Under the change, licensed online sports betting operators will be permitted to offer fixed-odds wagers on horse racing — bets in which the payout odds are locked in at the time the wager is placed, similar to how odds work in traditional sports betting. This differs from pari-mutuel wagering, the long-standing format in which all wagers are pooled, and payouts are determined by the final distribution of that pool, meaning the odds can shift up until post time.

“This change reflects where the horse racing industry itself is heading,” said MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams. “Bettors have told us they want the same, straightforward, locked-in odds experience they’ve grown accustomed to with sports betting. Adding fixed-odds wagering to our catalog lets us meet that demand while continuing to support a fair and well-regulated horse racing market in Michigan.”

What This Means for Michigan Bettors

• Fixed-odds wagers will be available through licensed online sports betting platforms already operating in Michigan.
• Standard consumer protections that apply to Michigan’s regulated sports betting market — including licensing requirements, responsible gaming tools, and age/residency verification — will apply equally to fixed-odds horse racing wagers.
• Fixed-odds horse racing wagers will be allowed beginning Oct. 30 on licensed Michigan online sports betting platforms.

The $1 Pick 6 returned $5,305.69 to bettors who selected 5-of-6 winners correctly.

Sunday’s Pick 6 sequence kicked off in Race 6 with Two Ducks [No. 7, $53.04] capturing a six-furlong claimer on the inner turf under jockey Paco Lopez for trainer Carlos Martin. Edgard Zayas completed a riding triple in Race 7, guiding War Madam [No. 7, $40.82] to victory in a one-mile allowance on the Widener turf for trainer Madison Meyers.

In Race 8, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez guided the Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher-trained Scalable [No. 7, $11.94] to victory in the Listed $175,000 Turnback the Alarm. Lopez notched his second win of the day in Race 9 aboard Pentathlon [No. 6, $6.28] in the Grade 3, $200,000 Forty Niner for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.

In Race 10, the $175,000 Casa Creed, Junior Alvarado and Capitol Hill [No. 4, $16.88] got up late for Hall of Famer Bill Mott.

With the carryover already guaranteed heading into Race 11, a 1 3/16-mile allowance optional claimer on the inner turf, Quiet Power [No. 12, $13.96] proved best with Jose Lezcano in the irons as McGaughey earned a training triple to close out the card.

Thursday’s Pick 6 will begin in Race 3 at approximately 1:40 p.m. Eastern. First post is 12:40 p.m. for the eight-race card.

General admission at Belmont Park is available for $7 when purchased in advance and provides fans with access to grandstand seats on most days, all areas within the first floor of the grandstand and the backyard. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/tickets/. 

America’s Day at the Races presents daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule/. 

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com. 

Hughes, who won Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) closed at 8-1.

The pool closed Friday at 4 p.m. (all times Eastern) in advance of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland.

Horses in order of the public’s betting choice (with trainer, sire and $1 Win odds):

#40 All Other Colts and Geldings Foaled in 2024 (1.07)
#37 U. S. S. Valor (Shug McGaughey III, War of Will, 6.92)
#17 Hughes (Bob Baffert, Into Mischief, 8.52)
#30 Salahudin (Bob Baffert, Uncle Mo, 16.42)
#1 American History (Todd Pletcher, Constitution, 23.65)
#25 Nevada (Chad Brown, Uncle Mo, 26.08)
#6 Conviction (Saffie Joseph Jr., Tiz the Law, 27.09)
#5 Coach Pope (Kenny McPeek, Tapit, 33.26)
#38 Zedan (Bob Baffert, Flightline, 40.70)
#19 Inshallah (John Sadler, Flightline, 50.83)
#35 The Good Life (Brad Cox, Life Is Good, 58.52)
#22 Lord Mischief (Brad Cox, Into Mischief, 59.96)
#11 Fleetfoot Mac (Kenny McPeek, Maclean’s Music, 63.62)
#29 Q B Rocket (Brad Cox, Gun Runner, 63.78)
#33 Staunch (Brendan Walsh, Liam’s Map, 72.27)
#10 Endrush (Bob Baffert, Curlin, 73.25)
#13 Gaudreau (Chad Brown, Nyquist, 74.55)
#15 Highwaymen (Cherie DeVaux, Curlin, 76.70)
#20 Jas (Steve Asmussen, Justify, 78.27)
#28 Powerline (Steve Asmussen, Flightline, 78.37)
#12 Fools Rush In (Brad Cox, Into Mischief, 78.84)
#39 All Fillies Foaled in 2024 (99.66)
#36 Twinkle Town (Kenny McPeek, Take Charge Indy, 105.43)
#27 Pharocity (Steve Asmussen, American Pharoah, 110.96)
#7 Damavand (Todd Pletcher, Not This Time, 117.10)
#23 Mystik Bayou (Kenny McPeek, Wells Bayou, 143.09)
#16 How’s Al Today (Riley Mott, Munnings, 153.24)
#31 Showa (Wesley Ward, Constitution, 163.91)
#2 Card Man (Chad Brown, Life Is Good, 183.50)
#3 Caribbean Life (Will Walden, Life Is Good, 187.40)
#14 He Is No Lie (Doug O’Neill, Early Voting, 190.64)
#18 Imperial Honor (Bob Baffert, Honor A. P., 201.70)
#21 Just for Pipa (Greg Foley, Justify, 225.79)
#32 Social Deception (Steve Asmussen, Charlatan, 262.47)
#4 Club Reign (Whit Beckman, Core Beliefs, 325.60)
#26 Odenkirk (Mark Casse, Nyquist, 332.11)
#34 Tap Our Way (Chad Brown, Tapit, 339.76)
#8 Dargham (Linda Rice, Army Mule, 347.77)
#24 Net Par (Antonio Garcia, Pavel, 390.72)
#9 Earth Song (Jorge Delgado, Justify, 458.03)

Total handle for the Oct. 28-30 KDFW pool – the first of six scheduled wagering pools in advance of the 152^nd running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on Saturday, May 2 – was an early November record $194,889 ($161,915 in the Win pool and $32,974 in Exactas), a 5.6% increase from last year’s $184,492 ($143,448 in the Win pool and $41,044 in Exactas).

Other Future Wager dates are set for Nov. 26-29 (Pool 2); Jan. 15-17 (Pool 3); Feb. 12-14 (Pool 4); March 12-14 (Pool 5) and April 1-3 (Pool 6). Pool 2 also will feature the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager. For the first time, the Longines Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will be offered twice, running concurrently with Pools 5 and 6.

Visit www.KentuckyDerby.com/FutureWager for more information.

At Randwick, all eyes will be on Sheza Alibi, the leading Golden Eagle contender trained by Peter Moody and ridden by Luke Nolen, the legendary combination behind unbeaten champion Black Caviar.

Meanwhile, Flemington launches the Melbourne Cup Carnival with a fascinating G1 Victoria Derby, with Cormier (by Maurice) the favorite in one of Australia’s most prestigious 3-year-old staying races.

Golden Eagle Glory for Sheza Alibi?

The spotlight at Randwick falls on Sheza Alibi, one of Australia’s most exciting mares and the leading contender for the $10 million Golden Eagle over 1,500 meters (about 7 ½ furlongs).

Her partnership with Moody and Nolen adds another compelling storyline. Together, they helped guide Black Caviar through her remarkable unbeaten career, and now they are chasing another major prize with a mare establishing herself among Australia’s elite.

Sheza Alibi has delivered outstanding performances at the highest level, including a commanding victory in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes before finishing a narrow second in the Might And Power Stakes.

Chris Waller’s Autumn Boy looms as her main danger. The talented colt has already demonstrated his class against elite opposition and will be looking to upset the favorite in one of the richest races on the Australian calendar.

Derby Dreams at Flemington

Day 1 of the Melbourne Cup Carnival features two Group 1 highlights: the 2,500-meter (just over 1 ½ miles) Victoria Derby and the six-furlong Coolmore Stud Stakes.

True Rebel heads into the Derby after winning the Moonee Valley Vase for trainer Danny O’Brien and Cormier is the 4-1 favorite after finishing second behind Oaks favorite Proxima Dea in the Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick seven days ago.

The Coolmore Stud Stakes promises a thrilling sprint, with The Next Episode (by Snitzel) from the Ciaron Maher stable among the leading contenders. Victory would cement his status as one of Australia’s exciting young sprinters and a stallion of the future.

How To Watch

Hosted by Andrew Brown and Kaitlin Benson, the Friday Night Aussie Racing Show returns with racing news, expert analysis and plenty of banter ahead of the evening’s action. The show airs at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT on Sky Racing World’s regular Australian racing simulcast channel, across ADW platforms and its YouTube channel. The first post is scheduled for 9:10 p.m. ET/6:10 p.m. PT.

Here’s a look at the field from the rail out:

T O Password, a Japanese-bred 5-year-old who made a bid in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, drew the rail for trainer Daisuke Takayanagi. With the longest morning line on the board of 30-1, T O Password ships in from Japan for his first Grade 1 bid since the Run for the Roses a couple of years ago. Kazushi Kimura will be aboard for the first time. Sovereignty, last year’s Horse of the Year who won the G1 Travers in addition to the Derby and Belmont, will be making the final start of his incredible career for the Godolphin team of Bill Mott and regular rider Junior Alvarado. The 4-year-old Into Mischief colt dominated the G1 Whitney by 4 ¾ lengths last time out and is a career three-for-three at this 1 ¼-mile distance. Dual classic winner Golden Tempo, a son of Curlin, comes off a third-place finish in the Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 29. Trained by Cherie DeVaux, regular rider Jose Ortiz, who also has been handling Magnitude, opts to stay aboard. The Puma, the second 3-year-old entrant in the field, won the Pennsylvania Derby last time out on Sept. 19 for trainer Gustavo Delgado. The Essential Quality colt will be making his fifth consecutive Grade 1 appearance and will have regular rider Javier Castellano back aboard.

Forever Young, the 2-1 morning line favorite, won the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Stakes last time out by 3 ¼ lengths while coming off a nearly six-month layoff for trainer Yoshito Yahagi. The 5-year-old son of Real Steel is the defending Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and eight-for-eight in the money at this 1 ¼ mile distance. Regular rider Ryusei Sakai will be back aboard. Magnitude won four consecutive graded stakes – including the Dubai World Cup over Forever Young and the G1 Stephen Foster over Sovereignty – before a sixth-place finish last time out in the Whitney after stumbling at the start. The 4-year-old Not This Time colt will be making his first career start at Keeneland and will have a jockey switch to Flavien Prat from Jose Ortiz. Knightsbridge has won his last two starts by a combined winning margin of 16 ½ lengths, dominating the G3 Monmouth Cup Stakes by 10 ¼ lengths in his first start around two turns in July and the Pacific Classic by 6 ¼ lengths last time out when stretching out to this 1 ¼-mile distance for the first time in his career. Like Sovereignty, Knightsbridge is also owned by Godolphin and trained by Bill Mott but will have a jockey switch from Junior Alvarado to Luis Saez. Napoleon Solo, who is expected to set the pace with Knightsbridge, drew the far outside for trainer Chad Summers. The Preakness winner finished runner-up in both the G1 Haskell and Travers in his last two starts and will have John Velazquez back aboard.

Analysis and Main Contenders:

There is no doubt about the ability of Sovereignty with his near flawless 3-year-old campaign that included wins in the Derby, Belmont, G2 Jim Dandy and a 10-length romp in the Travers. As a 4-year-old, Sovereignty started the year in a not so familiar manner, finishing second in the G2 Oaklawn Handicap and a distant third in the Stephen Foster behind Magnitude. In August, Sovereignty returned to winning form with a dominant 4 ¾-length victory in the Whitney, showing clear dominance as a Horse of the Year is expected to produce. In the Whitney, Sovereignty not only reverted to his winning ways but also his running style that proved so effective in 2025. He went from sixth to first in a single point of call in the Whitney and never looked back, a similar run to his win in the Derby.

With an extensive presence of early speed in this year’s contentious Classic, Sovereignty has a wonderful opportunity to repeat those performances, sitting far off a hot pace and pouncing at the quarter pole while unleashing an incredible stretch run. This is backed by his massive late pace rating of 127.0, ranking first among these world-class contenders. While Sovereignty is battling back from a hind foot abscess, he proved in his most recent work at Keeneland that all systems are “go,” breezing in company four furlongs in :48.20 while looking simply spectacular galloping every day. There is a reason Mott and Godolphin have kept this colt in training and racing fans might witness one of Sovereignty’s greatest performances to date on the world’s biggest stage.

Magnitude has proved time and time again that he is a colt who can run and win among the very best. As a 3-year-old and after dominating the G2 Risen Star, Magnitude was plagued with an injury and was subsequently taken off the Kentucky Derby trail. Following a nearly five-month layoff, he returned to the track to again dominate, winning the Iowa Derby by 9 ¼ lengths. In the Travers, he finished a distant third behind Sovereignty and then was runner-up in the Pennsylvania Derby. Things changed in November when he stalked the pace against older horses for the first time in the G2 Clark at Churchill and edged clear to win by a half-length. He returned in February of this year and was simply much the best in his 4-year-old debut, drawing clear to win the G3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn by 3 ¼ lengths. In March, Magnitude faced his toughest test yet in the Dubai World Cup, where he went gate-to-wire, defeating Forever Young by a length.

Following such a big effort, Magnitude still had to face the question of whether he could return to North America in the same dominant way. Magnitude answered that question with authority, going gate-to-wire in hand to beat Baeza and Sovereignty in the G1 Stephen Foster. Last time out in the Whitney, Magnitude stumbled badly at the start and finished a distant sixth at a track he is clearly not fond of. As a bettor, if you are willing to cross that race off, Magnitude becomes a lot more appealing in this spot and has proven he can beat his fellow Classic contenders. With Knightsbridge and Napoleon Solo no doubt dueling for the lead, Magnitude has a great opportunity to make a run like his win in the Clark, sitting just off the pace and pouncing at the quarter pole instead of going gate-to-wire, which has proved so successful in his career.

Magnitude has been working forwardly since the Whitney for trainer Steve Asmussen, and despite his regular rider Jose Ortiz opting to stay aboard Golden Tempo, Magnitude gets a more than suitable replacement with arguably the best rider in the country, Flavien Prat. With a 6-1 morning line, Magnitude could complete the Classic exacta at a solid price and provide some value to this eight-horse field.

Forever Young no doubt has put together one of the most brilliant and special international campaigns of any horse in history and deserves much respect at any level, let alone a race he won last year. Forever Young started his career five-for-five before shipping to North America to run third by just a head in the 2024 Kentucky Derby. Since then, he has added five Grade/Group 1 wins to his resume from all around the world and today has the most earnings of any horse in history with at least one start in North America. After finishing runner-up in the Dubai World Cup, Forever Young was sidelined for nearly six months and shipped across the globe to New York for the Gold Cup. Historically, Forever Young has not been his best off a long layoff and despite this along with finishing on the wrong lead in the Belmont stretch, he won by 3 ¼ lengths while earning a 118 Equibase Speed Figure.

Forever Young has never finished out of the money in his 16-start career, taking 12 trips to the winner’s circle. Furthermore, the 5-year-old son of Real Steel is also four-for-eight at this 10-furlong distance with a second and three thirds, accumulating nearly $10 million in earnings just from this 1 ¼-mile distance alone. Like Magnitude, Forever Young (JPN) will be sitting just off the pace set by his outside contenders and could very well repeat his performance last year at Del Mar to become the second horse in history to win the Classic back-to-back. Regardless of odds, Forever Young should be on every ticket and has earned every right to be the favorite come post time.

The rest of the field with their best Equibase Speed Figures in similar races, is T O Password (100), Golden Tempo (101), The Puma (108), Knightsbridge (109) and Napoleon Solo (103).

Grade 1, $7 Million Breeders’ Cup Classic
Saturday, Oct. 31 – Keeneland, Lexington, Ky.
Race 12 – Post Time 6:16 p.m. ET
NBC Sports/FanDuel TV
3-Year-Olds and Upward – 1 ¼ Miles (Dirt)

On Friday, the first day of the Breeders’ Cup held this year at Keeneland Race Course in Kentucky, Santa Anita will host a nine-race card starting with the usual first post time of 1 p.m. PT. However, patrons will be able to enter the grounds starting at 8:15 a.m. through the East Gate for wagering on the Breeders’ Cup. The first race on the Breeders’ Cup program at Keeneland is at 8:55 a.m. Admission and parking are both free on Friday. Additionally, fans can enjoy 50 percent off select beers and cocktails.  

On Saturday, Santa Anita will have an earlier first post time of 12:30 p.m. for a 10-race program. The card features three stakes races led by the Grade 3 Goldikova for fillies and mares at one mile on turf. Admission through the East Gate starts at 7:45 a.m. and the first race on the Breeders’ Cup program at Keeneland is at 8:15 a.m.   

Fans can watch and wager on the Breeders’ Cup from the FrontRunner featuring a buffet and a souvenir Breeders’ Cup Hi-ball glass, or reserve a seat in the Premium Box Seats, or SILKS. Fans can also enjoy the Smorgasburg Thai Day Trackside with some of the best Thai pop-up vendors in Los Angeles. 

Also Saturday, Santa Anita will have a Pumpkin Patch and Fall Fun Fest in the infield and center fountain. There will be pumpkin painting, a straw maze, inflatable jumpers, carnival games, trackless train ride, pony rides and face painting among other activities.  

On Sunday, first post time is at 12 p.m. for a 10-race card. As it’s Closing Day of the Autumn Meet, all pari-mutuel pools must be paid out in full. This is particularly significant for bets such as the $2 Pick 6, $1 Place Pick 8 and $1 Super High 5, wagers in which the pools normally “carryover” to the following day if not successfully hit. On closing day, they will all be paid out in full.  

For full Santa Anita race entries, ticket information and more, please visit santaanita.com. You can also call (626) 574-RACE for any additional information. 

Draft. Sweat. Win. Small drafts mean more wins. Longshot keeps contests small, so they’re fast, social and easy to learn. Entries open Tuesday, Oct. 27, for every race on the Keeneland card on Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 31. Players can choose two ways to play:

3-Player Drafts. Three players take turns drafting horses, snake-draft style, and the best roster wins. Beat two people and win $150 on a $55 entry.

Horse Madness. Eight players. One bracket. Win and move on; lose and you’re out. Survive three rounds and win $120 on a $25 entry, and the runner-up takes $60.

Guaranteed jackpots. On top of contest prizes, Longshot is adding $20,000 in guaranteed jackpots, funded entirely by the company and paid to the five highest-scoring winners in each game, each day: $12,000 for the drafts and $8,000 for Horse Madness. First place in the drafts takes $2,500 on Friday and $5,000 on Saturday. First place in Horse Madness takes $2,000 on Friday and $3,000 on Saturday.

Every contest is scored on a mythical $2 win and place on each horse, with no real bets placed, and win and place payouts capped at 20-1 and 10-1. New players who complete their first paid contest receive a $25 bonus with code CHAMPS. A free-to-play version of Longshot, live since September, remains open to everyone.

“Horse racing has always been a great game to play, and we’re making it easier and more social than ever,” said Christian Hellmers, co-founder and CEO of Longshot Fantasy. “A fantasy football fan can learn Longshot in 30 seconds, and a lifelong horseplayer will love the strategy. Launching under a state license, at the Breeders’ Cup, is the best start we could ask for.”

“The Breeders’ Cup is always looking for new ways to welcome fans to the sport,” said Justin McDonald, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Breeders’ Cup Limited. “Contests built on the drafts that millions of football fans already play give a new generation a simple, social way to get to know the best Thoroughbreds from around the globe and enjoy the World Championships.”

Throughout Breeders’ Cup week, Hellmers will broadcast “The Price Is Wrong” live from Keeneland every day, interviewing some of the world’s top horseplayers and running live Longshot drafts on YouTube and nightly X Spaces.

Longshot was built by horseplayers. Hellmers, the 2014 Horseplayer World Series champion, previously served as director of North American Business Development for Betfair (now part of Flutter Entertainment), where he ran the company’s U.S. racing content business and co-led its 2009 acquisition of TVG.

Longshot Fantasy Inc. is a San Diego, Calif.-based company licensed by the North Dakota Racing Commission as an advance deposit wagering service provider. Longshot offers small-group draft and bracket contests on horse racing. Learn more at longshotfantasy.com.

