacific Classic on Saturday at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. Is one of these three a cinch? Who is the most likely winner? What longshot could upset the trio or at least the exotics? Ed DeRosa of TwinSpires.com and Danny Zucker of Predicteform.com hope to provide some answers, and they'll also touch on Songbird in the Alabama Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.
The Arlington International Festival of Racing is Saturday, August 13, at Arlingtono International Racecourse, and a competitive trio of stakes are on tap, including the Grade 1 Secretariat, Beverly D., and Arlington Million. As always, the stakes slate features a complement of international invaders trying to take down some of the best U.S.-based turf horses. Ed DeRosa of TwinSpires.com and Danny Zucker of Predicteform.com take a numbers approach to the handicapping, using data on overseas races to handicap the European horses against their domestic foes
A pair of graded stakes races for older females are among the highlights of the final Saturday of racing before Saratoga opens: the Yellow Ribbon on turf at Del Mar and the Delaware Handicap on dirt at Delaware Park. The Yellow Ribbon could produce Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf performers--especially considering that race is at nearby Santa Anita Park. The Delaware Handicap is at 1 1/4 miles and the favorite is giving weight to all contenders.
Turf racing is under the spotlight on Saturday, July 9, as the Stars and Stripes day card at Belmont Park and the Stars & Stripes Handicap at Arlington Park anchor big days at both venues and could serve as key preps to Arlington Park's International Festival of Racing on August 13. The Belmont Derby and Belmont Oaks features a good mix of American horses taking on European invaders. Ed DeRosa of TwinSpires.com and Danny Zucker of Predicteform.com handicap the two races and discuss how to assess European talent.
When it comes to the top the names from the first half of the year there are these nine and everyone else: Beholder, California Chrome, Exaggerator, Flintshire, Frosted, Melatonin, Nyquist, Songbird, and Tepin. Depending on their paths in the second half of the year, any could be in prime striking distance for Horse of the Year honors with the Breeders' Cup Classic potentially being the deciding race. Vance Hanson mentions discusses Beholder and Nyquist's fist half campaign while Ed DeRosa touches on Tepin and California Chrome. Who will meet and when and where? Will Songbird challenge the top in her division? Stay tuned!
The Queen's Plate attracted 13 three-year-olds, including the top three from the Plate Trial with winner Amis Gizmo expected to go favored against a dozen sophomores. Amis Gizmo has won five of six races with his lone loss coming in his three-year-old debut. Shakhimat was the beaten favorite in the Plate Trial and is the 5-to-1 second choice here. But neither Ed DeRosa nor Vance Hansson went with either of the favorites, preferring a couple of three-year-olds by Ghostzapper: Gamble's Ghost and Esposito, respectively. In addition to agreeing on the sire of the winner, both DeRosa and Hanson tabbed All On Red as a longshot to key underneath. For FREE Queen's Plate past performances courtesy Brisnet.com, CLICK HERE.
Exaggerator (Preakness), Creator (Belmont), Tom's Ready (Woody Stephens), Gun Runner (Matt Winn), and Mo Tom (Ohio Derby) have each won their next race following the Kentucky Derby with Nyquist (third in the Preakness) and Destin (second in the Belmont) performing admirably as well. Why has this year's race been so productive so quickly? Ed DeRosa & Vance Hanson advance their theories while acknowledging the classic winners (Nyquist, Exaggerator, and Creator) as leaders of the division and wondering whether Songbird will face males (or even Beholder) this year.
Mo Tom, the beaten favorite in the TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby who finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby, is the morning line favorite for the $500,000 Ohio Derby on June 25 at Jack Thistledown, and the Lecomte Stakes winner is looking to become the fifth Kentucky Derby starter to win his next start. The others so far are Exaggerator (Preakness), Creator (Belmont), Tom's Ready (Woody Stephens), and Gun Runner (Matt Winn). Gun Runner and Tom's Ready had finished one-two, respectively, in the Louisiana Derby, so Mo Tom is exiting some key races, and he gets the services of Eclipse Award-winning jockey Javier Castellano. The Ohio Derby field also includes the third-, fourth-, and fifth-place finishers from the Peter Pan Stakes, so the 1 1/8-mile test could provide some key class notes on the three-year-old division. For FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances of the Ohio Derby, click here. For all handicapping reports, including full-card PPs and selections, click here.
