#Exacta Box

The winter campaign of the 2023 Santa Anita horse racing season is in full swing. The track, one of the nation's best, will host the Grade III $200000 La Canada Stakes on January 15, and Daniel Benjamin has the preview and prediction here. The La Canada is a one and one-sixteenth-mile race for 4-year-olds and upward fillies and mares. The $200000…

Welcome to Noel Michaels' Weekend Winners, the place to go for weekend best bets and spot plays from veteran handicapper and tournament-play pioneer Noel Michaels. Check back every week for a couple of highlighted selections designed to help you cash a few bets and make some money. Noel's selections have been featured just about everywhere horse…

Dubai's carnival continues to heat up at Meydan on Friday. Headlining the seven-race card is the Al Rashidiya (G2), but there are two conditions races that should also be appealing betting races. Here are some spot plays to look at. Named after an outstanding and well-traveled Zimbabwean filly, this race has drawn a suitably international field,…

The 154th Belmont Stakes this Saturday will either prove to the racing world that Rich Strike was an overlooked star in the Kentucky Derby, or a fluke who got a lucky break in America's most famous horse race. The Derby champ, trained by Eric Reed and ridden by Sonny Leon, was kept out of the Preakness Stakes, forgoing a chance at Triple Crown…

Another racing week at Saratoga begins on Wednesday with a 10-race program, highlighted by the Jonathan Kiser Novice Stakes for steeplechase runners going 2 1/16 miles. I've highlighted my five favorite races on the program, which gets underway at 1:05 p.m. EDT. Best Bet: Java Buzz (Race 5) Best Value Bet: Frosty Invasion (Race 2) Race 1 No. 3…

The Road to the Kentucky Derby continues on both coasts this weekend with the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday, Jan. 7, and the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita the following day. Both are one-mile, but over different track configurations. The Jerome is run around one turn, the Sham over two turns. Both award the same number of Kentucky Derby…

Welcome to Noel Michaels' Weekend Winners, the place to go for weekend best bets and spot plays from veteran handicapper and tournament-play pioneer Noel Michaels. Check back every week for a couple of highlighted selections designed to help you cash a few bets and make some money. Noel's selections have been featured just about everywhere horse…

Editor's note: last summer, Ed Sehon (aka Mr. Ed) called this column "Saratoga on (about) $100 a Day," but sometimes had trouble finding plays on the mid-week cards, which put a drain on the bankroll. So, for this summer's meet at the Spa, Mr. Ed is saving his bankroll for the higher-quality cards (and horses) on the weekend and is posting his…

Welcome to Noel Michaels' Weekend Winners, the place to go for weekend best bets and spot plays from veteran handicapper and tournament-play pioneer Noel Michaels. Check back every week for a couple of highlighted selections designed to help you cash a few bets and make some money. Noel's selections have been featured just about everywhere horse…

Note: A couple of items to start. Northern California invaders are 0-16 on the dirt, 1-14 on the turf for a total of 1-30. Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park horses are 0-10 on the turf. Jockey Diego Herrera is 0-14 and now 0-51 the last 2 years at Del Mar. FIRST RACE: 2-5-8-9 SECOND RACE: 8-1-3-2 THIRD RACE: 1-2-4-11 FOURTH RACE: 7-1-8-2 (BEST…

The last Wednesday of 2022 features a nine-race program at Tampa Bay Downs offering plenty of excellent wagering opportunities. I present my five favorite races and my suggested wagers below. Best bet: Kinchen (Race 5) Best value bet: One Tough Dame (Race 8) Race 1 No. 1 Dixiemagic (7-5, morning-line favorite) gets a tepid nod over No. 3 King…

Opening weekend at Del Mar ended with a bang when two long shots came home in the final two turf races, and horseplayer Caitlin Oishi was all over it, hitting the Pick 4 for $7620 and placing win bets behind her best opinions to bring her total over $8000. This isn't her first Del Mar big score; she hit a Pick 5 at Fair Grounds bigger than this…

There appear to be many short prices on tap on Saturday at Pimlico, but that doesn't mean there is not ample opportunity to make money. Leveraging the right horses with the obvious contenders can turn a 2-1 winner into a $90 trifecta. Here is a closer look at four races that feature the right mixture of reliable runners and value plays to turn a…

Wednesday's Happy Valley races are highlighted not so much by the horses but the riders, as it's Longines International Jockeys Championship day. Seven jockeys from outside Hong Kong join five locally-based riders for the four-race event, which carries a first prize of HK$500000 (about $64000). The international challenge is headed by Ryan Moore,…

By Andy Serling FOX Sports Horse Racing Analyst The field for the 147th running of the Preakness Stakes, the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, is scheduled to break from the gate at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore just after 7 p.m. ET Saturday. Epicenter, the Kentucky Derby runner-up, is a strong favorite and the horse to beat. His major…

The Pizza Man steps up to Grade 1 company in Saturday's Arlington Million at Arlington Park. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire) Thirteen horses will enter the gate in Saturday's 33 running of the Arlington Million at Arlington Park with no true standouts among them, leaving us with a prime wagering opportunity. It's no secret that handicapping the…