The complaint was filed In October 2025 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York by Ryan Dickey, a Colorado resident who claimed he stopped betting on horses when he learned his winning payoffs were not what he expected when the wagers were placed. The complaint contends the impact of high volume CAW bets made at the last second after computer algorithms scoured wagering pools looking for value was incurring injury to everyday horseplayers.  The CAWs, unlike retail bettors, received substantial rebates. The complaint called facilitation of CAW bets a “pool rigging enterprise” made on behalf of an “insider betting group.”

The plaintiffs allege Racketeering Influence and Corrupt Organization (RICO) violations, conversion, unjust enrichment and civil conspiracy, 

Named as defendants were The Stronach Group and Stronach Group Services, AmTote International, Elite Turf Club, Churchill Downs Inc., United Tote, the New York Racing Association, and Racing and Gaming Services. The Stronach Group and NYRA co-own Elite Turf Club, a Curacao-based entity that has about a dozen CAW players; Racing and Gaming Services is a St. Kitts-based wagering company with CAW players.

In addition to Dickey, the plaintiffs listed in the first amended complaint were horseplayers Nicholas Seevers of California; Michael O’Brien of Florida; Tammy Monnin of Ohio; Randall Raynolds of Pennsylvania; Joseph Paladino of Illinois; and Mike Zelen of New York. Each plaintiff claimed to have incurred financial losses as a result of the alleged scheme.

The defendants collectively filed a motion to dismiss for what they claim was the plaintiffs’ failure to “state a claim” based on Article III of the U.S. Constitution; none of the named individuals or unnamed class-action parties cited a specific winning bet they made that paid less than they expected it to based on the odds or projected payoff when the wager was placed. U.S. Magistrate Judge James M. Wicks agreed with the defendants, writing in his Report and Recommendation  that plaintiffs failed to meet what he called a “modest threshold”  because they do not allege any “coherent injury whatsoever.”

Plaintiffs, he wrote, “do not plead that they ever even won a single bet. … As conceded by all parties, CAWs do not diminish the winnings of a better who backed the wrong horse – zero is zero.”

Even if the plaintiffs had proven injury, Wicks wrote, the complaint would have failed on what he called “causation, also known as traceability.”

Citing a previous court case, Wicks stated: “An injury must be ‘fairly traceable to’ the defendants’ conduct ‘and not the result of the independent action of some third party not before the court.’”

Individual defendants filed separate motions to dismiss, many of which were affirmed by Wicks.

However, there were exceptions. For example, Stronach Group argued that a letter about CAW betting sent to the California Horse Racing Board by an Elite Turf Club representative suggesting retail players may have an effective takeout of 2.5 percent higher than the blended 20 percent takeout rate because of CAW success was just a “hypothetical scenario.”

“This is spurious,” Wicks wrote. “Elite chose the numbers in the hypothetical to model a real-life racetrack.”

Explaining further, Wicks wrote: “CAWs have a higher win rate than retail bettors, so they achieve higher aggregate returns. And because pari-mutuel betting is a zero-sum game, that extra return has to come from somewhere. Hence, the ‘effective’ takeout for ordinary bettors is increased by 2.5 percent. As such, plaintiffs’ core theory of harm remains: the participation of CAWs does harm retail investors. Accordingly, this argument by Stronach fails.”

One “prong” of a motion to dismiss by NYRA – that it is “shielded from monetary RICO damages as a state entity – was also denied by Wicks.

“The record is unclear as to what exactly NYRA is,” Wicks wrote. “Plaintiffs note that NYRA itself, in a different litigation, has taken the position that it is a private entity; Defendants respond that the District Court there rejected that argument and ‘ruled that NYRA is a state actor.’”

The Report and Recommendation by Wicks said the complaint should be dismissed “with prejudice” (permanently closing it) because “(1) nothing any defendant said was untrue, and (2) no plaintiff relied upon any alleged misrepresentation or was otherwise proximately harmed thereby.” It now goes to District Court Judge Joan M. Azrack for her consideration. Parties have 14 days from the filing date of Oct. 23 for any written responses before a final ruling.

“With the time change and shorter windows for daylight, we have decided to fine-tune our racing program with a slightly earlier start of 1:30 p.m. for the remainder of the season,” said Eric Halstrom, vice president and general manager of racing. “This will allow more racing opportunities for our horsemen and women, especially on the turf course as the days grow shorter.”

The only program which will not be affected by the change is Friday, Oct. 30. Live racing will remain at 10:45 a.m. to coincide with the first day of Breeders’ Cup action from Keeneland.

The 24th season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing extends through Friday, Nov. 13. Indiana’s top Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses will be featured Saturday, Oct. 24 during the seventh annual Indiana Champions Day. For more information on racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis/racing or find details on social media @HSIndyRacing.

Here’s a look at the field from the rail out:

Blackout Time, a Not This Time colt trained by Kenny McPeek, will be switching to the turf for the first time in his career after nine starts on dirt. Blackout Time finished runner-up in the G1 Breeders’ Futurity in his one and only start at Keeneland last year and most recently finished third in the St. Louis Derby and fourth in the Bourbon Flight at Churchill. Emmanuel Esquivel retains the mount. McCready won a 1 3/16-mile allowance in April in his one and only start on the Keeneland turf. The Practical Joke colt made a bid in the G1 Saratoga Derby in his most recent start, finishing last for trainer McLean Robertson. Julio Hernandez will be aboard for the first time while making his own debut at the Keeneland meet. Blinging It Back finished runner-up to fellow Bryan Station contender Bottas in the G2 Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga in August and finished fifth, beaten 2 ¾ lengths, last time out in the G2 Franklin-Simpson at Kentucky Downs when turning back in distance to 6 1/2 furlongs. The Volatile gelding trained by Mark Casse made an unsuccessful bid in the G2 Castle & Key Bourbon Stakes last October in his one and only start at Keeneland and will have Axel Concepion aboard for the first time since their bid in the G1 American Turf at Churchill in May. Bottas, second choice on the morning line at 7-2, is coming off two consecutive stakes wins in the Hall of Fame Stakes and the Gun Runner Stakes at Kentucky Downs last time out. The Vekoma colt trained by Miguel Clement earned the highest Equibase Speed Figure (ESF) of any Bryan Station contender last time out in the Gun Runner, posting a 106 for his 1 ¼-length victory. Bottas will have a jockey switch from Jose Ortiz to Tyler Gaffalione.

Infiltrate, the first entrant trained by Brendan Walsh, will switch back to the turf following a distant fifth-place finish last time out in the Bourbon Flight Stakes at Churchill in September. The Oscar Performance colt has made two career starts on the turf, finishing second in the G2 Secretariat at Colonial and 11th in the Gun Runner. Ben Curtis will be in the irons for the first time. Conducted won the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes at Del Mar and was sidelined for nine months. The Mendelssohn colt returned in August and made a bid in the Secretariat at Colonial for trainer Jose D’Angelo before going on to run second to Bottas in the Gun Runner. Luis Saez retains the mount. Remember Mamba, the 3-1 morning-line favorite, has made three consecutive starts at the Grade 1 level, finishing second in the G1 American Turf, third in the G1 Belmont Derby and fourth in the G1 Saratoga Derby. The Kitten’s Joy colt will race with blinkers on for the first time for trainer Cherie DeVaux. Remember Mamba is two-for-two over the Keeneland turf, breaking his maiden here on career debut last October and winning the G3 Transylvania in April. Regular rider Jose Ortiz opts to stay aboard. Aces Honor, a Code of Honor gelding, is five-for-five in the money at the one-mile distance on turf for trainer Ethan West. Aces Honor has finished runner-up three consecutive times leading up to this race with second place finishes in the Jersey Derby at Monmouth in May, the Toronto Cup at Woodbine in August and by a half-length to Bryan Station also-eligible contender Banksy’s last time out at the allowance level at Churchill. Luan Machado retains the mount.

Fancy Sailor won the Water Tower Stakes at Ellis Park in August before a sixth-place finish last time out in the G2 Nashville Derby at Kentucky Downs. The Justify colt is two-for-two at the eight-furlong distance on turf and will have regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. back aboard for trainer Brian Lynch. Immortalised, the second entrant trained by Walsh, comes off a distant 10^th place finish in the G2 Franklin-Simpson at Kentucky Downs when turning back in distance. The French-bred colt by Romanised is two-for-two in the money at this distance and finished runner-up to Bryan Station contender Alpyland in the G3 Penn Mile. John Velazquez, who has been aboard Immortalised in four of his career starts but not aboard for the Franklin-Simpson, picks up the mount. Like other Bryan Station contenders, Touch of Fire also exits the Gun Runner Stakes where he finished fourth behind Bottas and Conducted. Touch of Fire, a Constitution colt and homebred for Juddmonte, won his one and only start at Keeneland in an allowance with an impressive late rally for trainer Brad Cox. Irad Ortiz Jr., who was aboard for the Keeneland win and also Touch of Fire’s win in the Audubon Stakes at Churchill, will be reunited for the first time since their bid in the G2 Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga in August. Alpyland, the second entrant trained by Casse, is four-for-four at this mile distance on the turf, including three at the stakes level. The Vekoma gelding is seven-for-eight in the money as a 3-year-old and broke his maiden at Keeneland last October. Regular rider Javier Castellano remains in the irons.

Analysis and Main Contenders:

Remember Mamba fits the bill in this race in nearly every category and is one of the few contenders not exiting a race at Kentucky Downs, which can be key considering horses at Keeneland who made their most previous start at Kentucky Downs win at just nine percent from 1,050 starts over the last five years. Remember Mamba started his career a perfect three-for-three on the turf, winning on debut at Keeneland by 4 ½ lengths before shipping down to Fair Grounds to win his 3-year-old debut by 3 ¼ lengths in his only start at this mile distance. Following a slight layoff, Remember Mamba returned to Keeneland in April to win the G3 Transylvania Stakes going 1 1/16 miles and continued his improving ESF pattern of 87 to 92 to 100 in the Transylvania. While the Transylvania was Remember Mamba’s last time taking a trip to the winner’s circle, he continues to improve with every start by speed figures.

In May, Remember Mamba rallied from 12^th to a second-place finish in the G1 American Turf at Churchill while improving to a 104 ESF and repeated that figure in his next start in the G1 Belmont Derby in July when finishing third by just a neck. Last time out, Remember Mamba finished out of the money for the first time in her career with a fourth-place finish by just 2 ¾ lengths in the G1 Saratoga Derby going 1 3/16 miles on the sod. Despite the out of money finish, Remember Mamba improved his ESF once again to a 105. Remember Mamba has given his best performances off a more than two-month layoff, including the Transylvania and has been working extremely well since the Saratoga Derby including three straight sharp four-furlong works at Keeneland in October.

An interesting equipment change is the addition of blinkers. Devaux has switched to first-time blinkers in graded stakes just four times over the last five years which includes She Feels Pretty, who dominated the 2024 G1 QEII at Keeneland by six lengths when adding blinkers and Golden Tempo, who finished third by a length in the G2 Louisiana Derby in his first start with blinkers but went on to win the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes with the added equipment. DeVaux and Jose Ortiz have found much success this year, of course with Golden Tempo, but they also win at 32 percent in all races together at Keeneland over the past year and that win percentage jumps to 36 percent on the turf at Keeneland in the same time frame. Remember Mamba is also ranked first in early pace, middle pace, average class and average speed while ranking second in late pace with a 104.5 rating. With a contentious field in this year’s edition, Remember Mamba should be able to sit mid-pack off the pace presumably set by Conducted and unleash his late rally with a solid value at 3-1 on the morning line.

Like Remember Mamba, Alpyland will also be adding blinkers for the first time, a move that trainer Mark Casse has found success with, winning at 20 percent in all races with horses switching to blinkers for the first time while excluding first-time starters from 51 starts over the past year. Alpyland is a colt who knows how to find the winner’s circle and always gives a hard-fought effort in every race, finishing a career 10-for-13 in the money with six wins and four thirds. Alpyland broke his maiden at Keeneland in his third career start in a turf sprint as a 2-year-old last October before shipping down to Gulfstream and firing off two straight wins at the mile distance on turf including the Dania Beach Stakes. Alpyland went on to win the Columbia Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in March then dominated the G3 Penn Mile by four lengths in May, making him a perfect four-for-four at the mile distance. In June, Alpyland drew clear to win the American Derby at Churchill by 3 ½ lengths and finished a narrow third in his last two starts in the Secretariat going 1 1/16 miles and the Franklin-Simpson at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Now returning to his preferred distance and a track he is a proven winner over, Alpyland should really shine in this spot. Alypland is an early presser with most of his wins coming when he was in the lead after a half mile so the far outside post in the Bryan Station could pose some trouble, however this is nothing that Alpyland hasn’t encountered before. In his maiden win at Keeneland in a turf sprint, Alpyland also drew post 12 and was able to break sharply on top. It is also a meaningful positive that regular rider Javier Castellano will be leaving Belmont to stay aboard and retain the mount, especially given his affinity with Alpyland. Back at his preferred distance and at the track where he broke his maiden, Alpyland has a wonderful opportunity to steal this race at a solid 9-2 morning line price.

Bottas will be tough to beat in here as he comes into this race in top form off back-to-back stakes wins. Bottas started his career undefeated as a 2-year-old with a win in the G2 Pilgrim before an unsuccessful bid in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf to end his 2025 campaign. As a 3-year-old, Bottas finished a narrow third in the G3 Pennine Ridge Stakes at Saratoga coming off seven-month layoff earning a 96 ESF. In July, he finished fifth by just 1 ¼ lengths in the Belmont Derby behind Remember Mamba in third but again improved his ESF to a 102. He repeated that 102 ESF in his 1 ½-length victory in the Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga in August before shipping to Kentucky Downs to rally from 10^th to a 1 ¼-length victory in the Gun Runner over Bryan Station contenders Infiltrate, Conducted and Touch of Fire. Bottas earned a 106 ESF for that performance, which is the highest last out speed figure of any other colt or gelding in this race.

Over the past year, horses in graded stakes races on turf with the highest last out ESF are winning at a solid 26 percent and finishing 58 percent in the money from 232 total starts. Along with his speed, Bottas is also ranked first in late pace with a 109.0 rating and will be rallying late, most likely with Remember Mamba. Jose Ortiz, who was aboard Bottas in the Gun Runner, opts to stay aboard Remember Mamba however Bottas gets a more than suitable replacement with Tyler Gaffalione, who has been having a tremendous fall meet at Keeneland. One thing of note, Miguel Clement has made seven career starts at Keeneland and has yet to hit the board. While Bottas could give Clement his first winner at Keeneland, especially with his recent form, he will have to overcome some obstacles and will most likely be shorter than his 7-2 morning line at post time.

The rest of the field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures in similar races, is Blackout Time (94), McCready (93), Blinging It Back (100), Infiltrate (90), Conducted (104), Aces Honor (102), Fancy Sailor (102), Immortalised (98), and Touch of Fire (102).

Win Contenders in Preference Order:

Remember Mamba
Alpyland
Bottas

Grade 2, $400,000 Bryan Station Stakes
Saturday, Oct. 24 – Keeneland, Lexington, KY
Race 9 – Post Time 5:16 p.m. ET
3-Year-Olds – One Mile (Turf)

Australasia’s ultimate weight-for-age championship has produced legends such as Winx (4-time winner), Kingston Town, Sunline and So You Think. This Friday night, star 3-year-old colt Warwoven could follow in the illustrious hoofprints of So You Think if he is able to defeat established weight-for-age stars Sir Delius, Aeliana and Ceowulf. If he does, the talented colt will announce himself as the next superstar of Australian racing.

Maher stable firing on all cylinders

Ciaron Maher heads into the weekend in outstanding form, with Tempted capturing The Everest last week before Point Of Law claimed the Geelong Classic during the week. Point Of Law has since emerged as the favorite for the Melbourne Cup on Monday night, Nov. 2 at Flemington, underlining the stable’s remarkable momentum heading into the Cox Plate.

Maher is chasing a second Cox Plate victory after winning with Sir Dragonet in 2020. He brings four runners to this year’s contest: Light Infantry Man, Land Legend, Middle Earth and Saint George.

Land Legend’s connections made headlines by opting for the outside barrier, with Maher confident the draw will allow his runner to find his rhythm without being forced to race keenly.

Light Infantry Man has drawn immediately inside his stablemate and will be partnered by Harry Coffey, who guided him to Australian Cup success in March.

“He was super last start and he’s ready to run a huge race,” Maher said, believing Flemington and a strong tempo will suit his charge.

Saint George and Middle Earth also back up from the Caulfield Cup, with blinkers added to both runners as they look to sharpen their performances.

Aussie Racing Show returns Friday night

Hosted by Andrew Brown and Kaitlin Benson, the Friday Night Aussie Racing Show returns with racing news, expert analysis and plenty of banter ahead of the evening’s action. The show airs at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT on Sky Racing World’s regular Australian racing simulcast channel and its YouTube channel. The first post is scheduled for 9:10 p.m. ET / 6:10 p.m. PT.

The Jackpot Hi-5 mandatory payout will be offered on Saturday’s final race (Race 11), with post time scheduled for 6:27 p.m. ET.

The Jackpot Hi-5 carryover currently sits at $160,393.84. Hi-5 wagering will continue to be offered on Thursday and Friday ahead of the mandatory payout on Saturday.

To view the entries for Saturday, click here.

Post time for Saturday’s card is 1:05 p.m. ET.

The $800 contest ($400 entry fee, $400 bankroll) offers Win, Place, Show, Exacta, and/or Daily Double wagers on the full schedule of live races at Laurel Park. Contestants must play at least five (5) Laurel Park races, with a minimum $80 bet per race. Wagers below the $80 minimum will be allowed, PROVIDED THAT, at the end of the contest, the player has the requisite minimum of 5 races at $80 apiece.

Based on 120 entries, the total prize pool is $48,000, comprising two full seats in the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge ($10,000 each) and two National Horseplayers Championship Prize Packs ($5,850 each, including a $400 flight voucher and a hotel stay).

Additionally, the top five finishers will split $16,300 in prize money: $8,150 for first place, $3,260 for second, $2,445 for third, $1,630 for fourth, and $815 for fifth.

All entry fees are returned as prizes. The listed prizes are estimates, and the actual prizes will depend on the final number of participants.

After the contest, the top finishers, in order, will select their seats (BCBC or NHC).

Contest players at Laurel Park may register only on a walk-up basis on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 11 am to 1 pm. The registration area is on the first floor of the Clubhouse. Only cash will be accepted. The $800 contest buy-in is non-refundable, and entry includes a live program.

Contestants receive a betting card preloaded with a $400 bankroll, usable at any self-service wagering machines at Laurel Park when they enter the card’s PIN.

All online players from TVG/4NJBETS must pre-register with Brian Skirka here by 3 pm ET on Friday, Oct. 23. All online players from Xpressbet and TwinSpires can pre-register with Brian Skirka or directly through Xpressbet/TwinSpires by the first post time on Saturday, October 24. All online players must declare their tournament ADW (Xpressbet, TwinSpires, HPIBET, or TVG/4NJBETS) at registration.

Players must have an existing ADW account to participate in the Jim McKay Maryland Million Handicapping Challenge. Each online participant will receive a temporary contest account through Xpressbet, TVG/4NJBETS, HPIBET, or TwinSpires. Players will receive login credentials for their accounts. These accounts will be preloaded with a $400 bankroll. All contest wagers must be placed through the temporary contest account. Players are responsible for distinguishing between contest and personal accounts. After the contest, any remaining bankroll will be transferred to the player’s personal account.

The Jim McKay Maryland Million card at Laurel Park drew 150 entries for the 12-race card, averaging 12.5 horses per race, including eight restricted stakes races.

Gates open at Laurel Park at 10 am ET, and the special first post time is at 11:15 ET.

For more information on the Jim McKay Maryland Million Handicapping Challenge, please visit here.

The $1 Pick 6 returned $5,020.09 to bettors who selected 5-of-6 winners correctly. 

Thursday’s Pick 6 sequence kicked off in Race 3 with Kendrick Carmouche securing his second win of the day aboard Sherlock’s Jewel [No. 1, $15.96], who captured a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer on the Widener turf for trainer Joe Sharp. In Race 4, a six-furlong starter optional claimer, jockey Jose Lezcano navigated Disparate Impact [No. 1, $43.72] to victory for trainer Marcelo Arenas. 