Going into Belmont Stakes week, Gettysburg was not Creator's stablemate, but he was going into the Belmont Stakes starting gate, as trainer Steve Asmussen used WinStar's colt as a rabbit for the stable's Creator, who went on to win the classic. Ed DeRosa & Vance Hanson take no issue with such tactics but wondered about the odd aftermath in which WinStar CEO Elliott Walden said Todd Pletcher would train Gettysburg following the race, but Todd said, "no thanks." DeRosa and Hanson also discuss three-year-old fillies, as Untapable retires and Songbird remains undefeated. To read Hanson's blog on Untapable, CLICK HERE.
Not much debate this week, as both Ed & Vance agree that Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist is the three-year-old male division leader following Creator's Belmont Stakes victory to join Preakenss Stakes winner Exaggerator as this year's classic winners. The Brisnet.com duo also discusses Frosted's Met Mile, wondering if he can replicate that form around two turns, as well as turf stars Flintshire and Tepin.
The biggest day of racing racing at Penn National Race Course is Saturday, June 4, and the $500,000 Penn Mile for three-year-olds on the grass headlines the 9-race card that begins with an all-stakes Pick 4. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Catch a Glimpse takes on males in the feature, but a formidable group awaits including Spiral Stakes winner and Kentucky Derby starter Oscar Nominated, American Turf runner-up Beach Patrol, and stablemate Airoforce. Ed DeRosa and Danny Zucker also updated the Belmont Stakes probables ahead of next week's $1.5-million classic race that headlines a 10-stakes, $7.5-million day on June 11 at Belmont Park.
Exaggerator finally defeated Nyquist when winning the Preakness Stakes, but how does he look for the upcoming Belmont Stakes on June 11 at Belmont Park? Ed DeRosa of TwinSpires.com and Danny Zucker of Predicteform.com discuss the Triple Crown trail as well as a pair of stakes on May 28 at Arlington Park to kickoff Memorial Day weekend. For Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances of Belmont Stakes contenders, CLICK HERE.
The Preakness Stakes is Saturday, May 21, at Pimlico Race Course, and undefeated champion Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist is expected to make it nine in a row, but a familiar foe is standing in his way in Exaggerator. Ed DeRosa and Vance Hanson discuss the middle jewel of Thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown. For FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances of the Preakness Stakes, CLICK HERE: http://www.brisnet.com/brisnet_promos/Preakness16.pdf
Undefeated champion and Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist is the odds on favorite to keep his streak and Triple Crown hopes alive when he goes postward in the $1.5-million Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course. Can he win again? Of course. Does he present good value? That's what Ed DeRosa & Danny Zucker will help you decide. Who is a good alternative? for FREE PPs, click here.
An undefeated Breeders' Cup champion Kentucky Derby winner will be the odds on favorite for the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 21, at Pimlico Race Course, but the excitement leading up to the race does not seem to match Nyquist's accomplishment to date. Ed DeRosa & Vance Hanson riff off a horseplayer conversation between John Scheinman and Action Andy to discuss why that might be. Vance also provides insight into the Kentucky Derby winners who have lost at Pimlico as odds on favorites. To read Scheinman's buzz piece, click here: http://www.twinspires.com/blog/2016/5/16/triple-crown-hangover-does-preakness-lack-buzz-horseplayer-conversation To read Hanson's take on odds-on Preakness losers, click here: http://www.twinspires.com/blog/2016/5/16/history-behind-beating-derby-winner-thats-odds-preakness For FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate PPs of Preakness contenders, click here: http://www.brisnet.com/brisnet_promos/Preakness16.pdf
The 2016 Kentucky Derby is nearly upon us, and the handicapping of the world's most prestigious race certainly is. In this week's podcast, TwinSpires.com's Ed DeRosa and Predicteform.com's Danny Zucker discuss their approach to handicapping the Kentucky Derby, including plotting wagering strategy, and which contenders they're zeroing in on the first Saturday in May. For FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances of Derby contenders, CLICK HERE. For Predicteform's top ten list, CLICK HERE.
Ed DeRosa went 2-for-3 and Vance Hanson went 3-for-5 on their Racing Hall of Fame ballots. Both tabbed Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta for induction while Hanson also helped get trainer Steve Asmussen through. Neither voted for Ramon Domingez but both extolled his virtues. Not making the cut from Ed DeRosa's ballot was Victor Espinoza while Vance could not help the causes of either David Whiteley or Craig Perret.
The Kentucky Derby prep season is complete, which means handicappers are preparing their final selections for the Greatest Two Minutes In Sports, and for Ed DeRosa & James Scully, post position is the biggest remaining piece of the handicapping puzzle.
