Handicapping | Horse Racing Free Tips

Handicapping the Kentucky Derby Preps: Blue Grass, Santa Anita Derby & Wood Memorial

TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack provides analysis for Saturday's trio of GI Kentucky Derby prep races.

GI Toyota Blue Grass S. – In a race billed as a showdown between the re-opposing GII Remsen S. one-two Dornoch (Good Magic) and Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), don't look past likely third choice Just a Touch (Justify). The highly regarded bay ran to the hype with a powerful debut score for trainer Brad Cox over the promising $1.7-million KEESEP graduate Gun Party (Curlin) (he returned with another very good second-place finish Mar. 16) on debut sprinting in the Fair Grounds slop Jan. 27. He was well-backed at the windows again for his second career start and lost little in defeat finishing second as the favorite over another saturated surface in a deep renewal of the GIII Gotham S. Mar. 2. Just a Touch will finally get a chance to showcase his ability on a fast surface and has every right to take another step forward stretching out to two turns for the first time as well. He should be able to sit a perfect trip just off Dornoch and have the jump on the stretch-running Sierra Leone, who is the horse to beat off his impressive come-from-behind win in the GII Risen Star S. Feb. 17. Selection: #6 Just a Touch (7-2).

GII Wood Memorial S. – No knocks on the 7-5 morning-line favorite and impressive Gotham winner Deterministic (Liam's Map), but I prefer the fellow unbeaten Tuscan Sky (Vino Rosso) here. Like the aforementioned Just a Touch, Tuscan Sky has raced only on wet, sealed tracks in his first two starts. The gray finished up like a real good thing after a bit of an interesting journey (led early, dropped back to third on the far turn and leveled off beautifully in stretch to win going away) sprinting on debut at the Big A Jan. 13. He backed up that effort with another fantastic performance–albeit in a three-horse field–with a two-length decision over sharp next-out Hot Springs S. winner Nash (Medaglia d'Oro) (good for a 95 Beyer) while making his two-turn debut on the Risen Star undercard. Tuscan Sky tuned up for this with a four-furlong bullet in :48 3/5 (1/20) for seven-time Wood Memorial-winning trainer Todd Pletcher at Palm Beach Downs Mar. 30. Tuscan Sky's young sire Vino Rosso won this same race in 2018. Selection: #9 Tuscan Sky (4-1).

GI Santa Anita Derby – It's difficult to make a case against Imagination (Into Mischief), who will be the much-deserved Santa Anita Derby favorite. The $1.05-million KEESEP yearling has run well in all five of his career starts and has taken a nice step forward in his last two. He gave highly regarded Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Maymun (Frosted) all he could handle while finishing second in an optional claimer Feb. 11, then dug in gamely to secure a career high in the GII San Felipe S. Mar. 3. Should be well-spotted beneath Frankie Dettori either on or just off the lead. Selection: #4 Imagination (8-5).

The post Handicapping the Kentucky Derby Preps: Blue Grass, Santa Anita Derby & Wood Memorial appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

NHC Introduces ‘Silver Sunday’ Contest at NHC

This year's 25th renewal of the National Horseplayers' Championship (NHC) presented by Caesars Entertainment, Horseshoe Las Vegas and Racetrack Television Network (RTN) will include a new wrinkle. The 'Silver Sunday' contest will take place Sunday, Mar. 17 and will replace the Sunday Consolation Contest, where only entries that did not make the semi-final round would compete in a 10-race contest for prize money.

The 'Silver Sunday' contest will instead be open to all individuals competing in the tournament with no fee to enter. Individuals will receive no more than one entry and will be asked to place mythical win/place wagers on 10 optional and seven mandatory races on Mar. 17. The seven mandatories will coincide with the NHC Final Table. The top 25 highest bankrolls, including ties, will be eligible for a share of $100,000 in prize money. The top five finishers receive an entry into the 2025 NHC and the top 10% will receive on-track 2024 NHC points. Click here for the full contest rules.

A separate online contest including the seven mandatory races that comprise the NHC Final Table will be offered online on Mar. 17 to NHC non-qualifiers only and offer five spots in the 2025 NHC as well as Tour Points. Both the Silver Sunday Contest and the online contest for non-NHC qualifiers will be free-to-play contests and limited to one entry per individual. Both contests will require a 2024 NHC Tour Membership in advance of the start of the contests. The online contest will be hosted on HorseTourneys.com.

This year's NHC features more than 600 horseplayers competing for an estimated $4 million in cash and prizes. Click here for additional information.

The post NHC Introduces ‘Silver Sunday’ Contest at NHC appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Handicapping the Kentucky Derby Preps: Holy Bull, Robert B. Lewis, Southwest & Withers

TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack provides his analysis for Saturday's quartet of GI Kentucky Derby prep races.

