Spring - Summer - Fall Racing

Handicapper's Corner

The Road To The Breeders' Cup at Del Mar

The Spring-Summer-Fall Racing Season will be highlighted by our daily handicapping at Monmouth Park on the Jersey Shore beginning in May and all the big stakes races starting with the Triple Crown in the spring, Saratoga & Del Mar in the summer and the Breeders' Cup preview races in the fall. My youngest son Brad and I will be at the 2025 Breeders' Cup in San Diego the first weekend of November to top off the racing season! CLICK HERE to see my racing profile.

Summer Racing Season 2025

Wednesday

June 4

Thursday

June 5

Friday

June 6

Saturday

June 7

Saturday

June 7

Sunday

June 8

Sunday

June 8

Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Racing Festival

May 29 - June 1: Penn Mile Weekend

Well, it wasn't really "Penn Mile Weekend" as it turned out as right after the stakes-laden card got under way it was announced that all the turf stakes races were cancelled and they would be run on Friday June 20th! But Saturday was a BIG DAY at Churchill Downs as it was Stephen Foster Preview Day with half a dozen stakes. After a quick start to the day with six wins I - like nearly every other horse player - suffered through the rest of the day as prices soared: 4143.30, $68.44, $28.60, and half a dozen more that paid over $10. Still I had a nice upset winner in a stakes race. And my "Best Bet" on Saturday scratched out, but reappeared in a race Sunday where he became the BET of the Weekend and roared home. CLICK HERE to see all the photos & read the stories.

Spring Racing Season 2025

Memorial Day Weekend Racing

The long three day weekend was a BIG success in the world of racing as the spring season came to a highly successful close. Note the HUGE win percentage and what the gaudy ROI does not reflect is that over the two months of racing I collected over $500 in flat bet profit. WOW. For the weekend I swept all four of the graded stakes at Santa Anita - including the Gr 2 Santa Margarita where my filly, Seismic Beauty ran them off their feet to establish herself as one of the top older runners in the Distaff division. Hit the BET of the Weekend at a big $6.20 on Monday; and had five winners at Monmouth including a $17 winner with Paco on board - go figure! CLICK HERE to see all the pics and read all the stories!

Preakness 150 Weekend: May 16-18

I was fortunate enough to be at "Old Hilltop" ten years ago for Preakness 140 which as it turned out was the year American Pharoah was winning the Triple Crown. This year's edition will close down Pimlico as it's been known for 150 years as the facility will be demolished and rebuilt over the next two years. Unlike Derby weekend two weeks ago I did NOT win either of the two featured 3yo stakes, but much like Derby weekend I scored a high winning percentage and made a generous flat bet profit. CLICK HERE to reach this week's stories and see all the photos.

Opening Day at Monmouth Park

May 10-11: Belmont Stakes Preview

Typically the weekend following the Derby and before the Preakness is a pretty light schedule. But on this Saturday the Belmont at Aqueduct meet was hosting multiple graded stakes to preview the Belmont Festival coming up in five weeks, and Churchill Downs had a graded stakes. Of course the highlight was the beginning of playing the races at Monmouth for the rest of the summer. They run only on the weekends, but it's a "daily" activity for me until Labor Day. Had another HUGE day of winning selections, including my BET of the Day in the Grade 2 Man O'War. To read all the stories and see all the pics, CLICK HERE.

Derby Week April 26 - May 2

WHAT A WEEK! As a fan of racing that plays regularly, if you're good and/or lucky (like me!) you win at a 30% clip or better. But every once in a while you have one of "those days" where you are on a roll and hit for well above that. Even more unusual is to have an ENTIRE WEEK like that. Well Derby Week 2025 was THAT kind of week for me. Over the five days I hit 50% of my forty picks, including BOTH the Kentucky Oaks winner (my BET of the Weekend) and the Derby winner. AND even better, I ended the weekend with an enormous profit. The best of players will score at an ROI of $1.91 for every $2.00 bet. This week I was scored at an unbelievable $3.06 for every $2 bet. CLICK HERE to see all the photos of the MANY winners and read this week's stories. WOW.

Enjoying the traditional Mint Julep in a souvenir Derby glass!

April 25-26

The final week of the Keeneland Spring Meet was this week as racing shifted to Churchill Downs for Opening Night on Saturday to kick off Kentucky Derby Week. Had a nice priced winner to finish off Keeneland which carried the weekend's profits. Then hit the BEST BET of the night at Churchill Saturday night after the Panthers playoff game Saturday afternoon. To see all the photos from the weekend and read the stories, CLICK HERE.

April 18 - 19

Well, well, well.....how the racing world can turn on a dime! And, yet again I am reminded of a very valuable lesson I learned once I began to play the races on a consistent basis. And that is that I AM going to hit my average.....if not today, if not this weekend, if not this month......eventually my numbers will balance out. The highlight of the weekend came as we were in Orlando at our oldest son Jeff & his wife Trista's house when my 4yo filly Seismic Beauty romped in her first try around two turns. Then Friday I won 6-of-13 to more than balance out last weekend's numbers! CLICK HERE to see the photos & read the stories.

Apple Blossom Week: April 11-12

It's the great thing about being a racing fan - sometimes you have great days, sometimes you can't find a winner to save your soul, and sometimes you just hit your average. But Saturday for me was one of "those days" where I "had the right horse" but couldn't buy a win. From the nineteen selections I had I had ELEVEN run 2nd or third to go with the four wins. So in fifteen-of-nineteen races (80%) I was right there in the stretch with every chance to win. I had front runners that got caught late and stretch runners who just missed getting there. Frustrating, but hey.....that's the game. Over the two days I did score with both BEST Bets and had a great upset score on Friday. CLICK HERE to see the photos and read this week's stories.

SO Close, SO Many Times

Spring Racing: Week 1 - Opening Weekend at Keeneland

April 5 - 8

It was scheduled to be Opening Weekend at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky on Friday. My plan was to head out to Gulfstream for the first half of the Friday card and watch the multiple graded stakes from there, Aqueduct & Santa Anita from the "Sunrise Simulcast Center" on Saturday. But torrential rains forced the races at Keeneland to be moved to Monday & Tuesday. Saturday I hit BOTH of the Kentucky Oaks prep winners and had the upset winner of the Grade 2 Wood Memorial! Hit my first stakes winner on Monday in the Lafayette, one of four wins on the day and then on Tuesday, Bluegrass Day I won the Grade 2 Appalachian - the BET of the Day, AND had the winner of the Gr 1 Bluegrass in a $10.48 upset to cash for over $50! To read all the stories & See the pics, CLICK HERE

Spring - Summer - Fall 2024

Fall 2024

Breeders' Cup Weekend

Summer / Fall 2024

September 5 - 7

September 7 - 14

September 20 - 21

September 28

October 2024

AMA Waterways: Burgundy & Provence

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August-September 2024

Viking Oceans: British Isles Explorer

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July 2024

AMA Waterways: Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps

Summer 2024

Spring 2024

April / May 2024

Viking Oceans: Empires of the Mediterranean

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Fall Racing Season 2024

The last segment of the "off season" is highlighted by the Breeders' Cup World Championships the first weekend of November. At the beginning and in the middle of the season, Kim and I will be traveling overseas.....again! Check back for analysis & selections of key weekend racing dates!