The Breeders' Cup is behind us, but Team Tuley continues to look for value at tracks from coast to coast. I'm joined by regular contributors Ed Sehon (aka Mr. Ed from his Saratoga and Keeneland columns here at VSiN.com/horses) and Rampart race and sports manager Duane Colucci. We live up to the coast to coast claim with plays at Aqueduct in New…

Another weekend, another A$1 million race in New South Wales. For the ninth weekend in a row, there's a seven-figure race in Australia's most populous state; this time it's The Gong, a handicap over about a mile at Kembla Grange, near Wollongong, south of Sydney. TwinSpires' Rest of the World Bet Back offer, where those who opt in can get up to $10…

The fall meet at Churchill Downs rolls on with a 10-race Wednesday program, and all events are scheduled for the dirt. Here are my five favorite heats on the card. Best bet: Summer Splash (race 3) Best value bet: Flyin Bessie (race 8) Race 3 No. 7 Summer Splash (3-1) demolished a similar field at Remington on Sept. 17 before finding allowance foes…

In his regular gambling blog, John Piassek presents his top picks for the upcoming weekend in horse racing, offering betting options at different budget levels. Piassek's Plays is brought to you by Horseplayers.com, the official online qualifying site of the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) and National Horseplayers Championship (NHC).…

The 154 running of the Belmont Stakes will take place Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. While the Triple Crown won't be on the line, Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will be part of the eight-horse field. Post time for the race is set for approximately 6:49 p.m. In last year's edition of the race, favorite Essential Quality came in…

With the Breeders' Cup in the rear view mirror, it's mostly about jumps racing for British and Irish bettors. The path inexorably leads toward Cheltenham in March, Aintree in early April, and Punchestown in late April, and there are numerous good races to follow on that path. This weekend sees Graded jumping races at Cheltenham in England and in…

The Run for the Roses is set for Saturday, with a full day of horse racing for bettors to enjoy. Get our best bets throughout the day's card as we break down our favorite Kentucky Derby spot plays. Derby Day at Churchill Downs will be celebrated with a sensational 14-race card, and the 148th Run for the Roses is the headliner! We'll give out our…

In his regular gambling blog, John Piassek presents his top picks for the upcoming weekend in horse racing, offering betting options at different budget levels. Piassek's Plays is brought to you by Horseplayers.com, the official online qualifying site of the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) and National Horseplayers Championship (NHC).…

The most-prestigious horse race of the year is Saturday, as eight of the world's top thoroughbreds face off at the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland in Kentucky. Flightline, which is undefeated and has posted times that put him among the greatest in the sport's long history, is the prohibitive favorite for the Saturday event in a Best…

The big horse race is quickly approaching, and you need to know how to bet on horse racing. Well, you're in luck. SportsLine's beginner's guide to horse racing covers the basics of placing a bet on a race for those who don't know the difference between an exacta and a daily double, or a trifecta and a Pick 3. You'll start by learning the…

It's a good bet that the NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies could be one of the best wagering races on dirt of the Future Stars Friday card at Keeneland. With a capacity crowd in attendance both in the stands and in the starting gate, it might be a good idea to look past tepid morning-line favorite #10 Chocolate Gelato (7-2) from the Todd…

The horse racing world is eagerly anticipating the 2022 Breeders' Cup, which will be held at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on Friday and Saturday. But before that happens, horseplayers can pad their bankroll at Louisville's Churchill Downs on Wednesday afternoon, as there is a 10-race card in store. I discuss my five favorite heats below. Best…

In his regular gambling blog, John Piassek presents his top picks for the upcoming weekend in horse racing, offering betting options at different budget levels. Piassek's Plays is brought to you by Horseplayers.com, the official online qualifying site of the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) and National Horseplayers Championship (NHC).…

With no Triple Crown possibility, the Belmont Stakes has a very different feel. It is a race for true racing fans - and true horseplayers. Everybody who is still interested in betting the race is a wise guy. There are only eight horses in the race, and only one that was a winner his last time out. That was Rombauer, who delivered at 11-1 in the…

We know everyone (at least it seems like everyone, or at least everyone in our world) is immersed in the football season with wall-to-wall college football on Saturday and the NFL's first Sunday card of its season tomorrow), but Team Tuley is still looking for value at tracks from coast to coast. I'm joined this Saturday by our regular crew of…

We know everyone (at least it seems like everyone, or at least everyone in our world) is immersed in the football season with wall-to-wall college football on Saturday, but Team Tuley is still looking for value at tracks from coast to coast. Last Saturday, our friend Duane Colucci, race and sports book manager at the Rampart, took the day off and…

Welcome to Noel Michaels' Weekend Winners, the place to go for weekend best bets and spot plays from veteran handicapper and tournament-play pioneer Noel Michaels. Check back every week for a couple of highlighted selections designed to help you cash a few bets and make some money. Noel's selections have been featured just about everywhere horse…