Camila Hargrove scored in Race 5 by guiding the Ray Handal-trained Apollo Code [No. 7, $11.48] to victory in a 6 1/2-furlong claimer. In Race 6, a state-bred 1 1/16-mile maiden claimer on the Widener turf, jockey Flavien Prat and trainer Amelia Green visited the winner’s circle with Epic Prayer [No. 3, $8.36]. 

In Race 7, a state-bred one-turn mile allowance, the Chris Englehart-conditioned Twohonestmischief [No. 2, $28.26] took control in the stretch, giving Prat a riding double.   

With only 3-of-12 horses covered in the Race 8 finale, a six-furlong maiden optional claimer on the inner turf, the New York-bred That’s Not Nice [No. 2, $73.86] proved best with Antonio Fresu up for trainer Chad Summers, clinching the carryover. 

Friday’s Pick 6 will begin in Race 4 at approximately 2:49 p.m. Eastern. First post for the nine-race card is 1:10 p.m.

General admission at Belmont Park is available for $7 when purchased in advance and provides fans with access to grandstand seats on most days, all areas within the first floor of the grandstand and the backyard. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/tickets/. 

America’s Day at the Races presents daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule/. 

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com. 

The incident occurred in the seventh race at the Lexington, Ky., track on Oct. 15 – a 1 1/16-mile off-turf allowance for 3-year-old and older fillies and mares. According to the chart, Ortiz lost “his left iron when prompting between foes leaving the five-furlong pole.”

“Awkward move there,” track announcer Kurt Becker said during his call. “It looked like Jose Ortiz lost the iron for a moment and started to slide to the left, now gets back aboard and gets back going.”

You don’t say this every day!!@jose93_ortiz lost an iron, nearly slid off his mount #3 Competitive Market, then managed to power away to win Race 7 at @keenelandracing. The winner is by @spendthriftfarm Authentic, @JFDAngelo trains. pic.twitter.com/wSV1kZVa66

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 15, 2026

Ortiz regained his footing in a matter of seconds before the field entered the second turn. Ortiz and Competitive Market hit the front at the top of the stretch and held off a charge from Next Up for a 2 ½-length win. 

Ortiz came back to win the eighth race, without incident. It was his 11th win of the Keeneland fall meet, putting him two behind his brother, Irad Ortiz Jr., who leads the jockey standings.

Competitive Market’s career record now stands at three wins and three second-place finishes from eight starts. This is her second straight victory after she won a one-mile and 70-yard allowance by a nose on the synthetic surface at Gulfstream Park in September.

A 4-year-old daughter of Authentic and graded stakes-placed Cajun Delta Dawn (Kantharos), Competitive Market is trained by Jose D’Angelo. She is owned in partnership by TCC Stables LLC, R.T Racing Stable, and David Fennelly.

Competitive Market was bred in Kentucky by Curtis Mikkelsen & Patricia Horth. She was purchased for $410,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Klaravich Stables, for whom she made her first six starts. Her current connections acquired her for $180,000 this year at the Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale.

The action begins Friday night on Sky Racing World, before Sydney and Melbourne host two of the biggest events on the Australian Spring Racing Carnival.

Aussie Racing Show returns Friday night

Hosted by Andrew Brown and Kaitlin Benson, the Friday Night Aussie Racing Show returns with racing news, expert analysis and plenty of banter ahead of the evening’s action.

Jason Witham and Michael Wrona will be trackside at Randwick, bringing viewers closer to the atmosphere and key storylines.

The show airs at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT on Sky Racing World’s regular Australian racing simulcast channel and its YouTube channel. The first post is scheduled for 9:15 p.m. ET / 6:15 p.m. PT.

Spanish-speaking audiences can also follow the action, with DRF en Español and Roberto Rodriguez providing a Spanish-language broadcast.

Ka Ying Rising headlines the 10th TAB Everest

The world’s highest-rated horse, Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising, will attempt consecutive victories in the $20 million TAB Everest at Royal Randwick.

Ridden by Zac Purton, Ka Ying Rising has drawn barrier 11 for the six-furlong sprint, with possible rain adding another challenge.

Ciaron Maher-trained Tempted has secured barrier one, while Chris Waller’s Joliestar starts from gate five under James McDonald. Stablemate Angel Capital has drawn barrier two, and Ninja, who defeated Ka Ying Rising in a recent barrier trial, jumps from three under Tommy Berry.

Three-year-old Blue Door, trained by Bjorn Baker, has drawn barrier nine and will be ridden by Jamie Melham.

The 10-race Randwick program also features the Group 1, $5 million King Charles III Stakes, with Australian Horse of the Year Autumn Glow taking on Pride of Jenni and two-time winner of this race Ceowulf.

Caulfield Cup marks its 150th running

Melbourne will celebrate the 150th running of the Group 1 Caulfield Cup, a 1 ½-mile test featuring international contenders, a defending champion and a formidable stable challenge.

As one of the key lead-up races to the Melbourne Cup, the Caulfield Cup offers a major opportunity for stayers to strengthen their spring carnival credentials ahead of the famous two-mile test at Flemington.

Half Yours will attempt to defend his title after drawing barrier seven, with Mark Zahra again aboard for Team McEvoy.

Turnbull Stakes winner Cosmic Crusader has drawn barrier 17, potentially improving to 14 if emergencies fail to gain a start. International contenders Wine Dark Sea and Enfjaar have drawn barriers 19 and one respectively.

Ciaron Maher has five guaranteed runners: Saint George (2), Zahrann (4), Royal Supremacy (8), Middle Earth (11) and Kings Valley (12). Zahrann is attracting particular attention ahead of the historic contest at odds of 6-1.

With a decade of Everest history to celebrate in Sydney and 150 years of Caulfield Cup tradition in Melbourne, Australian racing fans have an incredible Friday night ahead.

Santa Anita officials estimate the $2 Pick 6 will have a total pool of $375,000. The wager begins with Friday’s fourth race at approximately 2:30 p.m. The Super High 5 carryover will be up for grabs in the ninth and final race at approximately 5 p.m. The Sunset Pick 6 begins at approximately 1 p.m. with the seventh race from Gulfstream Park. 

The carryover in the $2 Pick 6 was clinched in Santa Anita’s 10th and final race Monday when Domenici won under Ramon Vazquez for trainer Tim Yakteen and paid $7.80. The only horse covered in the Pick 6 was 5-2 favorite Moonflight, who finished third. The consolation payout for tickets with 5-of-6 winners was $566. 

The winning horses in Monday’s $2 Pick 6 starting with the fifth race were #6 Watch Over Us ($7), #4 Mooberry ($5), #6 Tirupati ($8), #2 The Moe Show ($24.40), #3 Jimmy’s Dailys ($16.60) and #10 Domenici ($7.80).

For full race entries to Friday’s program and other information, please visit santaanita.com. 

The nine-race card will be run in full without a redraw on Thursday, October 15.

Laurel Park and the Maryland Jockey Club Off Track Betting Network will remain open for simulcast wagering on Sunday.

Laurel Park will host live racing next week, Thursday through Sunday. The first post time is 12 pm (ET). 

The racing itself is headlined by three Group 1s at Caulfield — the Might and Power (R7), Caulfield Guineas (R8) and Toorak Handicap (R9) — along with Stakes racing at Rosehill. The Caulfield and Rosehill Late Pick 4 sequences both run R7-R10, with Sky Racing World guaranteeing $20,000 Late Pick 4 pools on each card, exclusive to the North American B-Pools.

Warwoven Takes on the Waller Quartet

The Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas is the feature event of the night, with Bjorn Baker’s in-form WARWOVEN heading the three-year-olds over 1 mile at Caulfield racecourse.

Standing in his way is a powerful four-horse challenge from Chris Waller: TRON BOLT, CENTRAL EUROPE, DIAMETER and SOMETHINGS BURNIN’. Can Warwoven continue his winning run, or will one of the Waller runners deliver the upset? For Late Pick 4 players, the Guineas could be the pivotal leg of the sequence.

The Everest Is Next

Attention will quickly turn to next Friday night, October 16, when the $20 million Everest is staged at Randwick racecourse. Sky Racing World will be live trackside with Jason Witham and Michael Wrona, bringing the latest news and betting updates for the world’s richest race on turf. DRF en Espanol and host Roberto Rodriguez will once again be broadcasting the Everest live in Spanish too.

Defending champion Ka Ying Rising will be looking to retain his Everest crown. Can the Australians beat Ka Ying Rising?

Tune in this Friday for the premiere of the Friday Night Aussie Racing Show, then don’t miss all the action surrounding The Everest next week.

Here’s a look at the field from the rail out:

Haute Diva, a Constitution filly with the highest morning line in the field of 30-1, drew the inside for trainer Patrick Biancone with Keith Asmussen back aboard. Haute Diva has won on all-weather, dirt and has just three career starts over the sod with a win and a second. Last time out, despite being pinched at the start and finishing sixth in the G2 Beverly D at Colonial, she earned a career-best 101 Equibase Speed Figure (ESF). Luster, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, is fresh off a dominant win in the King’s Plate, where she beat the boys by 7 ½ lengths on the all-weather at Woodbine and earned a 108 ESF for trainer Josie Carroll. The Knicks Go filly started her career on the turf with two wins by a combined winning margin of 11 ¼ lengths including a five-length win in an allowance at Keeneland in April. John Velazquez, who was aboard for her wins in the Woodbine Oaks and King’s Plate along with the victory at Keeneland, will be back in the irons. Tam Tam is coming off back-to-back wins at the stakes level with a 5 ¾-length victory in the Tepin Stakes in June and a 1 ¼-length win in the G1 Del Mar Oaks last time out in August over fellow QEII contenders Lookin At Diamond and Kensington Lane. The Medaglia d’Oro filly has never run out of the money on turf with four wins, a second and a third from six starts. Trained by Phil Bauer, Tam Tam will have regular rider Junior Alvarado in the saddle. Faithful Departed, a Yoshida filly, is coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes in the G1 Belmont Oaks and G2 Saratoga Oaks for trainer Grant Forster. In May, Faithful Departed won the G3 Regret Stakes over QEII contenders Storm’s Wake and Tam Tam. Jose Ortiz will be back aboard for the fifth consecutive time.

Turner’s Charm, a Not This Time filly trained by Brendan Walsh, broke her maiden at Keeneland last October as a 2-year-old. Turner’s Charm was then sidelined for nearly seven months and won an allowance optional claiming at Churchill in her 3-year-old debut off the long layoff. Last time out, she finished a distant third in the G3 Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs. Ben Curtis will be in the irons for the fifth consecutive time. Braida ships in from her native France for her North American debut for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, who won the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf with Gezora and the last two renewals of France’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Daryz. Braida won three of five starts across the pond including a win last time out in the Prix de la Cochere at Longchamp on Sept. 3. Vincent Cheminaud will be aboard for his first mount of the Keeneland meet and his only mount of the day. Following a fourth-place finish to Kensington Lane (IRE) and Faithful Departed in the G1 Belmont Oaks, Storm’s Wake went on to win the Old Dominion Oaks at Colonial in her next start. The Oscar Performance filly made her one start at Keeneland a winning one in April with a 21-1 upset in the G2 Appalachian. Tyler Gaffalione will be first-time riding for trainer Brian Lynch. Lookin At Diamond, a Lookin At Lucky filly, finished runner-up to Tam Tam last time out in the Del Mar Oaks at odds of 40-1 for trainer Leonard Powell, who has made just four starts at Keeneland over the last five years. Julien Leparoux, who was aboard for the Del Mar Oaks, will be back in the irons for his first mount of the Keeneland meet and only mount of the day.

Kensington Lane shipped in from her native Ireland in July to win the Belmont Oaks in front-running fashion in her first start in North America. Last time out in her first start in the Phil D’Amato barn, she finished third in the Del Mar Oaks after setting the pace. Joel Rosario, who was aboard for both of her starts in North America, retains the mount. Deep Learning, a Cairo Prince filly trained by Chad Brown, will be stretching out to nine furlongs for the first time. Deep Learning is a career five-for-six in the money, and has made four graded stakes appearances. Flavien Prat, who was aboard for four of six of her career starts, will be reunited for the first time since their runner-up finish in the G3 Lake George on Aug. 1. Soloist, an Into Mischief filly out of Grade 1 winner Daddys Lil Darling, drew the far outside for trainer Kenny McPeek. Last time out, Soloist finished a close second to Storm’s Wake in the Old Dominion Oaks and seeks the first win of her 3-year-old campaign. Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be aboard for the first time.

Analysis and Main Contenders:

Faithful Departed is a talented filly who has been targeting this race and is due for a win as she exits two fantastic efforts at the Grade 1 and Grade 2 levels. Apart from her career debut on dirt finishing a distant seventh, Faithful Departed has been a model of consistency and has never finished more than 2 ¾ lengths off the winner in any race on turf. Following a fourth-place finish by 1 ¾ lengths in her first start on turf as a 2-year-old, Faithful Departed won her 3-year-old debut at Fair Grounds in an impressive closing run. She followed that up with a narrow second-place finish in the LeCombe Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds at odds of 35-1, improving her ESF from a 72 to an 89. Faithful Departed shipped back to Kentucky in April to turn back in distance in the one-mile Appalachian and closed well but may have needed more ground, finishing sixth to Storm’s Wake by just 2 ¾ lengths while increasing her speed figure to a 94 ESF. Just three weeks later, she returned to the 1 1/16-distance in an allowance at Churchill and again improved to a 98 ESF with a late rally to win by three-quarters of a lengths. In May, she stretched out to this nine-furlong distance for the first time and really found her stride, splitting horses into the lane to win the Regret at Churchill by 2 ¼ lengths over Storm’s Wake and Tam Tam, who went on to win the Tepin Stakes and Del Mar Oaks in her next two starts.

Faithful Departed earned a 108 ESF for her effort in the Regret, which ties as the highest ESF of any filly earned in this field. In July, Faithful Departed shipped up to Saratoga for her toughest test yet in the Belmont Oaks. She trailed the field through the first quarter and moved from ninth to second in a single point of call and ran a game second to Kensington Lane, who set a moderate pace and held. Last time out, Faithful Departed stretched out to 1 3/16 miles in the Saratoga Oaks and again put together a brilliant rally from sixth to first in a single point of call but narrowly missed by a head to Kentucky Belle, who went on to dominate the G3 Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs by 6 ¾ lengths in her next start. Faithful Departed should really benefit from the half-furlong turnback in distance to her preferred nine furlongs in this race and no doubt will have a quick turn of foot come the quarter pole. A meaningful positive is Jose Ortiz staying aboard, as he has two wins and two seconds aboard Faithful Departed, three of which were at the graded level. While Forster and Ortiz have not had a ton of starts together over the years, they have been able to find much success together. In the last five years, Forster and Ortiz win at a tremendous 41 percent in all races together (seven-for-17) and finish 71 percent in the money with a 35 percent return on investment. Their win percentage increases to 47 percent from 15 starts in the Kentucky circuit over the same five years as well. Faithful Departed has been targeting this race since the Saratoga Oaks in August and has been working forwardly over the Churchill Downs training track since, including a four-furlong breeze in :47.40 on Oct. 1. With her return to her preferred distance, winning connections and ability to close strong into a slow or hot pace, Faithful Departed is a formidable contender and could very well become a Grade 1 winner on Saturday.

Tam Tam has been a steadily improving filly since her 2-year-old campaign and has started to hit her best strides as of late. Tam Tam broke her maiden in her 3-year-old debut in her first start on the turf at Gulfstream Park in February, earning an 82 ESF. She then followed that up with a narrow victory in the Sanibel Island Stakes at Gulfstream in March, going 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf and again improving to a 90 ESF. Tam Tam then stretched out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time in the G2 Edgewood on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill and just missed by a head but still improving to a 104 ESF. Tam Tam then regressed a bit in the Regret to Faithful Departed, earning a 103 ESF and finishing third by 3 ¼ lengths.

Since the Regret, Tam Tam has really started to dominate. In the Tepin Stakes at Churchill going a mile on the turf, Tam Tam drew clear to win by 5 ¾ lengths and earning a 104 ESF. Last time out, she stalked a slow pace set by Kensington Lane in the Del Mar Oaks, her toughest race yet with a class rating of a 106. Tam Tam took command at the eighth pole and did not look back, drawing clear to win by 1 ¼ lengths improving to a career-best 105 ESF. Tam Tam passed the nine-furlong test in her second start at the distance with flying colors and is in prime position to stalk the pace presumably set yet again by Kensington Lane in the QEII. A notable positive is Junior Alvarado retaining the mount as he has been aboard five of her six starts on turf, including all her stakes wins. Phil Bauer and Alvarado win at an impressive 35 percent in all races together over the last five years (13-for-37) and finish 65 percent in the money with a 33 percent return on investment. Tam Tam has wonderful opportunity to pick up a second Grade 1 victory in this race especially if she continues her increasing speed figure pattern.

Luster is another filly in this field who has been remarkably consistent as well as having continual improving speed figures. Bred in Ontario, Luster started her career on a yielding Woodbine turf going seven furlongs and dominated by 6 ¼ lengths. Luster then shipped to Keeneland to again dominate when stretching out to 1 1/16 miles on the turf, ridden out to a five-length victory at the allowance level under John Velazquez and improving from an 83 to 86 ESF. She then returned home to Woodbine for her stakes debut in the seven-furlong Ruling Angel Stakes on the all-weather, which was her first and only loss finishing third by just 1 ¼ lengths but still improved to an 88 ESF. Luster returned to the 1 1/16-mile distance but remained on the all-weather in the G3 Selene Stakes and was much the best, improving to a 93 ESF for the win. In the Woodbine Oaks on July 19, John Velazquez was back aboard for the first time since the Keeneland win and the pair again went on to dominate by 5 ½ lengths and improving again to a 98 ESF in her first start at the 1 1/8-mile distance on all-weather. Last time out on Woodbine’s synthetic surface in the King’s Plate, a race restricted to Canadian-breds, Luster faced her toughest test against the boys. Off as the heavy favorite, Luster took command at the quarter pole and drew clear to win by 7 ¼ lengths under a hand-ride by John Velazquez. Luster earned a career-best 108 ESF for the win against the colts and geldings, which is the highest last out ESF of any filly in this QEII field.

Over the past month, horses in graded stakes races on the turf with the highest last out ESF win at 34 percent, including Joe Shiesty, Agate and Adonius at Keeneland this meet. Military Time, who finished a distant second to Luster in the King’s Plate, went on to win the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown which added to Luster’s impressive victory. Luster has come out of the King’s Plate in good order as well, posting two consecutive bullet works in her first breezes since the win. While she did beat the boys, Luster will face a 10-point increase in class rating in the QEII. Regardless, she is proven over the turf and the Keeneland turf and could be the real deal in here. Luster is still a question mark in a lot of ways, and a 5-2 morning line is a short price for a filly making her Grade 1 debut.

The rest of the field with their best Equibase Speed Figures in similar races: Haute Diva (101), Turner’s Charm (100), Braida (NA), Storm’s Wake (105), Lookin At Diamond (103), Kensington Lane (102), Deep Learning (101), and Soloist (102).

Win Contenders in Preference Order:

Faithful Departed
Tam Tam
Luster

Grade 1, $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes
Saturday, Oct. 10 – Keeneland, Lexington, Ky.
Race 9 – Post Time 5:16 p.m. ET
3-Year-Old Fillies – 1 1/8 Miles (Turf)

The Cross Country Pick 5 requires bettors to pick the winner of five select races from tracks across the country. The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is available on NYRA Bets, ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country with each week featuring a mandatory payout of the net pool. The Cross Country Pick 5, boasting a low 15 percent takeout, offers sequences with races from Belmont Park and partner tracks across the country.

NYRA will offer the Cross Country Pick 5 on Oct. 3, 10, 17, and 24, beginning on Saturday with an all-Grade 1 sequence from Belmont Park and Keeneland. Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence will be available for download at https://racing.nyrabets.com/special-wagers. 

Saturday’s sequence kicks off at approximately 3:53 p.m. Eastern with Belmont Park’s G1, $500,000 Champagne in Race 8 and G1, $500,000 Frizette [Race 9, 4:31 p.m.], then action moves to Keeneland for the G1, $800,000 First Lady [Race 8, 4:44 p.m.], the G1 Breeders’ Futurity [Race 9, 5:16 p.m.] and the G1 Turf Mile [Race 10, 5:48 p.m.].