Before shifting their focus to the Kentucky Derby over the next 2 1/2 weeks, Ed DeRosa & Vance Hanson wrap their Racing Hall of Fame discussion by revealing who they did vote for (as opposed to who they didn't as has been the case the past few weeks). Horses of the Year Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta were slam dunks, but the Turf Talk duo disagreed on their other votes (but not vehemently). Ed & Vance voted for separate jockeys while Vance also added two trainers to his ledger.
Nyquist already won the battle between (previously) unbeatens when he defeated Mohaymen in the Florida Derby, but he's winning the class battle, too, as two horses Nyquist had previously beaten--Exaggerator and Brody's Cause--both won Kentucky Derby Championship Series races on April 9. Ed DeRosa and James Scully both expect big things from Exaggerator. For FREE Kentucky Derby PPs from Brisnet.com, CLICK HERE.
Trojan Nation's runner-up finish behind Outwork in the Wood Memorial left him outside the Winner's Circle but got him in the Kentucky Derby, and he's not the only maiden with a shot at competing in the Run for the Roses, as Laoban (runner-up in the Gotham Stakes, also at Aqueduct) is currently on the bubble. Neither Ed DeRosa nor Vance Hanson have an issue with maidens in the Derby, noting that all horses have the same opportunity to earn points starting in September of their two-year-old year. Ed & Vance move from maidens to the Hall of Fame, and "X" Garrett Gomez from their ballots. They'll reveal who they voted for next week, but in the mean time gave a plug for Patrick Valenzuela to be on the ballot.
Are you ready for the Kentucky Derby? No! Of course you’re not. It’s not that it’s still four weeks away, it’s that there are still four major prep races, and three of them are this weekend. Let Ed DeRosa & James Scully help you get ready with this week's edition of ON POINT. Neither James nor Ed pick the morning line favorite in any of the three Kentucky Derby Championship Series races! FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances are available at the links below: Wood Memorial Blue Grass Santa Anita Derby
Ed DeRosa & James Scully get down to brass tacks and pick who will win the battle of unbeatens in the Florida Derby: champion Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Nyquist or multiple graded stakes winner Mohaymen. For FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances of the Florida Derby, click here. For Brisnet.com handicapping information for the Florida Derby day card (14 races on Saturday at Gulfstream Park), click here.
The world's richest race and the start of the 180-point Kentucky Derby qualifying races are on Saturday, March 26. The action begins at Meydan Race Course with the $2-million UAE Derby and continues later that day with the Dubai World Cup featuring Horse of the Year California Chrome and four other U.S.-based Grade 1 winners: Frosted, Hoppertunity, Keen Ice, and Mshawish. Then it's back to the States for a 15-race Fair Grounds card featuring the Louisiana Derby. Ed DeRosa & Danny Zucker discuss the races and exchange barbs in this spirited discussion sure to leave you reaching for your TwinSpires.com account to bet on these strong opinions.
The $900,000 Rebel Stakes is the final prep for the $1-million Arkansas Derby, and a full field of 14 entrants (with 12 wagering interests) is expected to line up for this race worth 85 Kentucky Derby qualifying points (with 50 to the winner). Will the local horses from the Smarty Jones and Southwest Stakes hold their form, or does California invader Cupid have the best shot (pun not intended)? Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com and Danny Zucker of Predicteform.com help to provide some answers on what looks to be an excellent betting race. If you like a horse, you'll get a price! For FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances of the Rebel Stakes, CLICK HERE.
Ed DeRosa and Danny Zucker preview the Tampa Bay Derby, San Felipe Stakes, and Santa Anita Handicap. The TBD and SFS are Kentucky Derby prep races while the Big Cap is a 1 1/4-mile handicap for older horses. The pair discuss each race from a handicapping perspective as well as address where the competitors fit within their division. Can the TBD or SFS winner make noise on the Derby trail?
Ed DeRosa and Danny Zucker take a numbers approach to the weekend's top three-year-old prep races: the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct and the Santa Ysabel at Santa Anita. The former features Withers Stakes winner Sunny Ridge and rising star Shagaf against a group of up-and-comers while the latter has undefeated champion Songbird. Will Sunny Ridge or Shagaf continue their winning ways or will another three-year-old step up? Is anyone in this field a Kentucky Derby threat? FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances of the Gotham Stakes. Songbird will be 1-to-10. Is there any opposing her on top or is playing for underneath a better play? Ed & Danny provide some answers.