The $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) at 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-old fillies headlines a loaded 13-race Friday card at Churchill Downs that includes five undercard graded stakes. The Oaks, the filly version of the Kentucky Derby, drew a field of nine, but this one sure looks like a showdown between the talented favorites - Gamine and Swiss…

The 152nd Travers Stakes, the Mid-Summer Derby, is Saturday, Aug. 28, at Saratoga Race Course. The top race of the summer for 3-year-olds is contested at 1¼ miles with a purse of $1.25 million. In the days leading up to the race, usracing.com will publish profiles of the contenders. Profiles will be updated with post position, odds, and jockey…

Like its companion race for 2-year-old turf fillies the day before, the $200000, Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes has been a productive prep race for the Breeders' Cup and offers the winner an expenses-paid "Win and You're In" berth in the World Championships. The Grade 2 Pilgrim is a 1 1/16-mile grass race for 2-year-olds Sunday at the Belmont at The Big…

Saturday's 8th race at Keeneland is the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. The race is for 3 year old fillies and will be run at a route on the turf course. The Keeneland meet is not as long as some of the other premier meets around the country. This means that players need to pick up on trends quickly to take full advantage. So far in the meet…

The Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes, Saturday at Churchill Downs, represents the first points race for the 2022 Kentucky Derby. Continue reading to see how the experts are playing the race. Ron Flatter, Horse Racing Nation Winner: #9 Guntown On the board: #6 Stellar Tap Longshot I like: #7 Red Knobs Analysis: Guntown had a troubled debut but made up for it…

The SI Gambling Horse handicapping experts had a great day at the track in the Travers Stakes when Tiz the Law came through in impressive fashion, helping our team crush the Exacta (8/1) and the Trifecta (36/1) after Caracaro & Max Player both hit the board! In July, the team scored in the Blue Grass Stakes hitting the Exacta (12/1), Trifecta…

The SI Gambling Horse handicapping experts had a great day at the track in the Travers Stakes when Tiz the Law came through in impressive fashion, helping our team crush the Exacta (8/1) and the Trifecta (36/1) after Caracaro & Max Player both hit the board! In July, the team scored in the Blue Grass Stakes hitting the Exacta (12/1), Trifecta…

The Pennsylvania Derby winner is one of the favorites in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6 from Del Mar race track in California. The 1 1/4-mile event sports a field of nine with a post-time of 8:40 p.m. ET. Pennsylvania horse racing bettors can wager on the Breeders' Cup through all their TVG connections, among others. Here's a look…

Welcome to Noel Michaels' Weekend Winners, the place to go for weekend best bets and spot plays from veteran handicapper and tournament-play pioneer Noel Michaels. Check back every week for a couple of highlighted selections designed to help you cash a few bets and make some money. Noel's selections have been featured just about everywhere horse…

Some of the nation's premier thoroughbreds continue their 2021 rivalry on August 28 at the Travers Stakes, the nation's oldest stakes race for 3-year-olds, at Saratoga Race Course. Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality was installed as the 4-5 favorite. He headlines a field of seven going 1 1-4 miles in the 152nd running of this event, first held…

It's a relatively quiet week on the British and Irish racing front this weekend. However, there are still some very good contests at Newbury, for which all races are subject to a TwinSpires Rest of the World Bet Back offer. Let's have a look at some of the features. Not an overly strong field for this contest, which has been a trial for the Prix de…

A pair of challenging stakes races will take center stage at Woodbine on Sunday. Each of the events features well-matched fields lacking a standout, which makes the wagering very attractive in my opinion. Sophomores will travel one mile on the green in a very competitive tilt. A total of nine will go postward, with Queen's Plate runner-up #1…

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares picks and plays for Thursday, Feb. 24 at Fair Grounds and Turfway Park, including a ticket for Turfway's $8983 Super High 5 carryover. Midweek Bet Back: Receive refunds on win bets (up to $10) if your horse finishes second in select races at Fair Grounds. Turfway Park $2500 Jackpot Thursdays: Place $10+ win bets…

The SI Gambling Horse handicapping experts had a great win last month in the Blue Grass Stakes as Art Collector (6.60) came through in dominating fashion; helping us hit the Exacta (12/1), Trifecta (60/1) and Superfecta (443/1). Now, the boys are back with some sharp plays from Saratoga for this Saturday's Travers Stakes, featuring Belmont Stakes…

The lucrative Kentucky Downs meet comes to a close Wednesday with a 12-race card, which is anchored by a trio of stakes races. Here are my five favorite events on the program, accompanied by my wagering advice. Best bet: Really Good (Race 9) Best value bet: Accredit (Race 5) Race 1 No. 2 Joyful Applause (5-1) is the one to beat on speed figures and…

Editor's note: last summer, Ed Sehon (aka Mr. Ed) called this column "Saratoga on (about) $100 a Day," but sometimes had trouble finding plays on the mid-week cards, which put a drain on the bankroll. This summer, Mr. Ed is posting his plays for VSiN.com/horses readers on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Here are his plays for Sunday to complete the…