The G1 Champagne, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, is headlined by U. S. S. Valor, a second-out winner at Saratoga Race Course, who earned a division-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey. The War of Will bay rematches with the Chad Brown-trained Gaudreau after finishing third to him on debut.

The five-time Eclipse Award-winning Brown sends out Libby Lloyd in the G1 Frizette [Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen] off a 10-length debut win in August at Saratoga. The Into Mischief bay earned a 78 Beyer in victory, tied for the field-high with New York-bred stakes-winner Velora for trainer Linda Rice and third-out Spa maiden winner Rum Twist for conditioner Mark Hennig.

The G1 First Lady is a wide open affair with a field of 11, but dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse appears to hold a strong hand with G1 winners Classic Q and And One More Time. Trainer Brendan Walsh sends out a two-pronged attack of his own with Lush Lips and Expensive Queen, the latter having won four of her last five starts, including in a dead-heat with the Brown-trained returning foe Segesta last out in the G1 Jenny Wiley in April.

Coach Pope may be a hunch bet for nearby University of Kentucky basketball fans, but the Tapit bay also brings top credentials to the G1 Breeders’ Futurity, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Trained by Kenny McPeek, Coach Pope won by 12 1/2 lengths last out at Churchill Downs after a debut second between Gaudreau and U. S. S. Valor at Saratoga. Impressive Spa maiden winner Q B Rocket steps up in class as he makes his second career start for dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox.

The sequence concludes with the G1 Turf Mile, a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, which will see the Brown-conditioned Zulu Kingdom seek his third G1 victory. Steep opposition will be provided by the reigning New York-bred Horse of the Year Rhetorical, who will seek the same achievement for trainer Will Walden. 

General admission at Belmont Park is available for $7 when purchased in advance and provides fans with access to grandstand seats on most days, all areas within the first floor of the grandstand and the backyard. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/tickets/. 

America’s Day at the Races presents daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule/. 

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com. 

There have been five winners of the Champagne that went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile: Fly So Free (1990), Timber Country (1994), War Pass (2007), Uncle Mo (2010) and Shanghai Bobby (2012). The Champagne has also produced 23 Kentucky Derby winners in its history, however since 1976 only Seattle Slew, Spectacular Bid and Sea Hero were able to complete the double. This year’s edition brings together a small but highly competitive field of six colts including two who broke their maiden by double-digit margins.

Here’s a look at the field from the rail out:

Johnny Hockey, an Omaha Beach colt trained by Antonio Arriaga, will be switching back to the dirt following a fifth-place finish in the Skidmore Stakes going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf at Saratoga on Aug. 27. Johnny Hockey broke his maiden by 2 ½ lengths on Aug. 9 in a dirt sprint maiden special weight at Monmouth Park and will be stretching out to a route for the first time. Katie Davis is named to ride. Raku, a Kantharos colt, is trained by Kelly Breen and ships in from Monmouth where he broke his maiden by 3 ½ lengths in his career debut before finishing runner-up by just a nose last time out on Sept. 5 in the Sapling Stakes back at Monmouth in his first try at this one-mile distance. Paco Lopez will be reunited with Raku for the first time since the maiden win. Gaudreau, a Nyquist colt, made his one and only start a winning one for trainer Chad Brown. In a 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight on dirt at Saratoga on Aug. 8, Gaudreau won by a half-length over Coach Pope and fellow Champagne contender U. S. S. Valor, who both came back to break their maidens by 12 ½ lengths and 13 ¼ lengths, respectively. Flavien Prat, who retains the mount, will be going for his third win in this race in the last five years for Brown.

Club Reign, a Core Beliefs colt with the highest purchase price of the group of $475,000 as a 2-year-old in training, broke his maiden at Saratoga in his first and only start by six lengths under Edgard Zayas, who retains the mount for trainer D. Whitworth Beckman. Club Reign will try and become second-crop sire Core Beliefs’ first progeny win in a dirt route. U. S. S. Valor, a homebred for Team Valor International,enters the race off his dominating 13 ¼-length maiden special weight win at Saratoga on Sept. 5 following his narrow third-place finish to Gaudreau and Coach Pope on Aug. 8. Manny Franco retains the mount for trainer Shug McGaughey, who last won this race in 1989 with Adjudicating. Earth Song, a Justify colt trained by Jorge Delgado, is cross entered in the Rocky Run Stakes at Delaware Park on Saturday. Earth Song romped by 11 ¼ lengths in a maiden special weight at Monmouth on Sept. 7 and will have a jockey switch to Ricardo Santana, Jr. if Delgado opts to run in the Champagne.

Analysis and Main Contenders:

Despite losing to Champagne contender Gaudreau, U. S. S. Valor is the real deal, and he put all his talent on display last time out when breaking his maiden by 13 ¼ lengths, stretching out to seven furlongs at Saratoga. U. S. S. Valor covered the seven furlongs in 1:22.04, just 1.64 seconds off the track record set by Englishman in the G1 Woody Stephens and earned a 104 Equibase Speed Figure (ESF), which is the highest ESF earned by any 2-year-old this year. In his career debut, U. S. S. Valor had a tough start on the rail breaking last and went to the far outside around the final turn and ran a very game third behind Coach Pope, who went on to win by 12 ½ lengths in his next start. Notably, U. S. S. Valor ran 13 more feet than Coach Pope in that race and six more feet than Gaudreau. He also ran slightly green in that debut and learned a lot from the race, subsequently putting it all together in his next start with a dominating performance. His sire War of Will is a four-time graded stakes winner at the route distance and his dam Spangled Banner is also a winner at eight furlongs or more.

U. S. S. Valor is ranked first by late pace with a massive 113.5 rating and ranks first in middle pace, average class and average speed. He also has red-hot connections at the new Belmont Park with McGaughey winning at 75 percent so far in the meet through Sept. 30 with three wins from four starts and Franco winning at 31 percent with 10 wins from 32 starts. McGaughey and Franco have just 15 starts together at all tracks over the last three years, however they win at 29 percent in that time frame and finish 47 percent in the money. Along with those statistics, horses in dirt route stakes races who won their most previous start and have the highest late pace rating like U. S. S. Valor win at 31 percent over the last year from 367 starts and horses in graded stakes races on the dirt with the highest last out ESF win at 30 percent from 297 starts over the past year. U. S. S. Valor has a wonderful opportunity to become a Grade 1 winner on Saturday regardless of his value and could put his name as a major contender in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Gaudreau’s career debut race has already proved to be one of the most impactful 2-year-old races of the year and to be able to beat two colts who went on to win by double-digit margins is an impressive feat. While Gaudreau will be stretching out to a route for the first time, he certainly has the pedigree to go the distance. Progeny of Nyquist win at 20 percent from 203 starts when trying a route for the first time and his dam Free Cover has had one foal to race who was a winner at a mile as well. Gaudreau will be making his first start since the maiden win on Aug. 8 and will be coming off a nearly two-month layoff but if he can come back in any sort of way as the second- and third-place finishers, we could see a brilliant performance.

Along with Gaudreau’s pedigree with first time dirt routes, Flavien Prat is also winning at a tremendous 40 percent and finishing 77 percent in the money from 47 mounts this year aboard horses in their first route race on dirt. Along with that, Chad Brown and Prat win at 36 percent in graded stakes races together on the NYRA circuit and finish 75 percent in the money while maintaining a 21 percent return on investment. Brown also has three wins from 10 starts over the last three years with horses in graded stakes stretching out to a mile or more for the first time. The numbers are all there for Gaudreau who has already shown his ability to beat top tier 2-year-olds and has a wonderful opportunity to improve upon that performance first off the slight layoff.

Raku is an interesting colt who despite finishing second last out in the Sapling Stakes, improved his ESF from a 73 to an 88 and could improve again with the route experience already on his resume. Raku debuted in July at Monmouth and ran green, learning a lot while still drawing clear to win by 3 ½ lengths under Paco Lopez. In the Sapling back at Monmouth 49 days later, Raku endured a four-wide trip throughout the first and second turn and dueled down the stretch to narrowly miss by just a nose after traveling 51 more feet than the winner. Raku has come back strong since that effort and posted a blistering four-furlong bullet work in :47.60 on Sept. 19. Trainer Kelly Breen has found success with 2-year-olds in all races, winning at 20 percent from 70 starts over the last three years while finishing 51 percent in the money and is winning at 25 percent with 2-year-olds in stakes races over the same time frame. Another positive is Paco Lopez being reunited with Raku for the first time since their maiden win in July. Lopez wins at an incredible 41 percent aboard horses making their second start in a dirt route over the past year from 22 mounts. Breen and Lopez also win at 39 percent in all races together over the past year from 41 starts while finishing 76 percent in the money. While Raku will face his toughest test yet, his route experience paired with his winning connections make him a formidable contender to give U. S. S. Valor and Gaudreau a run for their money.

The rest of the field with their best Equibase Speed Figures in similar races, is Johnny Hockey (62), Club Reign (77), and Earth Song (76).

Win Contenders in Preference Order:

U. S. S. Valor
Gaudreau
Raku

Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne Stakes
Saturday, Oct. 3 – Belmont Park, Elmont, N.Y.
Race 8 – Post Time 3:53 p.m. ET
2-Year-Olds – One Mile (Dirt)

All six turf races that were scheduled for tomorrow night are now extras.

Racing resumes on Friday, Oct. 2.

Racing for tonight – Friday, Sept. 25 – will go on as scheduled.

First race post time is 7 p.m.

The National Weather Service has placed Long Island under a wind advisory for Saturday and Sunday with current forecasts calling for sustained high winds and gusts exceeding 50 mph. 

Belmont Park will be closed to the public this weekend, Sept. 26-27. 

Tickets and pre-paid parking purchased directly through Ticketmaster, FEVO or the NYRA Sales Team (844-NYRA-TIX) are eligible for a refund or ticket credit.

Tickets purchased through third-party vendors are not eligible for refunds from NYRA. Guests must contact the original vendor directly.

All ticketholders will be contacted by the NYRA Sales Team via email with additional information on refunds or exchanges.

NYRA has received approval from the New York State Gaming Commission to conduct live racing on Wednesday, Sept. 30 and Wednesday, Oct. 7. In conjunction with previously announced make-up days, NYRA will now conduct Wednesday – Sunday racing throughout October.

The six graded stakes scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26 and Sunday, Sept. 27, will be brought back on Thursday, Oct. 1.

The six graded stakes include the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, G2, $500,000 Flower Bowl [WAYI BC Filly and Mare Turf], G3, $250,000 Vosburgh [WAYI BC Sprint], G2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom, G3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint and G3, $200,000 Winter Memories.

The added card for Wednesday, Sept. 30 will offer overnight races originally scheduled for Sept. 26-27.

Entries for both Wednesday, Sept. 30 and Thursday, Oct. 1 will be taken today.

Additionally, the $175,000 Joseph A. Gimma, originally scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 1, will be moved to Friday, Oct. 2 with entries to be taken on Saturday, Sept. 26.

General admission at Belmont Park is available for $7 when purchased in advance and provides fans with access to grandstand seats on most days, all areas within the first floor of the grandstand and the backyard. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/tickets/. 

America’s Day at the Races presents daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule/. 

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com. 

Tomorrow’s live racing card, including the Grade 3, $500,000 Delaware Handicap for fillies and mares going 1 ⅛ miles on the main track, has been rescheduled in its entirety for Saturday, Oct. 3. Also on the card is the $200,000 Battery Park Stakes for 3-year-olds and older at 1 ⅛ miles on the main track, the one-mile $150,000 Rocky Run Stakes for 2-year-olds on dirt, and the one-mile $150,000 White Clay Creek Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on dirt.

Ribble Farms, Hoolie Racing and Kemp Racing Stable’s Regaled tries to become the eighth two-time winner of the Delaware Handicap after taking last year’s running for trainer Whit Beckman. 

The Delaware Handicap’s seven two-time winners are Elate (2018 and 2019), Royal Delta (2012 and 2013), Nastique (1988 and 1989), Susan’s Girl (1973 and 1975), Blessing Angelica (1971 and 1972), Obeah (1969 and 1970) and Endine (1958 and 1959).

$500,000 G3 Delaware Handicap, For fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up, at 1 ⅛ miles

1. Angel Bella, D. Whitworth Beckman, Martin Chuan, 112, 20-1
2. Kinzie Queen, Greg Compton, Jose Batista, 117, 20-1
3. Low Country Magic, Horacio De Paz, Julio Hernandez, 118, 12-1
4. Regaled, D. Whitworth Beckman, Joseph Ramos, 121, 7/2
5. Eunomia, Saffie Joseph Jr., Micah Husbands, 124, 3-1
6. Margie’s Intention, Brad Cox, Samuel Marin, 121, 8-1
7. Chasten, Brad Cox, Luis Rivera Jr., 121, 8-1
8. Nerazurri, Mark Casse, Axel Concepcion, 120, 6-1
9. Social Fortress, Gregory Sacco, Cipriano Gil, 116, 15-1
10. Take Charge Omaha, Matthew Sims, Mario Guiterrez, 118, 10-1
11. Miss Authentic, Eddie Kenneally, Jareth Loveberry, 119, 10-1

One of the country’s most acclaimed simulcast teams pairs on-air hosts and analysts Michelle Yu, Zoe Cadman, Jessica Pyfer and Millie Ball. This meet, the Santa Anita simulcast show takes on an even more critical role for racing fans as the longtime home of horse racing on television, FanDuel TV, winds down operations after more than 27 years.  

The 19-day Autumn Meet at Santa Anita features top Thoroughbred racing every Friday through Sunday until closing day on Sunday, Nov. 1. In addition to FanDuel TV, horseplayers can follow all the racing action via the Santa Anita simulcast show on 1ST.TV, Calracing.com, Racetrack Television Network, and all the various horse racing online wagering platforms including 1stbet.com and Xpressbet.com. 

This marks the fourth consecutive year the team has provided extensive commentary and analysis during Santa Anita Park’s Autumn Meet. 

“Fans can expect something not dissimilar from FanDuel TV. Interviews with trainers, jockeys and owners, plus insight and analysis for every race every race day,” Cadman said. 

Cadman is a former jockey who primarily rode at Arlington Park and Hawthorne in Illinois. In 2001, she made history there when becoming the first female rider to win a riding title on that circuit when claiming the jockey’s crown at Hawthorne. 

“Being a former jockey, I focus on analyzing things such as the good or bad trips a horse may encounter having that jockey’s perspective,” said Cadman, who was born in South Africa and moved to England as a child with her family. “I also do a lot of work at the yearling and 2-year-old sales. So chances are I have already laid eyes on and formed an opinion on an awful lot horses that making their first start.” 

Yu also brings decades of Thoroughbred experience to Santa Anita’s airwaves. Born in nearby Walnut, Ca., she began riding horses at age three and played polo while attending the University of Louisville. Her extensive broadcast credits include stints at Fox Sports, NBC Sports, HRTV and TVG. 

“Race fans and handicappers alike can expect a boots-on-the-ground type view of each day’s action,” Yu said. “Our crew is in the paddock, at the starting gate, out in the mornings during morning training. We cover every facet of what’s happening at the track. We’re here to give you observations, hopefully educate, and give you bits and pieces from people that will help you make your own informed selections and wagers.”

In addition to her broadcast duties, Yu also assists with the stable operations of her husband, Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.  

Ball has been part of the Santa Anita broadcast team since 2003, which includes 11 years with HRTV, prior to its sale to TVG (now FanDuel). A native of the U.K., Ball is a former steeplechase jockey who has also worked as an exercise rider for some of the sport’s top trainers, including Hall of Famers Bobby Frankel, Bob Baffert and Richard Mandella. She is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Tim Yakteen.

“I believe one of the greatest strengths I bring is the trust and relationships I’ve built over many years working with and for horsemen in a number of different facets of the industry,” Ball said. “Those relationships allow me to give viewers a truly authentic perspective. 

Pyfer is a former jockey in her own right who in 2021 became just the third female to ever win the Eclipse Award as North America’s outstanding apprentice jockey. She joined the Santa Anita simulcast team in the fall of 2023 following her retirement from the saddle. Pyfer is the daughter of Santa Anita-based trainer Phil D’Amato and recently married jockey Ricardo Gonzalez.

“Viewers can expect to see four women that live, breathe and sleep horse racing,” said Pyfer, a native of Denver, Co., and daughter of longtime Santa Anita-based trainer Phil D’Amato. “We are always looking for information that we can pass on to the bettors. Also being a former jockey here on the West Coast, I rode with a lot of these jockeys and know how they think. I also gallop horses in the morning, so I’m always trying to watch and note those horses that are working well for their upcoming race.”

First post time Friday for opening day is at 1 p.m. PT. The action then continues Saturday with a blockbuster 10-race program that features five stakes, including two automatic qualifiers for the prestigious Breeders’ Cup (Grade 1 Goodwood, G2 City of Hope Mile). Then on Sunday, fans can watch and wager on a nine-race card that includes two automatic qualifiers to the Breeders’ Cup, the G2 Zenyatta Stakes and G2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship. First post is also at 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

For more information on the 2026 Santa Anita Autumn Meet, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

Here’s a look at the field from the rail out:

Taif, a $1.45 million 2-year-old in training purchase in 2023, broke his maiden last time out in his first try over the turf at Del Mar. The 5-year-old son of Arrogate trained by Bob Baffert was sidelined for over a year following his career debut start and returned in January with a runner-up finish in a maiden special weight and was again sidelined for nearly seven months before his maiden win on Sept. 7. Emisael Jaramillo will be aboard for the first time. Vodka Vodka, a 5-year-old Stay Thirsty gelding trained by Aggie Ordonez, is a three-time winner on the turf and switched back to the dirt earlier this year to finish runner-up in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap. In April, Vodka Vodka won the Sunland Park Stakes at this same 1 1/8-mile distance and finished a distant seventh last time out in the G2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar after stumbling at the start. Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux will be back aboard for just his 51st mount of the year. McAfee, who is cross entered in the G2 Lukas Classic at Churchill, will opt to run in the Goodwood per trainer George Weaver. The 4-year-old Cloud Computing colt, a half-brother to Thorpedo Anna, is coming off a 6 ¼-length victory at the allowance level at Saratoga going nine furlongs on the dirt on July 3. Hector Berrios will be in the irons for the first time. Original Sin is also cross entered in the Lukas Classic but will run in the Goodwood per trainer Brendan Walsh. The 4-year-old Curlin colt and homebred for Calumet Farm finished runner-up last time out in the G1 Pacific Classic. Original Sin is one of three graded stakes winners in this field and will have a jockey switch to Kazushi Kimura as Juan Hernandez, who was aboard last time out, will ride Nevada Beach. The veteran of the group Midnight Mammoth, a 7-year-old Midnight Lute gelding, will be making his 46^th career start and 11^th at the graded level. Midnight Mammoth is a career eight-for-17 at Santa Anita and will have Tyler Baze back aboard.

Since a runner-up finish in last year’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Mr. A. P. has made three consecutive starts over the turf as a 3-year-old. The American Pharoah ridgling, the only 3-year-old in the field, was claimed by trainer Vladimir Cerin in his career debut before running second in the Juvenile just three starts later in 2025. Joel Rosario, who has been aboard his last three starts, retains the mount. Forged Steel, the first entrant for the Saffie Joseph Jr. barn, dominated the G2 Hollywood Gold Cup by 9 ½ lengths in May in his one and only start at Santa Anita. Since then, the 4-year-old Vekoma colt finished a distant fifth in the G2 Suburban at Saratoga and seventh in the G1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar last time out. Edwin Gonzalez, who is having a breakout year with nearly $6 million in 2026 earnings, will be back aboard. Forged Steel’s stablemate Caldera, who was previously trained by the late D. Wayne Lukas, ships in from Palm Meadows in Florida where he recorded his last two workouts. The 4-year-old Liam’s Map colt was sidelined for over a year and resurfaced in April to win three straight races by a combined winning margin of 12 lengths. Paco Lopez, who was aboard last time out at Colonial when Caldera set a new track record, travels to remain aboard and is scheduled to ride at Santa Anita on Saturday for the first time in at least five years. Nevada Beach, the 7-5 morning line favorite and the second Baffert entrant,will be making his first start coming off a more than seven-month layoff. The 4-year-old Omaha Beach colt is the only Grade 1 winner in the field, having won last year’s Goodwood by 1 ½ lengths. Juan Hernandez, who has been aboard Nevada Beach for five of his lifetime starts, will be in the irons for the first time since their runner-up finish in the G2 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes at Santa Anita in December.  

