Today's Edition:  Record-Setting $1.4M Justify Filly Leads The Way at OBS · Baeza Set for Summer Showdown · Royal Ascot Coverage 2

Steve Sherack

Who Do You Like? Carasso, Finley and Sherack Handicap the Belmont Stakes

TDN's Chief Correspondent Bill Finley is joined by Senior Contributing Editor Alan Carasso and Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack to handicap Saturday's GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga. FINLEY: Picking Renegade (Into Mischief) to win the Belmont is a no-brainer. After he was knocked silly at the start of the GI Kentucky Derby, he overcame the trouble and ran a big race to finish second, beaten only a neck. Did his problems at the start cost him the race? Probably. Todd Pletcher is a master at having his horses ready for...

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Who Do You Like? Carasso, Finley and Sherack Handicap the Kentucky Derby

TDN's Chief Correspondent Bill Finley is joined by Senior Contributing Editor Alan Carasso and Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack to handicap Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. FINLEY: The Puma (Essential Quality) is Mage (Good Magic) 2.0. From the same team that won the GI Kentucky Derby in 2023 with Mage, The Puma is following the exact same pattern. He finished an improved second in the GI Curlin Florida Derby and now looks ready to take another step forward, one that can land him in the winner's circle Saturday...

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Who Do You Like? Carasso, Finley and Sherack Handicap the Kentucky Oaks

TDN's Chief Correspondent Bill Finley is joined by Senior Contributing Editor Alan Carasso and Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack to handicap Friday's GI Longines Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. FINLEY: As a whole, this is not a particularly fast group, which is why the focus here is on horses who have cracked the 90 Beyer level. Note that the Beyer par for the Kentucky Oaks is a 94. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Prom Queen (Quality Road) earned a 90 Beyer when winning the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks and...

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Like A Zippo, Igniter Reliable In Allowance Win At The Big A

IGNITER (c, 3, Volatile--Malibu Prayer {GISW, $618,026}, by Malibu Moon), after being featured in TDN's Second Chances series, broke his maiden by a length during the Belmont At The Big A meet in late September. The homebred was off for two months, then was entered in the GII Remsen Stakes at the Big A Dec. 6 where he posted a sixth-place finish behind GII Risen Star Stakes entrant Paladin (Gun Runner) and recent Sam F. Davis Stake hero Renegade (Into Mischief). Well-backed at a shade over even-money here, the colt...

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Graded Cast From 'Skippy' Defense At Oaklawn To Endlessly Going On At Santa Anita

The sun is shining and the birds are singing, which means that spring has sprung and hopefully cold blasts are fixed over yonder. This kind of weather propagates the condition known to many as Derby fever, which technically has no definable cure. So, while you're tinkering with mint julep recipes or heading to the dry cleaners with your seersucker to keep the vapors in check, maybe what you need is to take a look at the weekend's graded stakes slate. The races are chock full of options, so let's not...

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Colloquial Says 'I Gotta Run' En Route To 'TDN Rising Star' At Big A

Looking to make a statement after a more-than-solid start to his career at the Big A last summer when he ran a game second to GSW Mentee (City of Light), Colloquial (Vekoma-- Terminology, by Bernardini) graduated over the same strip on Friday afternoon and earned himself a 'TDN Rising Star' in the process. TDN's Racing Editor Steve Sherack highlighted the initial effort by Colloquial in his 'Second Chances' series in December. In the seventh race at Aqueduct June 15, Mentee looked in firm control at the quarter pole, but the...

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Kentucky Downs Turf Pick of the Day for Sept. 8

Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato give their best bet for each day of racing during the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs. $100 Win/Place format; highest bankroll at the end wins. Steve Sherack: Monday's Results - Setting the Mood was fourth. Race 5 - Reward Night has looked like a graded stakes horse in the making since switching to grass in his last two starts for Ian Wilkes. Rallied nicely--albeit into a hot pace--to finish a very useful third sprinting over the Ellis lawn July 9, then broke through with a visually...

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Brisnet.com Triple Crown Throwdown: Florida Derby

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Last Week's Results - Wells Bayou (+$710) kept on finding as the 3-1 favorite to wire the GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby. Bankroll: $2275. GI Curlin Florida Derby - The cliche goes "willing to forgive" a horse's...

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Brisnet.com Triple Crown Throwdown: TwinSpires Louisiana Derby

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Last Week's Results - Invader (+$170) just got run down in the Jeff Ruby, while No Parole faded to last. Bankroll: $1565. GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby - When it comes to Brisnet Speed Ratings, one horse...

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Brisnet.com Triple Crown Throwdown: Rebel & Jeff Ruby

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Last Week's Results - Honor A. P. (+200) was second-best in the San Felipe. Necker Island (Gotham) and Letmeno (Tampa Bay Derby) failed to fire. Bankroll: $1395. GII Rebel S. - The Rebel is as compelling...

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Brisnet.com Triple Crown Throwdown: Tampa Bay Derby, San Felipe, Gotham

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Results - Country Grammer ran well enough last week to sneak into my Kentucky Derby rankings, but not well enough to win any points, so I'm looking to bust out...

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Brisnet.com Triple Crown Throwdown: Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - GIII Southwest S. Results - Answer In was a well-beaten third. Bankroll: $1195. GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. - Looking to start a hot streak here with Country Grammer, who returns for trainer Chad Brown...

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