GIII Holy Bull S. – Last year's jaw-dropping GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) finds a perfect landing spot to launch his sophomore season versus seven overmatched rivals. Not worth trying to beat him here, even if he's closer to 1-9 than his 3-5 morning-line quote.

I can't see him defeating the recently crowned 2023 champion 2-year-old, but how about Domestic Product (Practical Joke) to complete a cold exacta at a price? His maiden win two starts back in his two-turn debut at Aqueduct last fall was impressive enough to give him a pass for his no-show seventh in the GII Remsen S. in the mud last out. Training well for Chad Brown and the blinkers come off for this. Selection: #7 Fierceness (3-5).

GIII Southwest S. – Just couldn't resist taking a swing on a longshot closer in a wide-open race that seems destined for a pace meltdown. The lightly raced Common Defense (Karakontie {Jpn}) ran very well to finish second behind his Ken McPeek-trained stablemate and subsequent GIII Lecomte S. longshot third Lat Long (Liam's Map) in his Oaklawn Park course-and-distance debut Dec. 17. He ran to the money and kicked home beautifully in Oaklawn's short stretch to graduate next out going a mile Jan. 13 and was a supplemental entry here. Common Defense is bred to run all day (his third dam is GISW Aldiza) and he should offer plenty of value in by far the best wagering event of the four prep races on tap Saturday.

Last out stretch-running GIII Street Sense S. winner Liberal Arts (Arrogate) also makes plenty of sense here; and will also be using wise-guy horse Awesome Road (Quality Road) despite the very tough draw. Selection: #8 Common Defense (15-1).

GIII Robert B. Lewis S. – 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist) looked like a complete monster in his first two starts sprinting for Bob Baffert last term, including a runaway stalk-and-pounce win in the seven-furlong GIII Bob Hope S. last out Nov. 19. No reason to think anything can get near him here either in his first try off the bench in this first test around two turns. Good luck seeing anything near that 4-5 morning-line quote! Selection: #6 Nysos (4-5).

GIII Withers S. – Speed Runner (Gun Runner), a useful third going seven furlongs on debut, took a major step forward with a game maiden victory at the Big A over this same course and distance for Todd Pletcher while making his route debut last time Dec. 8. The half-brother to GI Blue Grass S. winner and GI Belmont S. third Brilliant Speed (Dynaformer) should work out an ideal trip beneath Jose Lezcano from his rail draw.

Deserving favorite Lightline (City of Light), a rallying second from far back behind unbeaten Southwest contender Carbone (Mitole) going a mile at Oaklawn, should appreciate the additional real estate for Brad Cox.

Uncle Heavy (Social Inclusion) is an interesting longshot to consider for underneath shipping in off a better-than-it-looks win in the Wait For It S. versus state-breds at Parx. Selection: #1 Speed Runner (5-1).

The post Handicapping the Kentucky Derby Preps: Holy Bull, Robert B. Lewis, Southwest & Withers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Horseshoe Indy Makes Donation To Grayson Jockey Club Equine Research

Horseshoe Indianapolis hosted the fourth annual Grayson Grass Challenge throughout the month of August to benefit Grayson-Jockey Club Equine Research and made a $9.6k donation as a result.

“We just completed our fourth year hosting this event and the handicappers involved raised a record amount for Grayson,” said Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing. “Grayson came to us a few years ago about partnering on a promotion and this special contest emerged as a result. We are elated to donate a total of $9,674.60 to Grayson this year and truly thank all the handicappers who donated their time for this promotion.”

Eight handicappers were given a $500 bankroll to spread out over five weeks of turf racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The individuals lent their expertise on various wagers and raised a total of $3,174.60, adding to the $6,500 donation from Horseshoe Indianapolis that included the bankrolls. Scott Ehlers, representing Daily Racing Form, earned the most money with a total of $785.20 followed by Rachel McLaughlin of Horseshoe Indianapolis with a tally of $646.80. Dan Tordjman of America's Best Racing was a close third with $633.20. Other handicappers who contributed to the cause included Ellis Starr (Equibase), Brian Arrigoni (Horseshoe Indianapolis), Jenna Otten (Caesars Entertainment Racing-Scioto Downs), and Nick Luck (NBC).

“We recognize the health and well-being of horses is so important, and anything we can do to assist is vital to the racing industry,” said Jamie Haydon, President of Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation. “We currently have 40 projects at 16 universities working to better understand the health of horses and allow horses of all breeds to live healthier lives. We are very appreciative of this partnership with Horseshoe Indianapolis, and this would not be possible without the commitment from management to host this event annually.”

Grayson-Jockey Club Equine Research is the leading source of private funding for equine medical research, assisting all disciplines of equine performance and wellness since 1940. More than $40 million has been assigned so far through more than 426 projects at 45 universities internationally.

The post Horseshoe Indy Makes Donation To Grayson Jockey Club Equine Research appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post