Analysis and Main Contenders:

With a 6-1 morning line, Original Sin provides a lot of value for a colt who finished runner-up last time out in the Pacific Classic, a competitive race with a 109 class rating compared to the Goodwood’s 107 class rating. In the Pacific Classic, Original Sin broke dead last and was 14 ¾ lengths off the pace at the second point of call and made up a tremendous amount of ground going into the final turn, finishing second after passing nine competitors in the final four furlongs. Original Sin lengthened his average stride length and increased his average speed in the final furlong compared to the penultimate furlong, which is an incredible feat for a 10-furlong race. The Curlin colt shipped back to Churchill following that effort on Aug. 22 and has seemingly come back well, posting two solid works including his most previous published work on Sept. 18 going five furlongs in 1:00.80. Original Sin was first trained by Brad Cox, making two bids at the maiden special weight level in 2024 before being sidelined for over 10 months and switching to the Brendan Walsh stable.

Original Sin broke his maiden at Churchill in his 3-year-old debut last October and has since been having a wonderful 4-year-old campaign. He has three wins and a second from six starts in 2026 including a front-running victory in the G3 Blame Stakes over the Churchill dirt on May 30, making him two-for-two going nine furlongs. In July, Original Sin finished ninth by 18 lengths in the G2 Suburban Stakes, subsequently leading to his 21-1 odds in the Pacific Classic. It is notable that eight of the nine runners in this Goodwood field have an early or presser running style, leaving Original Sin as the lone contender with a sustained late-running style. Even so, Original Sin has been able to win when pressing the pace as well and is a versatile colt who should be able to handle whatever pace the Goodwood Stakes brings. With his value, ability to win at nine furlongs and his GPS data in the Pacific Classic last time out, Original Sin has a good chance to find his way to the Breeders’ Cup Classic with a win in the Goodwood on Saturday. 

Caldera is an incredibly intriguing colt who has seemingly come into his own as a 4-year-old, while still having a solid 3-year-old campaign. Caldera started his career with Lukas, finishing sixth and second as a 2-year-old at the maiden special weight level at Churchill Downs and Oaklawn, respectively. As a 3-year-old, Caldera dominated a 1 1/16-mile maiden at Oaklawn in January by 5 ½ lengths and went on to run second by just a nose in the Sunland Park Derby in February of 2025. After being checked and stumbling at the start of the G2 Louisiana Derby, Caldera came back to run a narrow second in the Bathhouse Row at Oaklawn in his one and only start at the nine-furlong distance. Caldera was then laid off until this April and switched to the Saffie Joseph Jr. stable. Coming off a one-year layoff, Caldera romped by 6 ¼ lengths in an allowance optional at Gulfstream earning a 91 Equibase Speed Figure (ESF). He followed that up with a three-length victory again at the allowance level at Colonial Downs, improving to a 101 ESF. Last time out, again at the mile distance at Colonial in an allowance optional claiming $75K, Caldera again improved to a 107 ESF for his track record performance, covering the eight furlongs in 1:32.37 under Paco Lopez. While it was an allowance at Colonial, that race had a 102 class rating and Caldera beat Macho Music by 2 ¾ lengths. The latter won the 2025 G2 Pat Day by 3 ¼ lengths. It is a terrific sign that Lopez is willing to travel to Santa Anita to stay aboard, and alludes to the fact this could be his Classic mount. Joseph and Lopez win at 31 percent together in all races over the last five years and over the past year they have won nine of 16 starts together (56 percent) and finish 81 percent in the money. Joseph has also found success shipping to Santa Anita, winning at 43 percent and finishing 71 percent in the money over the last five years from just seven starts. While Caldera is taking a big jump in class level, this colt is a formidable contender who seems to be at the top of his game and brings solid value with a 5-1 morning line.

Mr. A. P. is another contender who brings a lot of value to this race, especially for a ridgling who finished runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The lone 3-year-old in this field was claimed for $150K on career debut at Del Mar last July. He went on to run second by just three-quarters of a length in his first start for trainer Vladimir Cerin and the new silks before breaking his maiden in a dirt route at Santa Anita in October. Off at odds of 20-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Mr. A. P. made a valiant effort before losing to undefeated Ted Noffey by just a length while earning a 106 ESF. Mr. A. P. was then sidelined all the way until mid-July and oddly enough returned as a 3-year-old to switch to the turf. In his turf debut in the Oceanside Handicap at Del Mar, Mr. A. P. finished third behind Proletariat, who went on to win the G2 Del Mar Derby in his next start. Following the Oceanside, Mr. A. P. won his first race on the sod in an allowance optional claiming race at Del Mar and then shipped to Kentucky Downs in September to run in the Gun Runner Stakes. Mr. A. P. finished ninth in the Gun Runner, which is excusable as Kentucky Downs is a track that horses either love or hate. Nonetheless, Mr. A. P. came out of the race in good form and came back to his home track of Santa Anita to post a bullet five-furlong work in a blistering 58.80 on Sept. 20. Mr. A. P. has never run out of the exacta on dirt and has proven he could compete with the best of the best 2-year-olds in 2025. That combined with his affinity for the Santa Anita dirt, Mr. A. P. could surprise at a nice price to complete the trifecta.

The rest of the field with their best Equibase Speed Figures in similar races, is Taif (96), Vodka Vodka (105), McAfee (107), Midnight Mammoth (111), Forged Steel (107), and Nevada Beach (107).

Win Contenders in Preference Order:

Original Sin
Caldera
Mr. A. P.

Grade 1, $300,000 Goodwood Stakes
Saturday, Sept. 26 – Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, Calif.
Race 8 – Post Time 7:40 p.m. ET
3-Year-Olds and Up – 1 1/8 Miles (Dirt)

The $500 contest ($250 entry fee, $250 bankroll) offers Win, Place, Show, Exacta, and/or Daily Double wagers on the full schedule of live races at Laurel Park. Contestants must play at least five (5) Laurel Park races, with a minimum $50 bet per race.

Based on 120 entries, the total prize pool is $30,000, consisting of one full seat in the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge ($10,000 value) and two National Horseplayers Championship Prize Packs ($5,850 each, including a $400 flight voucher and a hotel stay).

Additionally, the top five finishers will split $8,300 in prize money: $4,150 for first place, $1,660 for second place, $1,245 for third place, $830 for fourth place, and $415 for fifth place.

All entry fees are returned as prizes. The listed prizes are estimates, and the actual prizes will depend on the final number of participants.

After the contest, the top finishers, in order, will select their seats (BCBC or NHC).

Contest players at Laurel Park may register only by walk-up on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 11 am to 1 pm. The registration area is on the first floor of the Clubhouse. Only cash will be accepted. The $500 contest buy-in is non-refundable, and entry includes a live program.

Contestants receive a betting card preloaded with a $250 bankroll, usable at any self-service wagering machines at Laurel Park when accessed with the card’s PIN.

All online players from TVG/4NJBETS must pre-register with Brian Skirka (bskirka@monmouthpark.com) by 3 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 25. All online players from Xpressbet and TwinSpires can pre-register with Brian Skirka or directly through Xpressbet/TwinSpires by the first post time on Saturday, Sept. 26. All online players must declare their tournament ADW (Xpressbet, TwinSpires, or TVG/4NJBETS) at registration.

Players must have an existing ADW account to participate in the Autumn Turf Festival Handicapping Challenge. Each online participant will receive a temporary contest account via Xpressbet, TVG/4NJBETS, or TwinSpires. Players will receive login credentials for their accounts. These accounts will be preloaded with a $250 bankroll. All contest wagers must be placed through the temporary contest account. Players are responsible for distinguishing between contest and personal accounts. After the contest, any remaining bankroll will be transferred to the player’s personal account.

On Saturday, Laurel Park will host three stakes races with a combined purse of $350,000 as part of the Autumn Turf Festival.

Please visit here for complete rules and registration details.

In the last 10 editions of the Pennsylvania Derby, five were won by horses who did not compete in a single Triple Crown race. Last year’s winner was Baeza for the late John Shirreffs with Hector Berrios aboard. This year’s edition brings a plethora of wagering opportunities filled with value all across the board.

Here’s a look at the field from the rail out:

Zihnal, a Quality Road gelding trainer by Jonathan Thomas, is fresh off a 6 ¼-length dominating victory in the G3 West Virginia Derby on Aug. 9 going this same 1 1/8-mile distance. Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez will be back aboard. Iron Honor was runner-up in the G1 Preakness earlier this year and finished third last time out in the G1 Haskell on a sloppy Monmouth Park track. The Nyquist colt is trained by Chad Brown and will have a jockey switch to Jose Ortiz. Our Moneyman, who was recently purchased for $2,000,000 by KAS Stables on July 14, finished runner-up in the G3 Indiana Derby last time out just three days prior to the Fasig-Tipton sale on July 11. The Louisiana-bred by Mr. Money remains in the Bret Calhoun barn with new silks and has never run out of the money from nine career starts. Igniter, a Volatile colt trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., won the Ellis Park Derby last time out on Aug. 9 by four lengths in front-running fashion under Luis Saez, who remains aboard. Withers Stakes and New York Derby winner Talk to Me Jimmy finished runner-up in the Albany Stakes last time out on Aug. 23 on a sloppy Saratoga track for trainer Rudy Rodriguez. Ruben Silvera, who was aboard for the 11-length Withers romp, will be back aboard for the first time since the G2 Wood Memorial in April at Aqueduct.

The Puma, who was a late scratch from the Kentucky Derby, will be making his third start off the long layoff for trainer Gustavo Delgado with Javier Castellano retaining the mount. The Essential Quality colt won the G3 Tampa Bay Derby and finished second by a nose in the G1 Florida Derby before the layoff. In his most recent starts, The Puma finished fourth in both the G1 Haskell and G1 Travers. Further Ado, the 2-1 morning line favorite and 20-length maiden winner last October,made a bid as the favorite in the 152^nd running of the Kentucky Derby. Since the first Saturday in May, the Gun Runner colt won the G3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill in June and finished fifth in the G1 Haskell last time out. Flavien Prat will be aboard for trainer Brad Cox as regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. is still sidelined due to an injury. Freedom’s Echo, an Independence Hall colt, will be making his sixth career start at Parx and first at the graded level for trainer Guadalupe Preciado. Last time out, Freedom’s Echo finished third behind Pennsylvania Derby contenders Micanopy and Ponder and Dream in the Smarty Jones Stakes on Aug. 18. A rider is still to be determined for Freedom’s Echo. After being sidelined for nearly 11 months after his career debut, Sassmaster has won two straight races as a 3-year-old. The Curlin colt trained by Todd Pletcher won an allowance at Saratoga last time out on Aug. 1 going this same nine-furlong distance. Tyler Gaffalione will replace Flavien Prat, who opts to ride Further Ado. Micanopy, an Uncle Chuck colt bred in Florida, will try to make it two-for-two over the Parx main track after winning the Smarty Jones stakes by 1 ½ lengths last time out for trainer Michael Simone. Paco Lopez will be in the irons for the first time. Ponder and Dream, the only Pennsylvania-bred in the field, is nine-for-nine in the money at Parx in his career including a 14 ¾-length romp in the Lil E. Tee Stakes on July 18 for trainer Robert Reid Jr. Parx leading rider Mychel Sanchez will be aboard for the 11^th consecutive time.

Analysis and Main Contenders:

With an 8-1 morning line, Our Moneyman provides terrific value for a consistent colt who has shown potential and promise. Our Moneyman has never run out of the money from nine career starts and comes out of a key race that has produced multiple graded stakes winners. In the G3 Indiana Derby on July 11, Our Moneyman was squeezed at the start and was shuffled back to last but quickly made-up lost ground throughout the race. Along with the tough start, jockey Axel Concepcion lost his crop at the sixteenth pole but despite this Our Moneyman was still able to unleash a brilliant rally and finish second by just a neck to Leading Change, who came back to upset the G1 Travers in his next start. Zihnal, who drew the rail for the Pennsylvania Derby, finished fourth in the Indiana Derby and came back to dominate the G3 West Virginia Derby in his next start as well, adding to the exceptional second-place finish by Our Moneyman.

Though he is a Louisiana-bred, Our Moneyman started his career in Kentucky, finishing second by just a neck in a dirt sprint maiden special weight at Churchill last September before going on to break his maiden at the same level at Keeneland in October. Our Moneyman shipped down to Fair Grounds for the winter and made a bid in four consecutive state-bred stakes races. In November, he finished second in the Joseph R. Peluso Memorial Stakes and a month later won the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Stakes, both at the six-furlong distance. In his 3-year-old debut in January, Our Moneyman started the year with a second-place finish in the Louisiana Futurity, again going six furlongs. Our Moneyman really started to come into his own in March when stretching out to a two-turn route for the first time in the Crescent City Derby at Fair Grounds. Our Moneyman went on to win by three-quarters of a length and improved his Equibase Speed Figure (ESF) from 79 to 92. He again improved his ESF in open allowance company at Churchill Downs in May, earning a 95 ESF for his third-place finish by just 1 ¼ lengths, again at the 1 1/16-mile distance. In June, Our Moneyman made his graded stakes debut in the G3 Matt Winn and made a solid effort to run second-best to Further Ado while regressing a bit in speed figures to a 92 ESF. Last time out, Our Moneyman earned a career-best 100 ESF for his brilliant effort to narrowly run second in the Indiana Derby after being squeezed at the start and his jockey losing the crop.

Just three days after the Indiana Derby, the son of Mr. Money, who stands for $2,500, was purchased for $2,000,000 by KAS Stables and will be making his first start in the new silks. Axel Concepcion has been aboard Our Moneyman for all nine career starts, but Manny Franco, who has been red-hot all summer winning his first Saratoga riding title along with four Grade 1 wins in the meet, will be aboard. This is an interesting move for trainer Bret Calhoun, who has not had a single start with Franco over the last five years. Nonetheless, it is a notable positive that Franco will aboard and adds to the intrigue of this talented colt. Another positive is Our Moneyman’s 107 late pace figure, which ranks first in this field. With proven consistency and ability to perform well in graded stakes while coming off a narrow second-place finish to the eventual Travers winner, Our Moneyman has a wonderful opportunity to find the winner’s circle on Saturday, especially considering he will be closing into a presumably hot pace. 

Sassmaster is an intriguing lightly raced Curlin colt with tremendous value at a 10-1 morning line. Sassmaster started his career in August of 2025, finishing fourth in a dirt sprint maiden special weight at Saratoga and was then sidelined for nearly 11 months. The Curlin colt returned in June, breaking his maiden on sloppy Churchill Downs track stretching out to 1 1/16 miles, improving his ESF from a 68 to an 89. Last time out in his third career start, Sassmaster again stretched out to this same 1 1/8-mile distance in an allowance at Saratoga, winning by a length and earning a career-best 99 ESF. Sassmaster has clearly come back in a big way and passed the nine-furlong test with flying colors. Despite his last race being at the allowance level, he will be running at the same 99 class rating and this seems to be a smart move by Todd Pletcher, who wins at 32 percent from 41 starts over the last five years at Parx. Sassmaster also ranks second by late pace with a 105.5 rating and should be sitting mid-pack before pouncing at the quarter pole. While Sassmaster will be making his stakes debut at the Grade 1 level, this colt’s potential and value are not to be ignored.

Apart from the G2 Wood Memorial, Iron Honor has been a model of consistency for trainer Chad Brown. Iron Honor started his career two-for-two including a win in the G3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct around a one-turn mile. After a rough start in the Wood Memorial in April and subsequently finishing seventh, Iron Honor came back to finish runner-up in the Preakness Stakes. He again ran well in the G1 Haskell, finishing third again behind Napoleon Solo, who went on to run second by a half-length in the Travers. While the 1 1/8-mile does not seem to be his preferred distance, Iron Honor still consistently gives a good effort and runs in the money in Grade 1 races. The Nyquist colt will be able to sit just off the early leaders, and given his recent form, should be able to yet again run in the money. A notable equipment change is the switch back to blinkers, which he wore in his first three career starts but not in the Preakness or the Haskell. Over the last three years, Brown wins at 25 percent from 126 starts with horses switching to blinkers. Flavien Prat, who was aboard Iron Honor’s two most recent starts, opts to ride Further Ado, however Iron Honor receives a more than suitable replacement with the leading rider in North America Jose Ortiz. With a 5-1 morning line, Iron Honor presents solid value for a colt who has always hit the board in some of the top 3-year-old races this year.

The rest of the field with their best Equibase Speed Figures in similar races, is Zihnal (95), Igniter (97), Talk to Me Jimmy (98), The Puma (100), Further Ado (107), Freedom’s Echo (88), Micanopy (96) and Ponder and Dream (94).

Win Contenders in Preference Order:

Our Moneyman
Sassmaster
Iron Honor

Grade 1, $1 Million Pennsylvania Derby
Saturday, Sept. 19 – Parx Racing, Bensalem, Pa.
Race 14 – Post Time 5:48 p.m. ET
3-Year-olds – 1 1/8 Miles (Dirt)

The House Ways and Means Committee approved the measure Sept. 16 as part of a larger tax bill. If ultimately signed into law, the change would apply to the 2026 tax year.

Under a tax law passed last year as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, gamblers can deduct only 90 percent of their losses beginning in 2026. That means a gambler with $100,000 in winnings and $100,000 in losses could still have $10,000 in taxable gambling income despite breaking even.

National Thoroughbred Racing Association president and CEO Tom Rooney, who attended Wednesday’s Ways and Means meeting, called the committee vote “a good first step” in a video shared by the NTRA.

“We’ve been working with various groups to restore it to 100, and it passed out of the committee to do that today,” said Rooney, a House member who represented southwest Florida districts from 2009-’19. “It’s good news for our sport, and we’ll continue to monitor and follow and advocate for putting the gambling tax back to 100 percent.”

An update from @TomRooney regarding the progress made today on the bill to fix the gambling loss tax deduction. A good start! pic.twitter.com/Gsj8ZqOnDL

— NTRA (@NTRA) September 16, 2026

The provision is part of H.R. 10357, the Digital Asset Tax Certainty Act, and would return the tax treatment of wagering losses to what it was before last year’s change: losses could be deducted up to the amount of wagering gains.

Lawmakers from both parties have introduced proposals over the past year to reverse the change, including the FAIR BET Act from Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., and the WAGER Act from Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky. The provision approved Wednesday is based on the FULL HOUSE Act from Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio and Steven Horsford, D-Nev.

The bill still needs approval from the full House and Senate and the president’s signature before the change becomes law.

Finally, after 14 months of uncertainty, my fix to restore the 100% tax deduction for gambling losses has been passed out of committee.

I was the first Member of Congress to recognize this injustice when I introduced my provision to correct it on July 7, 2025. Since then, I have… pic.twitter.com/TOMud2inaf

— Dina Titus (@repdinatitus) September 16, 2026

The pick 5 wager, a 50-cent minimum wager with a special 15% takeout, will be offered from Race 11-15 Saturday. The sequence starts with the $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile, with the Grade 2 Gallant Bob, G1 Cotillion, and G1 Pennsylvania Derby also included.

The Philly Big 5 features a carryover of more than $151,000 in the pool through Tuesday. For more information on the Philly Big 5, click here.

Saturday’s card will also feature seven pick 4s, starting in the first, second, fourth, sixth, eighth, 10th, and 12th races.

All races Saturday will offer win-place-show, daily double, exacta, trifecta, superfecta. Pick 3s will be offered in all races except the 14th and 15th.

Handle on Del Mar’s summer meet races rose to $366.8 million, a 3.1 percent increase over the prior year. Del Mar officials said the handle increase occurred after the track raised its host-fee rates on major CAW operations, in addition to the post time restrictions the track instituted in late July 2025. 

“After analyzing our wagering pools and receiving public feedback, Del Mar, in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), took steps last year to limit CAW access to the win pools, effectively cutting them off at two minutes to post,” said Josh Rubinstein, president of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. “That change addressed the late odds shifts that had frustrated many players. This year, in collaboration with the TOC, we also increased host fees for CAW operators, partly to encourage greater participation by retail bettors in our wagering pools.”

