Season 1 of the 2019 Big Race Showdown continues this week with the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds and the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields! Joining me on the panel are Candice Hare, Emily Gullikson, Brian Zipse, Dan Tordjman, Mike McCormick, Megan Devine, and Dan Cronin. Read on for our top picks, and who we think can run... Continue Reading →
America’s Best Racing: Big Race Showdown, El Camino Real Derby and Risen Star Stakes
It’s time for the fourth week of Big Race Showdown at America’s Best Racing: where I clash heads with six awesome handicappers (Emily Gullikson, Candice Hare, Dan Tordjman, Brian Zipse, Eric Bialek, and Mark DiLorenzo) to see who can stay the hottest through Derby prep season. So far...I'm holding my own, mostly. I must be getting a bit cute for cute's sake... Continue Reading →
Picks and Ponderings: 2018 El Camino Real Derby Preview
With synthetic tracks going out of fashion in the United States over the last few years, options for amassing Kentucky Derby points over anything but dirt have become few and far between. One of those rare remaining opportunities comes this Saturday over the Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields, in the El Camino Real Derby. The El... Continue Reading →
Picks and Ponderings: 2017 El Camino Real Derby Preview
This weekend, the Kentucky Derby trail winds over to the Bay Area for the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby! On Saturday, seven horses will line up for their share of $200,000, not to mention Road to the Kentucky Derby points. Sheer Flattery and Ann Arbor Eddie lead the pack -- but can a dark... Continue Reading →
Absolute Honour returns a winner
Lightly raced four-year-old Absolute Honour (In My Glory, by Honour and Glory) debuted in April, trying a maiden special weight at a mile over the grass at Keeneland. The distance and surface seemed logical: his dam did her best work going two turns on the green stuff. Unfortunately, the likes of My Afleet, Florida Won,... Continue Reading →
welcome back, Shared Belief!
I have talked quite a bit about Shared Belief since Blinkers Off began back in January. I maintained that he should beat New Year's Day out for Champion Two-Year-Old Male, and I drafted him to my fantasy stable. It was a winter of foot problems, scheduled workouts, and missed workouts; most of my weekly updates... Continue Reading →
Derby Trial weekend recap
Last weekend was a wrap for the Public Handicapper prep season, which was the reason why I covered many of the races I did in my weekend stakes previews and recaps. It was the first time I ever played PH, and as difficult or frustrating as the win-only format felt at times, I feel like... Continue Reading →
Derby Trial weekend preview
The Kentucky Derby is drawing ever closer, but it hasn't quite reached us yet. However, what has reached us is the last week of the Public Handicapper prep contest. I am nowhere near the lead, but I'm also just barely in the black for the season, so let's see if I can nab at least... Continue Reading →
last weekend’s handicapping contests!
Last weekend I played two handicapping contests: the one at Danonymous Racing, and the one at Public Handicapper. There were eight races in the Danonymous contest and four in the PH contest, though with the overlap of the El Camino Real in both contests, it meant a total of eleven races I had to handicap... Continue Reading →
handicap ALL THE THINGS!
Maybe I'm crazy. Maybe I'm getting too antsy because live racing at Hawthorne starts back up this coming Friday (HOORAY!). Whatever it is, I'm doing two handicapping contests this weekend: both the one at Danonymous Racing and the one at Public Handicapper. The Danonymous Racing contest covers four races on Saturday and four races on... Continue Reading →