CAW handle on the 2026 Del Mar summer meet decreased by 6.7 percent while non-CAW handle increased by 6.6 percent, accounting for the overall increase. 

“Addressing CAW has been a major priority for California, and from the outset we believed the best path forward was to create a better balance between sophisticated wagering operations and the everyday horseplayer,” said Bill Nader, President and CEO of the TOC. “These encouraging results show that we are moving in the right direction.” 

Del Mar officials noted that the track also benefited from competitive racing and large fields, averaging 8.6 starters per race, among the highest average field sizes in North American racing. The track’s current CAW policies will remain in effect for its Bing Crosby fall meeting, Nov.6 to 29.

The 5 1/2-furlong turf race used Laurel’s second finish line; the camera malfunction required stewards and placing judges to use video replay to determine the correct order of finish, according to a joint statement from the Maryland Jockey Club and Maryland Racing Commission.

“Unfortunately, an erroneous unofficial order of finish was posted prematurely,” the statement said.

World On Fire (6), ridden by Charlie Marquez for trainer Roy Peacock Jr., was initially posted as the unofficial winner. After stewards reviewed the video, however, World On Fire and 7-5 favorite Tiz No Clown (2), ridden by Tais Lyapustina for trainer William Atkins, were declared to have finished in a dead heat for first.

“The correct order of finish was displayed, and the results of the third race were declared official,” MJC and the commission said.

The Equibase chart’s race notes describe Tiz No Clown and World On Fire dueling through the stretch and finishing “on even terms.” Tiz No Clown paid $3.20 to win, while World On Fire paid $26.80.

The completely free-to-play online contest features a $3,000 total cash prize pool provided by Los Alamitos. The challenge spans all six days of the daytime September meet: Friday through Sunday, Sept. 11–13, and Friday through Sunday, Sept. 18–20, 2026. Daily post time is set for 1:00 PM Pacific.

There is no buy-in or entry fee, and all picks score purely mythical wagers. Registration is free and open to all eligible racing enthusiasts at www.losal123.com. 

How the Contest Works

Each race day, the contest covers the final five races of the official Los Alamitos September Thoroughbred card. For each race, participants select a Primary Pick and may add an optional Alternate Pick as a backup. If the Primary is scratched, the Alternate takes over automatically; if no Alternate was chosen, the post-time favorite substitutes. Selections lock strictly 30 minutes prior to the scheduled post time of the first contest race each day.

Players accumulate a virtual bankroll based on real track payouts:

Every selection is scored as a mythical $2 across-the-board wager ($2 Win, $2 Place, and $2 Show, totaling $6 in virtual value).

1st Place Finish: Player earns the official $2 Win, Place, and Show payouts.

2nd Place Finish: Player earns the official $2 Place and Show payouts.

3rd Place Finish: Player earns the official $2 Show payout.

Virtual payouts aggregate over the six racing days into a total contest bankroll. No actual money is wagered, and mythical bankrolls function strictly as points on the tournament leaderboard.

$3,000 Cash Prize Structure

The 10 players with the largest total accumulated bankrolls at the conclusion of the meet on Sept. 20 will share $2,500 in cash prizes:

• 1st Place: $700
• 2nd Place: $450
• 3rd Place: $325
• 4th Place: $250
• 5th Place: $200
• 6th Place: $175
• 7th Place: $125
• 8th Place: $100
• 9th Place: $100
• 10th Place: $75

In addition to the bankroll prizes, a standalone $500 Most Winners Prize will be awarded to the player who selects the highest number of winning horses across the six days. Players are eligible to win both a bankroll prize and the Most Winners Prize.

Registration and Rules

Players can register at any time during the meet at www.losal123.com. While late registration is allowed, any missed racing days prior to signing up will receive a score of zero.

In the event of ties for overall bankroll positions, tiebreakers will be determined in sequence by: (1) most winning selections, (2) most place finishes, and (3 ) highest single-race payout credit. If players remain tied, the applicable prizes are combined and split equally.

For complete official rules, terms, and free registration, visit www.losal123.com. 

The Los Al 123 Thoroughbred Challenge is powered by 123Gaming, whose contest platform hosts the tournament, scores every selection from the official pari-mutuel payouts, and updates the leaderboard in real time throughout each racing day.

The Woodbine Mile is one of four Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In” races on Saturday’s blockbuster 12-race program at Woodbine, with each of the four stake providing a fees-paid berth to the corresponding world championship races, to be held this year at Keeneland on Oct. 30-31.

Five winners of the Woodbine Mile have gone on to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile in the same year, with three of those horses trained by Charlie Appleby. Wise Dan, the only horse to win the Woodbine Mile twice, completed the Woodbine Mile/Breeders’ Cup Mile double in both 2012 and 2013. In 2017, World Approval won both races for trainer Mark Casse, while Appleby trainees Modern Games  in 2022, Master of The Seas in 2023, and Notable Speech in 2025 most recently completed the double. Tepin and Court Vision are the only two horses to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile prior to winning the Woodbine Mile. Along with Deterministic and Notable Speech, this year’s edition features two-time G2 King Edward winner Gas Me Up, as well as Archivist and Silius, who will make their first starts in North America.

Here’s a look at the field from the rail out:

Deterministic, a 5-year-old son of Liam’s Map, enters off six consecutive graded stakes victories at Saratoga and Belmont at the Big A under Kendrick Carmouche, who retains the mount. Previously trained by the late Christophe Clement, Deterministic has won the G1 Manhattan and G1 Fourstardave twice for Clement’s son Miguel. Gas Me Up, one of two Ontario-breds in the field, is fresh off a narrow victory in the G2 King Edward going this mile distance at Woodbine on Aug. 15 for Fraser Aebly, who will remain in the irons. The 6-year-old Hard Spun gelding won last year’s King Edward as well before going on to finish third in the 2025 edition of the Woodbine Mile for trainer Kevin Attard. Odds-on morning line favorite Notable Speech, a 5-year-old Great Britain-bred son of Dubawi, returns to North America for the first time since his bid in the G1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland in April for trainer Charlie Appleby. Since winning the Breeders’ Cup Mile, Notable Speech has won two Group 1 races in England including his most recent start in the City Of York Stakes by 2 ¾ lengths. Regular rider William Buick remains aboard. Like Notable Speech, Archivist is also coming off a win at York in his native England and is by Dubawi. Archivist dominated the G3 Strensall Stakes by 7 ¼ lengths last time out on Aug. 22 in his first start at the group level. The 4-year-old gelding owned by Wathnan Racing will be making his first start in North America for trainer Al Jehani Hamad, who has two wins from four career starts at Woodbine. Joao Moreira will make the trip to Canada for his only mount of the day to be aboard for the first time.

Despite remaining in training at Turfway Park all summer, Irish Aces will be making his third consecutive start at Woodbine and finished second in the G2 Connaught Cup and G2 King Edward to Woodbine Mile contender Gas Me Up. The Mshawish gelding trained by Brendan Walsh will have Pietro Moran back aboard as he seeks his first win at the graded level or mile distance. Irish-bred Silius, the third European shipper by Dubawi in this field, won the G3 Prix Messidor at Chantilly in France on July 19 in his most recent start. The 4-year-old colt is trained by Christophe Ferland, who seeks his first win in North America, and will have John Velazquez aboard for the first time. Itsastormymonday, the longest price on the board with a 30-1 morning line, is coming off back-to-back wins at the allowance optional claiming level for Woodbine regular connections trainer Donald MacRae and jockey Rafael Hernandez. The 4-year-old Get Stormy gelding has three wins and a second over the Woodbine turf. Pierre, the second Ontario-bred in the field, drew the outside for trainer David Jacobson. Previously trained by Kevin Attard, Pierre started his career at Woodbine and switched to the Jacobson barn in July. Last time out for the new barn, Pierre finished second by just a nose in an allowance optional claiming race at Saratoga. Javier Castellano will be aboard the Tapiture gelding for the second time.

Analysis and Main Contenders:

While on paper, this year’s edition of the Woodbine Mile could be considered a two-horse race, the potential of Archivist could land this Dubawi gelding in the winner’s circle. In 2025 the Woodbine Mile was run on the inner turf around two turns, which could be a big factor as this year’s Mile will be around the one-turn E. P. Taylor turf course that recently reopened after renovations. Archivist is coming off two key races in England that might allude to his upcoming affinity for this turf course. On July 31, Archivist won the Golden Mile Stakes at Goodwood, which was also around a one-turn mile on the turf. Last time out, the Dubawi gelding absolutely dominated a terrific field in the G3 Strensall Stakes at York in England, which was a one-turn 1 1/16-mile race going around a left-hand turn (same as North American racing). Archivist closed down the long stretch to win by 7 ½ lengths with third-place finisher Persica going on to win the G3 Superior Mile Stakes at Haydock Park in his next start. Also, in the Strensall at York was multiple group race winner Jonquil and multiple group winner Damysus, adding to Archivist’s impressive victory to win by such a large margin.

Archivist is also a career four-for-five at the mile distance on turf and has connections who ship to North America to win, including stablemate Silawi who won the G1 Canadian International Stakes last October. Trainer Al Jehani Hamad is a career two-for-four at Woodbine, with two graded stakes wins by horses who also were making their first start in North America. These connections are certainly not shipping in Archivist (GB) for no reason, not to mention Joao Moreira, a four-time leading rider in Singapore who also set the single-season record for wins in Hong Kong twice, is flying into Canada for one single mount. With 6-1 morning line odds and maybe higher at post time due to all eyes on Notable Speech and Deterministic, Archivist presents terrific value considering his affinity for a one-turn mile on turf and ability to win at the group level in dominant fashion while running counterclockwise.

Time and time again Deterministic has proven just how special and talented of a horse he is. To win six consecutive graded stakes, including four Grade 1’s, is nearly an impossible feat, but Deterministic just continues to find the winner’s circle. The win streak started in May of 2025, winning the G2 Fort Marcy Stakes at Belmont at the Big A before winning the G1 Manhattan and G1 Fourstardave at Saratoga. Deterministic was then sidelined for nine months and returned to win those same three races in 2026, all with Kendrick Carmouche aboard. Deterministic earned a 112 Equibase Speed Figure (ESF) or higher in all six of his most recent starts and defeated seven different Grade 1 winning horses in those races. Deterministic has come out of the 2026 Fourstardave in good order, a race with a 118 class rating, and has posted two solid works since. Miguel Clement does not bring a lot of horses to Woodbine, but he wins at 25 percent with five wins from 20 starts all-time at this track, including three graded stakes victories. While nine of Deterministic’s10 career wins were in the state of New York, he has been able to ship and win with a victory in the G3 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs in September 2024. Another positive for Deterministic is his running style as most of this field has a sustained running style, he has a good chance of being alone at the front. Deterministic could very well make it seven straight graded stakes wins and should be on every ticket.

Notable Speech has shown his tremendous talent from the get-go, winning four consecutive races including England’s G1 Two Thousand Guineas early in his career in 2024 as a 3-year-old. He went on to win the G1 Sussex Stakes and finished third by just three-quarters of a length in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile in his sophomore campaign. At the age of four, Notable Speech got off to a rocky start going zero-for-four at the Group 1 level in Europe but never finishing worse than 2 ½ lengths off the leader. Last September, he shipped to Woodbine to get his first win of the year in this race and went on to come right back to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile in his next start. Notable Speech started his 5-year-old campaign back in the U.S. in April at Keeneland with a fourth-place finish in the G1 Maker’s Mark Mile and returned home to England in May to win the G1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury and G1 City Of York Stakes on Aug. 22. Notable Speech is returning to North America for the first time since the Maker’s Mark in top form and has every right to be the odds-on morning line favorite. However, Notable Speech (GB) can be beaten as we saw in the Maker’s Mark and in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June when he finished sixth. Appleby and Buick clearly come to Woodbine to win and have won three of the last four editions of the Woodbine Mile. Notable Speech (GB) should be on every ticket, but with a 1-1 morning line, he presents a tough value from a wagering perspective, especially considering his inconsistent performances at the age of five.

The rest of the field with their best Equibase Speed Figures in similar races is Gas Me Up (117), Irish Aces (116), Silius (NA), Itsastormymonday (99) and Pierre (108).

Win Contenders in Preference Order:

Archivist (GB)
Deterministic
Notable Speech (GB)

Grade 1, $1-Million (Canadian) Woodbine Mile Stakes
Saturday, Sept. 12 – Woodbine, Toronto, Canada
Race 9 – Post Time 5:20 p.m. ET
3-Year-Olds and Up – One Mile (Turf)

Turf Champions Day features a quartet of Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In” events and is headlined by the 30th edition of the $1 million Woodbine Mile. The upcoming card of elite racing will also feature several exciting wagering opportunities, including a Woodbine Mile Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) Tournament, in partnership with Xpressbet and TwinSpires.

Featured Wagers

• Race 2: $100,000 Guaranteed Early Pick 5
• Race 4: Early Pick 4
• Race 5: Jackpot Hi-5 Mandatory Payout – $119,402.68 current carryover ​
• Race 6: $250,000 Guaranteed All-Stakes Pick 5
• Race 7: Power Pick 6 Mandatory Payout – $97,209.02 current carryover
• Races 7, 9 & 10: Woodbine Stakes $5 Pick 3
• The Woodbine Stakes Pick 3 appears as a separate card from the main Woodbine card
• Race 8: Late Pick 5
• Race 9: Late Pick 4

Full Stakes Lineup

• Race 5: $500,000 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes (G1)*
• Race 6: $175,000 Branded Cities Vigil Stakes (G3) ​
• Race 7: $500,000 bet365 Summer Stakes (G1)*
• Race 8: $175,000 HPIbet Ontario Matron Stakes (G3) ​
• Race 9: $1,000,000 Woodbine Mile (G1)*
• Race 10: $750,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1)*

*Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win & You’re In” Event ​

Woodbine Mile BCBC Tournament

Woodbine will once again offer the Woodbine Mile Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) Tournament, in partnership with Xpressbet and TwinSpires. Players will have the opportunity to win seats to the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge and the NTRA National Horseplayers Championship.

Tournament Details:

• Date: Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026
• Bet Types: Win, Place, Show, Exacta, Trifecta and Daily Double
• Entry Fee: $1,000 USD
• Bankroll: $600 USD
• Registration Closes: Friday, September 11, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. ET

For more information visit: https://woodbine.com/bcbc/  ​

Post time for Saturday’s Turf Champions Day card is 1 p.m.

For the latest news and information, visit Woodbine.com or follow @WoodbineTB and @WoodbineComms on social media. ​

ThoroEnduro challenges players to build a virtual bankroll over the remainder of the Remington Park season, continuing through Dec. 19. The horse selections in contest races earn a value based on the real win, place, and show payoffs of the actual race. Those with the highest virtual bankroll when ThoroEnduro ends are eligible for prize money. Total cash prizes could exceed $7,000.

The ThoroEnduro grand prize is a seat to the 2027 National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas in March. That prize will go to the highest eligible finisher in ThoroEnduro who is a member of the NHC Tour. Membership is available on the ThoroEnduro game site for a discounted value.

The past performances for ThoroEnduro are once again provided by Brisnet.com, an industry leader in racing information for handicapping.

In order to play ThoroEnduro, players may visit remingtonpark.com and click on the ThoroEnduro gold button at the top of any page on the site.

Through the history of ThoroEnduro, residents from 32 of the United States have won prizes, with residents from three Canadian provinces also scoring.

Remington Park has provided more than $426 million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park presents year-round simulcast racing and casino gaming. The 2026 Oklahoma Derby takes place Sunday, Sept. 27. The Thoroughbred Season continues through Dec. 19. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing or enter the casino gaming floor. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

In a three-horse field traveling 1 ¼ miles on turf, 10-1 shot Wreck It Ronnie defeated 1-33 favorite Nadjidi Storm, a Juddmonte homebred. 

It was the first victory in three starts for Wreck It Ronnie, who was a non-factor in his first two runs on synthetic. Nadiji Storm had won his only prior outing. 

The previous record was held by 1-25 favorites Doom (2023) and Royal Forest (1948).

Paul Binfield of Paddy Power told The Guardian: “Wreck It Ronnie sure lived up to his name with favorite-backers, and the winner was actually a loser in the book, with punters taking a chance against the very short-priced ‘jolly’.”

Read more at theguardian.com. 

The new Place Pick 8 challenges players to select a horse to win or finish second in each of the final eight races on the program. It will be offered every racing day throughout the 19-day Autumn Meet, which runs through Sunday, Nov. 1. If there are no winning tickets in the Place Pick 8, the pool carries over to the following day, creating the potential for significant pools and payouts.

The Place Pick 8 is the newest wager at Santa Anita featuring a player-friendly 15 percent takeout rate. Others include the $5 Late Daily Double, $3 Late Pick 3, $3 All-Turf Pick 3, $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 and $1 Sunset Pick 6. The Late Daily Double covers the final two races on each card, while the Late Pick 3 encompasses the final three races. The All-Turf Pick 3 links the final three turf races on the program.

In addition to introducing the Place Pick 8, Santa Anita has also increased the minimum wager for all Pick 4’s to $1 from its previous base of 50 cents. There will be a $1 Early Pick 4 offered each race day starting with the second race and a $1 Late Pick 4 offered on the final four races. Additionally, on programs with more than 10 races, a $1 Middle Pick 4 will also be offered

The $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 will once again connect California and Florida racing, as it combines select races from Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park on days when both tracks are in action. The $1 Sunset Pick 6 also returns, challenging bettors to select the winners of the final three races at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park. Both the Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 and Sunset Pick 6 are exclusive to retail players only and offer no consolation payout. Instead, the net pool of both wagers will either be distributed entirely to tickets that have every winner or carried over to the next racing day.

Also returning to Santa Anita’s wagering is the traditional $2 Pick 6 offered on the last six races each race day. It will continue to pay out 70 percent of the total pool to tickets that have all six winners with the remaining 30 percent going to consolation payouts. If there are no tickets with six winners, 70 percent of the pool will then carry over to the next race day with the remainder paid out in consolations.

Santa Anita will also continue to offer “rolling” $2 Daily Doubles and $1 Pick 3s throughout each day’s program, providing players with multiple opportunities to get involved from start to finish.

Big pools will again be on the roster in both the 50-cent Early Pick 5 and 50-cent Late Pick 5. The Early Pick 5 features a low 14 percent takeout.

A $1 Super High 5 will be offered on the final race of each day’s card. Players must select the first five finishers in exact order, and if there are no perfect tickets, 100 percent of the pool will carry over to the following day’s Super High 5.

The Autumn Meet will also feature 10-cent Superfectas on all races with a minimum of six entrants, $1 Trifectas on races with a minimum of four runners, and $1 Exactas on every race.

2026 Autumn Meet Wagering Menu

• 10-cent Superfecta on all races with a minimum of six scheduled runners
• 50-cent Early Pick 5 with 14 percent takeout, as well as traditional 50-cent late Pick 5
• $1 Early Pick 4, which is composed of race 2 through 5
• $1 Late Pick 4, covering final four races of each day
• $1 Place Pick 8 final eight races every race day
• $1 Sunset Six final three races at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park
• $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 with 15 percent takeout
• $1 Rolling Pick 3 beginning with first race each day
• $1 Exacta on each race
• $1 Trifecta on each race with minimum of four scheduled runners
• $2 Win, Place and Show wagering on each race, with 15.43 percent takeout
• Traditional $2 Pick Six offered on the final six races each day
• Rolling $2 Daily Doubles (except for final two races)
• $3 All Turf Pick 3 with 15 percent takeout covering the final three turf races of the day
• $3 Late Pick 3 with 15 percent takeout on final three races
• $5 Late Daily Double with 15 percent takeout rate on last two races

Here’s a look at the field from the rail out:

Royal Causeway, who has one of the longest prices on the board with a 20-1 morning line,exits the Water Tower Stakes at Ellis Park where he finished runner-up by just a length to fellow Nashville Derby contender Fancy Sailor. The Not This Time ridgling is trained by Dallas Stewart and will have Christian Torres in the irons. Royal Guard, an Essential Quality colt trained by Brad Cox, broke his maiden by 4 ¾ lengths at Churchill in June going 1 ½ furlongs on the turf. Last time out, he won an allowance at Ellis Park turning back in distance to 1 ¼ miles on the turf. Royal Guard has increasing Equibase Speed Figures (ESF) in every start of his career and will have Florent Geroux back aboard. G1 Saratoga Derby winner Glacius went gate-to-wire last time out and represents one of the only horses with an early speed running style in the Nashville Derby for British-based trainer Hugo Palmer. Luis Saez, who was aboard for the Saratoga Derby, retains the mount on Saturday.  Caroline St. Beat will be making his first start outside the state of New York and first start in a non-restricted state level race for trainer Miguel Clement. The Tiz the Law colt is fresh off a win at Saratoga in a state-bred allowance just seven days ago on Aug. 29. Tyler Gaffalione replaces regular rider Manny Franco who remains at Saratoga for the weekend.

Versailles Road, who gave trainer Todd Pletcher his 6,000^th career win last time out, ships in from Saratoga and has the highest late pace figure of any horse in this field that has made a start in North America. The Quality Road colt will have John Velazquez aboard for the first time since a maiden special weight at Keeneland in October. Causeway had five straight victories in Ireland and England before an unsuccessful bid in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp in France last time out. His wins include the G3 Gallinule Stakes at Curragh in Ireland and the G2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot for trainer Aidan O’Brien, who will be making just his second start at Kentucky Downs in the last five years. Ryan Moore, who makes the trip from Europe and has just two scheduled mounts on Saturday at Kentucky Downs, will be aboard for the first time. Fuzzbuster, who is cross entered in two races on Sept. 7 (one at Kentucky Downs and one at Colonial Downs),finished fourth by just two lengths last time out in the G2 Secretariat Stakes for trainer Victoria Oliver. Mario Gutierrez is named to ride. Fancy Sailor is fresh off a one-length victory in the Watch Tower Stakes at Ellis Park over Nashville Derby contenders Royal Causeway in second and Blackmail in third. The Justify colt has three wins on the turf including back-to-back wins with Brian Hernandez, Jr. aboard, who retains the mount. Trainer Brain Lynch won the Nashville Derby (then Dueling Grounds Derby) in 2023 with Anglophile, who also exited a race at Ellis Park before the victory.

Gostam ships in from Germany for trainer Andreas Wohler, who will be making his second career start at Kentucky Downs. Gostam started his career four-for-four including three Group wins to start his career and finished eighth in the G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) at Chantilly in France and 10^th in the G1 Deutsches Derby at Hamburg in Germany in his most recent two starts. Antonio Fresu has been named to ride. Go Grey was claimed by Mike Maker for $100K last time out when finishing second at Saratoga in an allowance optional claimer going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Jose Ortiz, who was aboard last time out, retains the mount for the new barn. The Knicks Go gelding has a 20-1 morning line for Maker, who won the G2 Kentucky Downs Turf Cup Invitational Stakes last year with Ole Crazy Bone in his second start off the claim. Nil Bua Gan Dua ships in from Ireland for trainer Joseph O’Brien and won the Marble City Stakes last time out at Gowran Park at the 1 ½-mile distance. Ben Curtis will be aboard the American Pharoah colt for the first time. Blackmail rounds out the field for trainer Mark Casse with Javier Castellano aboard. The Not This Time gelding tried to wire the field in the Water Tower Stakes at Ellis Park last time out but finished third.

Analysis and Main Contenders:

Royal Causeway brings tremendous value with a 20-1 morning line for trainer Dallas Stewart, who won the Untapable Stakes at Kentucky Downs less than a week ago. Royal Causeway began his career last August at Kentucky Downs, finishing fourth in a maiden special weight in his debut but was rallying late after trailing the field by more than 16 lengths. This colt is the only contender in this field who has made a start over the Kentucky Downs turf, which could be key. Royal Causeway took some time to find his groove, going zero-for-eight to start his career. However, he has been steadily improving as a 3-year-old and has posted five consecutive increasing Equibase Speed Figures (ESF) going into this race. Royal Causeway broke his maiden in a 1 1/8-mile maiden special weight at Churchill on the grass in June in his ninth career start, surging past the group in the final strides and earned a 94 ESF. A month later, he made it back-to-back wins with a similar run, driving past contenders in the final strides while turning back in distance to 1 1/16 miles at Ellis Park in an allowance optional claiming, again improving to a 100 ESF. Last time out in his stakes debut in the Watch Tower back at Ellis, Royal Causeway stuck to his similar running style, rallying late while steadily moving forward around the final turn. With a slow half mile, the Watch Tower was tough to close into at the 1 1/8-mile distance, and he subsequently finished second by a length to Fancy Sailor. Despite the runner-up finish, Royal Causeway again improved his speed figure to a 101 ESF.

This ridgling could benefit greatly by stretching out three-sixteenths of a mile and his sire Not This Time has five progeny wins from five different horses in the past three years in turf routes at 10 furlongs or more. Royal Causeway certainly faces a tough test but has a wonderful opportunity to beat the favorites considering his incredible pattern of improvement, experience over this track, and the ability to win in the sweltering western Kentucky heat on a firm turf course, which could prove important against the foreign imports. At 20-1 or more, Royal Causeway is certainly worth a shot.

The Coolmore team is not bringing Causeway from across the pond for no reason, especially considering Aidan O’Brien only has one start at Kentucky Downs in the past five years. That, paired with the fact Ryan Moore will be at Kentucky Downs for just two mounts, suggests Causeway could be the real deal. The Wootton Bassett colt was simply spectacular in late 2025 and early 2026, winning five consecutive races on the turf with Ryan Moore aboard after a fourth-place finish on career debut last September. Causeway won a seven-furlong turf sprint in October to end his 2-year-old campaign and resurfaced over five months later in March, winning a handicap in his 3-year-old debut. Causeway then stretched out to a mile at the stakes level at the Curragh in May and was ridden out to a two-length victory under Moore. He then jumped up in class again just 19 days later to the Group level in the G3 Gallinule Stakes back at the Curragh and won by a head after taking command in the final eighth of a mile. In June, Causeway had the best performance of his career, winning the G2 King Edward VII at the prestigious Royal Ascot meet when stretching out to 1 ½ miles on the turf.

Last time out, again at the 1 ½ mile distance, Causeway just didn’t fire in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp, finishing last by 11 ¾ lengths. While it certainly wasn’t a promising performance in his Group 1 try, Causeway is no doubt a talented colt who could run well on this European-style Kentucky Downs turf course. Causeway is a group stakes winner at the 1 ½-mile and 1 ¼-mile distances, with this 1 5/16-mile distance in the Nashville Derby falling in between. Over the past three years, O’Brien and Moore win at 56 percent in turf route races in North America with five wins from nine starts, so it is safe to say they take the trip overseas for a reason. The morning line price of 5-2 is tough value, especially at Kentucky Downs, which makes it more appealing to go with a price play on top.  

Glacius put on a brilliant gate-to-wire performance last time out in the G1 Saratoga Derby going 1 3/16 miles on the turf under Luis Saez. Glacius earned a 109 ESF for that 1 ¼ length victory, which is the highest last out ESF of any contender in this field. Over the past year, horses in turf route graded stakes races with the highest last out ESF in the field win at 26 percent from 226 starts and most recently that includes Naomis in the G2 Lake Placid, Proletariat in the G2 Del Mar Derby, And One More Time in the G2 Ballston Spa and Tam Tam in the G1 Del Mar Oaks. Glacius shipped to North America in late July for the Saratoga Derby and was coming off three consecutive third-place finishes, leading to his 9.62-1 odds last time out. The colt turned some heads with that performance after setting some quick fractions of :23.02 for the first quarter mile and :47.29 seconds for the half mile. A meaningful positive is Luis Saez staying aboard, considering their affinity together and Saez’s ability to be aggressive and win on the front end. With Blackmail and Nil Bua Gan Dua on the far outside as the only other horses to show true early speed, Glacius could be alone in front and should definitely be able to finish well and hit the board.

The rest of the field with their best Equibase Speed Figures in similar races is Royal Guard (95), Caroline St. Beat (92), Versailles Road (98), Fuzzbuster (94), Fancy Sailor (102), Gostam (NA), Go Grey (96), Nil Bua Gan Dua (NA), and Blackmail (102).

Win Contenders in Preference Order:

Royal Causeway
Causeway
Glacius

$3-Million, Grade 2 Nashville Derby Invitational
Saturday, Sept. 5 – Kentucky Downs, Franklin, Ky.
Race 8 – Post Time 5:36 p.m. ET
Television: NBC, Peacock
3-Year-Olds – 1 5/16 Miles (Turf)

That happened on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at Parx Racing, when the Bensalem, Pa., track either became very generous or forgot to remove show betting and refund those wagers when the field for the sixth race was scratched down to three horses.

As a result, show bets on all three starters paid $2.10 for a $2 wager. Apparently the only way to lose would be if someone made a show bet on a horse that failed to complete the race.

Seven fillies and mares were entered for the six-furlong starter/optional claiming race on the main track, but two of them – Sunflower State and Take Charge Boo – were scratched on Wednesday morning.

That left a field of five, but according to the Equibase chart Polecat injured herself in the starting gate and was ordered a late scratch, leaving four runners. Ringer Card broke through the starting gate, unseating jockey Paco Lopez, and ran off, resulting in another late scratch. (Lopez rode later in the card and was apparently not injured in the gate incident.)

The starting gate crew rearranged the numbers atop the starting gate, leaving just the No. 1 (Moon Halory), 2 (Truthorconsequence) and 7 (Tiz Purple) to race. Model rules of the Association of Racing Commissioners International permit show betting to be cancelled when there are fewer than five runners, with all bets made before the cancellation being refunded. That didn’t happen here.

Fortunately for Parx, no significant show wagers were made in the time between the last scratch and the start of the race – which was delayed about seven minutes. According to the Twinspires ADW platform, a total of $4,638 was bet to show, compared to $5,867 in the place pool and $42,394 bet to win. With each of the three runners paying $2.10 to show, a total of $4,868.85 was paid out. The 17 percent takeout would have reduced the pool size to $3,849.54, so Parx wound up paying out $1,019 from their own pocket.

The Gulfstream Summer Sweep Pick 5 is a Retail Only, $1 minimum wager with a 15 percent takeout. There are no consolations in Gulfstream Summer Sweep Pick 5, and the pool will carryover if no one selects all five winners. 

Saturday’s Gulfstream Summer Sweep Pick 5 features stakes action at both tracks, with Gulfstream Park hosting the $150,000 Express Tour for Florida-bred juveniles, and Kentucky Downs hosting the G2, $3 million 1/ST BET Nashville Derby Invitational for 3-year-olds, and the G2, $1.5 million Resolute Racing Ladies Turf for fillies and mares.

On Sunday, the sequence features both stakes at Kentucky Downs – the $500,000 One Dreamer for fillies and mares that have not won a sweepstakes in 2026, and the G3, $1.5 million Global Tote Ladies Marathon for fillies and mares. 

The 1/ST BET Kentucky Downs Meet will be broadcast live each day of the seven-day meet on Peacock, FanDuelTV, as well as Kentucky Downs’ YouTube channel @kydownsracing. NBC Sports provided coverage of opening day from 3:00-5:00 PM CT, while NBC will air Kentucky Downs on Saturday, Sept. 5 during the same time slot. 

Kentucky Downs management made the decision out of an abundance of caution, and in conjunction with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and the horsemen. Originally scheduled as an 11-race program, Thursday will now only run Races 1 through 7 as scheduled. 

The $750,000 Marsh McLennan Bowling Green Gold Cup Invitational, scheduled as Race 9 on Thursday, will now be run on Wednesday, Sept. 9, a day that is also scheduled to feature the G3, $2 million Blackwood Dueling Grounds Oaks Invitational and the $750,000 Pepsi Juvenile Mile. The Kentucky Downs racing office will re-open invitations for the Bowling Green Gold Cup,  which will be redrawn tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept. 2. 

Additionally, Races 8, 10, and 11 for Thursday’s card are listed in the condition book for either Monday, Sept. 7 or Wednesday, Sept. 9 (horses must be re-entered) and post positions are to be drawn Tuesday, Sept. 1 or Wednesday, Sept. 2. The Racing Department expects to card two divisions of all three races for the final two days of the meet provided that sufficient entries are received. 

The 1/ST BET Kentucky Downs Meet will be broadcast live each day of the seven-day meet on Peacock, FanDuelTV, as well as Kentucky Downs’ YouTube channel @kydownsracing. NBC Sports also will provide live coverage of Opening Day from 3:00-5:00 PM CT, while NBC will air Kentucky Downs on Saturday, Sept. 5 during the same time slot.

The 11-race card will begin with three jump races followed by eight races on the flat with the first flat race slated for approximately 10:25 a.m. The last race will be run at approximately 1:30 p.m. There is an Old Dominion 6 carryover of $4,617 heading into the card. The 50-cent minimum traditional Pick 6 wager begins on Race 6.

Friday’s card is scheduled for its regular 12:30 p.m. first post as are programs slated for Saturday and Sunday. The summer meet closes Monday with an 11-race card headed by the Grade 3 $500,000 Old Dominion Derby. Post time Monday is 12 p.m.

For the latest information on racing from Colonial Downs, visit www.colonialdowns.com 

The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Future Wager, which is a win bet only with a $2 minimum, generated $178,906 in total handle on Pool #1.

Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott, was followed by defending Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Forever Young at 9-2 ($11.04). Owned by Susumu Fujita and trained by Yoshito Yahagi, 5-year-old Forever Young successfully defended his Saudi Cup (G1) title earlier this year. Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Golden Tempo, winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, was next at odds of 8-1 ($19.08) for trainer Cherie DeVaux. 

Just behind Golden Tempo, at 9-1 ($20.64), was Godolphin’s Knightsbridge, winner of the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1), also trained by Mott. The fifth choice was Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC’s Dubai World Cup (G1) and Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) winner Magnitude, trained by Steve Asmussen, at 11-1 ($24.22). CRK Stable LLC and Grandview Equine’s Baeza, runner-up in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1), was next at 12-1 ($26.82).

The wagering interest of “All Other Starters Not Listed” closed at 17-1 ($36.32), followed by Wathnan Racing’s Leading Change, winner of Saturday’s Travers Stakes (G1), at 18-1 ($39.86) for trainer Brad Cox.

The field for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Future Wager was reduced to 23 betting interests with the scratch on Friday of Antiquarian, who was retired prior to the opening of Pool #1 wagering. 

Complete closing odds on all horses from Pool #1 can be found at www.breederscup.com/futurewager. 

The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Future Wager enables fans to bet on possible contenders for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic well in advance of the World Championships in October. Odds on horses in the Future Wager pools could be more attractive than those available on Oct. 31.

Pool #2 of the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Future Wager will open on Friday, Sept. 25, at 12 p.m. ET and will close at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 27.

Betting on Pool #2 of the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Future Wager will be offered via Breeders’ Cup partner FanDuel and other advanced-deposit wagering (“ADW”) sites, racetracks, casinos, simulcast centers, and off-track betting sites.

Since 1976, 11 Belmont Stakes winners went on to win the Travers, while in the same time frame 12 winners of the Jim Dandy went on to take the midsummer Derby. This year’s edition brings together the top 3-year-olds in the nation for the last of five Grade 1 races on Saturday’s card at The Spa.

Here’s a look at the field from the rail out:

Emerging Market, the only horse in this field who has beaten Golden Tempo with a win in the G2 Louisiana Derby, drew the inside for trainer Chad Brown, who has two Travers entries. Emerging Market finished out of the money in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont before a runner-up finish last time out at the allowance optional claiming level at Saratoga. Ricardo Santana, Jr. will be aboard for the first time and replaces regular rider Flavien Prat, who opts to ride the other Brown trainee. Leading Change, the most lightly raced colt in the field, is undefeated from two starts with a narrow win in the G3 Indiana Derby last time out. The Gun Runner colt will have Manny Franco aboard for the first time, replacing regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. for trainer Brad Cox. Preakness Stakes winner Napoleon Solo is the lone true early speed in this race for trainer Chad Summers. The Liam’s Map colt is a two-time Grade 1 winner and finished runner-up last time out to fellow Travers contender Baby Vino in the G1 Haskell. Napoleon Solo will have Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez aboard as regular rider Paco Lopez decides to ride Baby Vino. The Puma, who was a late scratch from the Kentucky Derby, is making his second start off a long layoff and finished fourth last time out in the Haskell. Javier Castellano, who was not aboard in the Haskell due to an injury, will be back in the irons for trainer Gustavo Delgado. Renegade exits a brilliant performance in the G2 Jim Dandy, rallying from 11 ½ lengths off the pace to a half-length victory for trainer Todd Pletcher. Tyler Gaffalione replaces regular rider Irad Ortiz, Jr., who is still sidelined with an ankle injury.

Ocelli, who has the most North American earnings of any maiden in history, will be making his fifth consecutive graded stakes appearance. The Connect colt will have a jockey switch to Edgard Zayas for trainer D. Whitworth Beckman. Sea Strike is fresh off an 8 ¼-length romp in the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga, earning a career-best and best in this field 109 Equibase Speed Figure. The Midshipman colt and second Brown entrant will be making his career graded stakes debut and first start at the 10-furlong distance. Regular rider Flavien Prat opts to stay aboard. Baby Vino upset the Haskell last time out at odds of 28-1 to make Lindsay Schultz the first female trainer to win the prestigious race. The Vino Rosso colt has won his last three consecutive races including a 10 ¾-length romp in the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park in June. Paco Lopez will be aboard. Golden Tempo, the 5-2 morning line favorite and dual classic winner,returns for the first time since the third leg of the Triple Crown for trainer Cherie DeVaux. The Curlin colt is two-for-two at this 10-furlong distance and will have Jose Ortiz aboard for the eighth consecutive time. Golden Tempo has been training at Saratoga since late July and skipped the Jim Dandy due to a brief illness. Silent Tactic rounds out the field with a tremendous 10-1 morning line value. The Tacitus colt has never run out of the money from seven career starts, with six of those races at the stakes or graded stakes level. Silent Tactic will be ridden by Luis Saez.

Analysis and Main Contenders:

With the presence of Renegade, Golden Tempo will most likely not be the 1-4 favorite like last year’s winner Sovereignty, who also won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont before a 10-length Travers romp. Golden Tempo has been impressive since the get-go in December and has kept the same running style since closing from “off the screen” on career debut in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Fair Grounds. Golden Tempo followed that maiden win up with another last-to-first rally in the G3 Lecomte when stretching out to 1 1/16 miles. In February, the son of Curlin hit somewhat of a slump, finishing third in the G2 Risen Star and G2 Louisiana Derby, both at Fair Grounds. On the first Saturday in May in his first start outside of Fair Grounds, Golden Tempo made a run for the ages, rallying from 18^th by 13 lengths at the third point of call and 11^th by six lengths at the furlong pole to win the 152^nd running of the Kentucky Derby by a neck over Renegade at odds of 23-1, making Cherie DeVaux the first female trainer in history to win the run for the roses.

DeVaux opted to skip the Preakness and train up to the Belmont. Despite winning the Derby, there were still doubts about his ability, reflected in his 6-1 odds for the Belmont, which was held for the final time at Saratoga going 1 ¼ miles. Per usual, Golden Tempo dropped back to last early and then made a powerful move into the stretch to win the Belmont by 1 ¼ lengths over Commandment and Renegade, making Golden Tempo two-for-two at 10 furlongs. Following the Belmont, Golden Tempo had a brief illness and subsequently had to miss the Jim Dandy. While this can certainly be taken as a negative, Golden Tempo clearly performs best off a longer layoff and has been able to train up to the Travers, posting five published works over the Saratoga main track this summer including a bullet four furlongs in :47.46 on Aug. 15. Jose Ortiz, who has ridden Golden Tempo for all six career starts, will be back aboard in the Travers which is a meaningful positive considering their affinity together. While he has not produced Equibase Speed Figures as high as Renegade or Sea Strike, Golden Tempo is at the top of his game and has a wonderful opportunity to become the third horse (Thunder Gulch, 1995 and Sovereignty, 2025) in the last 50 years to complete the Derby, Belmont and Travers trifecta.

Renegade is an incredibly talented Into Mischief colt and was thoroughly impressive both qualitatively and quantitatively last time out with a brilliant rally to win the Jim Dandy. Renegade did not technically break his maiden until the age of three, when winning the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs by 3 ¾ lengths with The Puma finishing third. Renegade then really turned heads with a dominating four-length win in the G1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn in March. Renegade was then dealt with a tough hand, drawing unlucky post position one in the Kentucky Derby, arguably the hardest spot to win the Derby. Despite this, Renegade made a valiant effort and finished second by just a neck to Golden Tempo in the Derby under a brilliant ride by Irad Ortiz Jr. While he did not win the Belmont, Renegade did not run poorly by any means and finished third, an impressive feat finishing in the money in two legs of the Triple Crown. Last time out in the Jim Dandy and without the presence of Golden Tempo, Renegade was able to rally from 11 lengths off the pace, eluding that his best races have still yet to come.

While he has not won at 1 ¼ miles, it is clear Renegade has the potential to win at this classic distance and he has not finished out of the money from three starts at Saratoga or in his career. Tyler Gaffalione, who is currently the fourth-leading rider in the country by earnings, will replace Ortiz, who is sidelined by injury. Gaffalione is a wonderful rider, and his career record reflects that, but Renegade will miss Ortiz being in the irons. Renegade should be on your ticket and will have a big opportunity to turn the tables on Golden Tempo.

Like Renegade, Silent Tactic has been a model of consistency throughout his career and has never finished worse than third from seven career starts, five of which were at the graded level. With a 10-1 morning line, Silent Tactic also brings a plethora of value to the table for a horse that has proven time and again he can run with some of the best of this 3-year-old crop. Silent Tactic started his career on the all-weather at Woodbine before shipping to Oaklawn as a 3-year-old and finished second in his dirt debut in the Smarty Jones Stakes in January. A month later, Silent Tactic became a graded stakes winner with a 3 ¼-length dominant victory in the G3 Southwest Stakes, earning a career-best 103 Equibase Speed Figure. Although Silent Tactic has yet to find the winner’s circle since the Southwest, he finished second in both the G2 Rebel Stakes and G1 Arkansas Derby.

Following a scratch from the Kentucky Derby, Silent Tactic was sidelined until Aug. 1 in the Jim Dandy when he finished third by 2 ½ lengths behind Renegade in first and notably finished 12 lengths ahead of the fourth-place finisher. Silent Tactic performed exceptionally well in the Jim Dandy considering he was coming off a more than four-month layoff and could massively improve yet again in his second start since the end of March. Trainer Mark Casse wins at a 24 percent clip in all races over the past year with horses making their second start off a two-to-six-month layoff from 71 starts. Silent Tactic has been training forwardly at Saratoga all summer and could be a real surprise in this spot at a big price.

The rest of the field with their best Equibase Speed Figures in similar races is Emerging Market (98), Leading Change (101), Napoleon Solo (102), The Puma (97), Ocelli (99), Sea Strike (109), and Baby Vino (102).

Win Contenders in Preference Order:

Golden Tempo
Renegade
Silent Tactic

$1.25 Million, Grade 1 Travers Stakes
Saturday, Aug. 29 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Race 13 – Post Time 6:35 p.m. ET
Television: FOX Network
3-Year-Olds – 1 ¼ Miles (Dirt)

The Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Future Wager is a $2 minimum bet and is a win wager only. It will enable fans to bet on up to 24 wagering interests for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic well in advance of the Oct. 31 race date. Odds on horses in the future pools typically provide more value to horseplayers than those available on race day. This year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic will be run Oct. 31 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., during the 43rd Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

Both future bet pools will consist of a maximum of 23 unique wagering interests and one “All Other Starters” wager for a total of 24 betting interests. “All Other Starters” includes any Thoroughbreds entered in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic other than the pool’s individual horses.

Betting on all Breeders’ Cup future wagers will be offered via Breeders’ Cup partner FanDuel and other advanced-deposit wagering (“ADW”) sites, racetracks, casinos, simulcast centers, and off-track betting sites.

Listed just behind Sovereignty (#21) in the opening line at 5-1 is Japanese superstar and defending Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Forever Young (#6), who captured the Saudi Cup (G1) earlier this year. Knightsbridge (#11), winner of the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1), is next at 6-1, followed by “All Other Starters That Are Not Listed” (#24) at 8-1. Magnitude (#13), who won the Dubai World Cup (G1) and the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1), is next at 10-1. Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Golden Tempo (#8) is listed at 12-1, as is Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) winner Renegade (#17), runner-up in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Belmont Stakes. 

Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Future Wager – Pool #1 – Closing Aug. 30 at 6 p.m. ET

1. Antiquarian, Todd Pletcher, 25-1 
2. Baby Vino, Lindsay Schultz, 50-1 
3. Baeza, Bill Mott, 15-1 
4. Commandment, Brad Cox, 40-1 
5. Emerging Market, Chad Brown, 90-1 
6. Forever Young, Yoshito Yahagi, 5-1 
7. Further Ado, Brad Cox, 70-1 
8. Golden Tempo, Cherie DeVaux, 12-1 
9. Hit Show, Brad Cox, 80-1 
10. Iron Honor, Chad Brown, 90-1 
11. Knightsbridge, Bill Mott, 6-1 
12. Leading Change, Brad Cox, 60-1 
13. Magnitude, Steve Asmussen, 10-1 
14. Napoleon Solo, Chad Summers, 50-1 
15. Nitrogen, Mark Casse, 20-1 
16. Phileas Fogg, Gustavo Rodriguez, 25-1 
17. Renegade, Todd Pletcher, 12-1 
18. Sea Strike, Chad Brown, 30-1 
19. Silent Tactic, Mark Casse, 60-1 
20. Skippylongstocking, Saffie Joseph Jr., 70-1 
21. Sovereignty, Bill Mott, 4-1 
22. Ted Noffey, Todd Pletcher, 50-1 
23. The Puma, Gustavo Delgado, 40-1 
24. “ALL OTHER STARTERS THAT ARE NOT LISTED” 8-1 

Complete Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Future Wager information is available at www.breederscup.com/futurewager. Live odds will be available on the website along with the Racetrack Television Network (“RTN”) and other simulcast outlets.

The King of the Turf Handicapping Challenge at Kentucky Downs has become one of the country’s most popular live-money tournaments, and will consist of three online handicapping contests taking place through Xpressbet, TVG/4NJBETS, TwinSpires, and HPI (for Saturday, Sept. 5 contest) only. A $400 buy-in contest ($200 entry fee, $200 bankroll) will be held on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, followed by a $300 buy-in contest ($150 entry fee, $150 bankroll) on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, and a $2,500 buy-in contest ($1,000 entry fee, $1,500 bankroll) on Saturday, September 5, 2026. Each of the three individual contests will have an independent prize structure. The player who wins the Saturday, Sept. 5 contest will be named the King of the Turf: National Turf Handicapping Champion. Feeder competitions for the King of the Turf Handicapping Challenge are available at horsetourneys.com. 

“With endless full fields and quality races, Kentucky Downs offers a handicapping puzzle perfectly suited for one of the country’s biggest contests,” said King of the Turf Handicapping Challenge Tournament Director Brian Skirka. “It’s a privilege to be back as tournament director, and I look forward to the best contest players in the country battling for the coveted Championship belt – along with all the other great prizes, of course! Our Sunday/Thursday feeders offer players a chance to win their King of the Turf entry for a discount, which is a great opportunity for all.”

Last year’s King of the Turf champion Matt Miller is back for more action in this year’s tournament, and determined to protect his title. The retired lawyer from the Chicago suburb of Northbrook said the King of the Turf is one of his high priorities when it comes to tournaments. 

“It is absolutely one of the tournaments that I circle on the calendar at the beginning of the year,” Miller said.  “I absolutely love Kentucky Downs: the full fields, the competitive racing provides for terrific prices, and the odds are often quite generous. I never back down from a challenge; I just adjust my approach. I usually go for one or two big hits, not trying to hit every race.”

One of said “big hits” for Miller took place on the final day of last year’s King of the Turf when he made a $1,500 win wager on Risk Manager, who went off at just under 7-1 and made a late-stretch rally to collar a pacesetting Gilded Craken in a $200,000 allowance optional claimer going 1 5/16 miles. The victory gave Miller a lead that ended up being uncatchable, as he finished the tournament with $27,625 cash prize, as well as a seat at the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge. Miller was a previous BCBC Champion in 2021. 

“I had a target last year, and I hit it. I know that sounds basic, but that’s where it starts,” Miller noted. “Risk Manager was 6 to 1, and it was all a part of the strategy. I’ll enter a tournament knowing my opinions on that day. King of the Turf is one of my favorites, and these types of handicapping contests are a big deal. Coming up with the target and working backward from there is what I do, and the plan can change. If I’m forced to adapt my plan, I will.”

After retiring as a corporate attorney in 2023, Miller wrote about his lifelong love of horseracing in his book A Bettor Way of Thinking. In this book, Miller compares the puzzle of analyzing a horse race to the overall journey of life, providing personal anecdotes and words of wisdom.

“It’s a lot of life and life lessons that apply to tournaments,” Miller said. “It’s about having a plan in life and looking ahead. If I apply it to gambling, you have a certain amount of money in your pocket. The question is what’s the plan with it? You have $1000. Will you be happy if you turn that into $1,500, or do you want to turn that into more? How do you know if you succeeded and when to stop? It made for an interesting concept.”

But perhaps Miller’s biggest motivation for a back-to-back King of the Turf title is securing another belt. 

“It’s the best trophy we have in horseracing tournaments,” Miller said. “ If I win again, I will 100% bring the first belt with me to Vegas. I want to have one on each shoulder.”

For any questions and to register for the King of the Turf and play-in tournaments, email King of the Turf Handicapping Challenge Tournament Director Brian Skirka at bskirka@monmouthpark.com. 

Isner, from Boston, bested 164 total entries participating from on-track at Del Mar or online on TVG.com and Xpressbet.com.

Brian Chenvert of Rogers, Minn., also crushed the last race with a large exacta to boost his bankroll to $38,390 and take home second place worth another $28,000 in cash and prizes.

Third place finisher Jeannie King from Solana Beach, Calif., finished with $36,774.

The top six finishers received $10,000 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge entries. Also awarded were National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) and Del Mar Fall Challenge Nov. 28 spots.

Participants competed for $164,000 in total cash and prizes during the fantastic Pacific Classic Day card, contributing to the second highest Pacific Classic Day handle of $29.14 million.

PLACE – NAME – FINAL BANKROLL

1. Joshua Isner $53,927.60
2. Brian Chenvert $38,390.00
3. Jeannie King $36,774.00
4. Tony Zhou 2 $36,214.20
5. Robert Traynor 2 $35,500.00
6. James Ough $29,452.00
7. Jerry Brown $21,602.70
8. Chris Podratz $21,420.00
9. Mark Streiff $17,497.60
10. Karl Broberg $14,200.00

Om N Joy enters as the first filly or mare to compete in this race since Beholder in 2016 and will face Grade/Group 1 winners Subsanador, Hit Show, British Isles and G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Full Serrano. Just two Pacific Classic winners went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic that same year: Accelerate in 2018 and Flightline in 2022. Pleasantly Perfect is the only horse to win the BC Classic (in 2003) prior to the Pacific Classic (2004).

This year’s edition of the Pacific Classic is a wide-open affair with Knightsbridge as the 5-2 morning line favorite while the rest of the field is set at 5-1 odds or higher. The 11-horse field offers lucrative opportunities in all aspects of wagering and appears to be a tremendous betting race.

Here’s a look at the field from the rail out:

Om N Joy, the lone filly in the field with the longest morning line price on the board of 20-1, finished runner-up by just a half-length in the G1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar last time out on Aug. 1. The Om filly, and only California-bred in the field, is a career five-for-five in the money at Del Mar for trainer Aggie Ordonez. Regular rider Kent Desormeaux is back aboard for just his 46^th mount of the year. Forged Steel, the first of two Saffie Joseph Jr. entrants,shipped out to California in late May to romp by 9 ½ lengths in the 1 ¼-mile G2 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita in gate-to-wire fashion over fellow Pacific Classic entrant Malarchuk. Last time out, the Vekoma colt finished a distant fifth behind Hit Show, who finished second. Edwin Gonzalaez will be reunited for the first time since their dominant win together in an allowance optional claiming race at Tampa Bay Downs in March for his only mount of the day at Del Mar. Japanese-bred Finger, a Gun Runner colt and the only 3-year-old in the field, ships in from Japan coming off back-to-back stakes wins including a 1 ¼-length victory in the Tokyo Derby last time out. Trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka and jockey Keita Tosaki will both be making their first start in North America since a fifth-place finish together in the 2023 G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile. Argentine-bred Subsanador, one of two 7-year-olds in the field, was off for 18 months following his win in the G1 California Crown Stakes at Santa Anita due to an ankle injury in October 2024. Subsanador returned to the track in March this year and has yet to finish in the money from three starts including a fifth-place finish last time out in the Hollywood Gold Cup to Forged Steel and Malarchuk in here. Mike Smith retains the mount for trainer Richard Mandella. Malarchuk will be making his third start for the Michael McCarthy barn after being previously trained by Chad Brown. The 5-year-old son of Nyquist finished runner-up in the Sunland Park Stakes and Hollywood Gold Cup for McCarthy and will have Umberto Rispoli aboard for the first time. Original Sin ships in from Saratoga for trainer Brendan Walsh and is coming off a ninth-place finish in the G2 Suburban Stakes at the Spa on July 4. The Curlin colt won the G3 Blame Stakes two starts back and will have Juan Hernandez aboard for the first time.

Hit Show, the 2025 G1 Dubai World Cup winner with over $9.5 million in lifetime earnings, seeks his ninth career graded stakes victory for trainer Brad Cox. The 6-year-old son of Candy Ride finished third in the G3 Blame Stakes and second last time out in the G2 Suburban Stakes since returning from a bid in the 2026 Dubai World Cup. Florent Geroux, who has been aboard Hit Show in 14 of his 27 career starts, will be in the irons for the first time since March. British Isles, the 2026 G1 Santa Anita Handicap winner, finished fourth last time out in the G2 Hollywood Gold Cup for trainer Richard Baltas. Diego Herrera will be aboard for the first time since their Big Cap win together in March. Navajo Warrior, Saffie Joseph’s second entrant, is fresh off a dominant victory in the G3 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows on July 11. The 5-year-old Candy Ride gelding is a career 10-for-18 lifetime and returns to Del Mar for the first time since a win in a maiden claiming race in October 2024. Since switching to the Joseph barn last August, Navajo Warrior has made six trips to the winner’s circle from eight starts including back-to-back Grade 3 wins going into this race. Micah Husbands retains the mount and returns to Del Mar for the first time since his win in the Clement L. Hirsch on August 1. Full Serrano, the second 7-year-old Argentine-bred in the field, finished runner-up in the 2024 Pacific Classic before going on to win the G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile that year. The John Sadler trainee seeks his first win in nearly a year and will have Joel Rosario aboard. The 5-2 morning line favorite Knightsbridge drew the far outside as he stretches out to 1 ¼ miles for the first time. Last time out the 5-year-old son of Nyquist dominated the G3 Monmouth Cup Stakes by 10 ¼ lengths in his first start going two-turns. The Godolphin homebred trained by Bill Mott will have Junior Alvarado, who has been in the irons for nine of his 11 career starts.

Analysis and Main Contenders:

With Knightsbridge, the morning-line favorite who needs the lead, drawing the far outside while stretching out, the Pacific Classic has become open to a plethora of money-making opportunities. At a 12-1 morning line, Subsanador is a formidable contender with a ton of value considering his most recent performances. Following a hard-fought narrow victory in the G1 California Crown at Santa Anita in September 2024, Subsanador was forced to miss the Breeders’ Cup Classic due to an ankle injury in October that year and was subsequently laid off for 18 months. Subsanador returned to the track earlier this year in March, turning back in distance in the seven-furlong G3 San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita and just did not fire that day, finishing fourth by eight lengths. He followed that up with another fourth-place finish by eight lengths in the Lake Ouachita Stakes when shipping to Oaklawn in May. Last time out, Subsanador finished last by 37 lengths after being eased up under Mike Smith in the stretch due to a loose shoe. While his last three starts since returning from injury are certainly not promising, Subsanador did have an excuse last time out in a race he lost in 2024 before going on to win back-to-back graded stakes.

The 7-year-old has been working tremendously since the Gold Cup with five consecutive impressive breezes at Del Mar. On July 29, he worked six furlongs in 1:11.80 and a week later worked a mile in 1:37.20 in between races on the Del Mar card. On Aug. 13, he fired a bullet five furlongs in :58.80 and on Aug. 19, just three days before this upcoming race, he worked another bullet three furlongs in :36.40. Subsanador is clearly fit, ready to run and could return to his class and winning form that he showed in his dominant 4-year-old and 5-year-old campaigns. While returning as a Grade 1 winner off such a long layoff is a difficult feat for any horse, Subsanador has Hall of Fame connections to do just that for Richard Mandella and Mike Smith. Mandella and Smith win at 25 percent in dirt routes together over the past five years and in the same time frame they win at 21 percent in dirt route graded stakes. Subsanador presents a lot of value with the betting public looking at his last three performances, however this talented horse certainly has the ability to best this field and with his recent workouts, is impossible to ignore at the price.

While there is a large amount of early speed in this race, Navajo Warrior can win off the pace despite his two most recent starts going gate-to-wire and brings a solid 8-1 morning line for proven winning connections. Navajo Warrior has been steadily improving throughout his career and has hit his best stride as of late, especially when switching to the Saffie Joseph Jr. barn, winning six of eight starts since the trainer switch. Navajo Warrior was previously trained by Tim Yakteen and is quite familiar with California dirt and won his last start at Del Mar in a dirt route, despite it being a maiden claiming event. Since joining the Joseph, Jr. barn he romped at Saratoga and Oaklawn Park in races that had a 108 and 102 class rating, respectively. As a 5-year-old this year, he has won three straight races from four starts, with his first win of the year coming from an allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park in March over Gosger where he rallied from last while earning a 106 Equibase Speed Figure (ESF).

Navajo Warrior scratched out of the G2 Alysheba at Churchill on May 1 and opted for the G3 Pimlico Special at Laurel Park on Preakness Stakes weekend and went gate-to-wire to draw clear by 2 ¾ lengths, improving to a 107 ESF. Last time out, he shipped to Prairie Meadows for the feature race of their biggest day of the year, the G3 Cornhusker Handicap. Off as the 8-5 favorite, Navajo Warrior took command early under Micah Husbands and was much the best throughout the race with a 3 ½-length gate-to-wire victory and repeated his 107 ESF earned in the Pimlico Special. While his graded stakes victories came when setting the pace, his last five of eight wins were with a presser or sustained running style, which is crucial in this field filled with early speed.

Knightsbridge is a vulnerable favorite with his best performances coming with an uncontested lead. However, this horse has proven he can compete with top performers with a contested lead when finishing second in the G1 Met Mile at Saratoga behind Nysos and ahead of Journalism, who went on to win the G2 San Diego Handicap in his next start before retiring. Prior to his most recent start, Knightsbridge has been a true seven-furlong and one-turn mile horse with incredible performances at those distances. Six of his seven career wins were by a winning margin of over four lengths and is other win was by 2 ¾ lengths when running on a muddy track for the first time. Last time out, Knightsbridge faced a ginormous test when stretching out to two-turns in the 1 1/8-mile G3 Monmouth Cup, and he passed with flying colors. The son of Nyquist was ridden out to a 10 ¼-length victory under Flavien Prat, matching a career-best ESF of a 109, which is the highest last out ESF of any horse in this field. Knightsbridge will again face a tall task, stretching out another furlong with a presumably very well contested lead. That being said, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott put him in this spot for a reason, and it is a telling sign that regular rider Junior Alvarado is leaving Saratoga to head to Del Mar for the day. Knightsbridge has two straight consecutive increasing speed figures going into this race and while he might not win, he should run well to his morning line favoritism and run in the money.

The rest of the field with their best Equibase Speed Figures in similar races is, Om N Joy (108), Forged Steel (107), Finger (NA), Malarchuk (109), Original Sin (105), Hit Show (108), British Isles (107), and Full Serrano (117).

Win Contenders in Preference Order:

Subsanador
Navajo Warrior
Knightsbridge

Grade 1, $1 Million Pacific Classic
Saturday, Aug. 22 – Del Mar racetrack, Del Mar, Calif.
Race 10 – Post Time 9:43 p.m. ET
3-Year-Olds and Up – 1 ¼ Miles (Dirt)