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

Friday August 1

Bonus Picks From Saratoga

Saturday

Clement Hirsch Day at Del Mar

Whitney Day at Saratoga

Sunday

Jim Dandy Day at Saratoga

July 25-27

It's funny how handicapping and playing the races is to me. And I say that because I have to think that most bettors who play the game are all about the money, but for me it's about the handicapping and being right. The money is just an added bonus for me. I went out to the track for the first time since Kentucky Derby Day and it was expressly to cash my winning tickets. But since I was going I handicapped the card and found three races I liked. The one race I saw live, I WON - made the day a great day for me! On Saturday I won with nearly 40% of my picks and hit the BET of the Day at Saratoga, the national featured Jim Dandy, AND the BEST BET of the Weekend when Nysos announced himself as a special horse in the Grade 2 San Diego. But with no pice scores I lost money again .... still, it was a great day for me! Check out all the pics & stories HERE.

July 18 - 20

I was "satisfied" with the results of the big Haskell Saturday racing despite coming up short. To start the day with seven straight losses, only the last of which hit the board.....to have NINE second place finishes on the day including an even money favorite, a 3/5, a 1/2, AND a 1/9 in that group......well to come out with eight wins (four of the last seven) made me feel "OK." Even better, I had a prime time bet on the Race of the Weekend - the $1 Million Grade 1 Haskell; hit two stakes at Saratoga, and won the BET of the Day at Del Mar in the Grade 2 San Clemente. I'm good with all that! To see all the pics and read all the stories, CLICK HERE.

Back In So Fla: July 11-13

We flew back from Alaska on Monday - a long 16-hour day that started at 4:30am local time and ended up at 1am local time in Orlando. Then were up Tuesday to drive the 3 1/2 hours home to Sunrise. I'd like to say that the long trip, the time away from the Racing Form, and the travel threw me off my game, but the fact of the matter is that over the three days of racing I had the "right" horses, they just failed to deliver by and large. It would have been an "OK" weekend had three close, photo finishes had gone my way, but that's racing. To see the "highlights" from this week, CLICK HERE.

Alaska 7.0!

June 26 - July 7

We love Alaska! Ever since the first time we went many years ago Kim and I have said "we'd almost be willing to go back to Alaska every summer. After playing the races on the travel day I considered playing the weekend we were on board, but racing web sites were blocked on board. But clever me! I saw that Zulu Kingdom was running in the "Belmont at Saratoga" weekend of racing in the Grade 3 Manilla. So when we got off the ship I made the bet and before getting back on board watched him WIN! Check out our amazing trip HERE.

June 27-28

We drove to Orlando on Thursday to begin our "Alaska 7.0" trip and on Friday it was the "rebooted x3" Penn Mile Night on Friday. Then we were at the airport by 7:30am on Saturday to board our United Airlines flights to Anchorage, Alaska. It was Stephen Foster Day at Churchill Downs & Canterbury Derby Night in Minnesota. I played both of these cards as well as the Saturday card from Monmouth while flying for 7 1/2 hours at 30,000 feet above the ground. Oh the wonders of the Internet! After landing and watching the replays I'd won nearly 50% of my races (7-for-16) including my BET of the Day in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis and the national feature Grade 1 Foster! To see all the photos and read the stories, CLICK HERE.

Downs After Dark Weekend: June 21

I love going to Churchill Downs for the "Downs After Dark" programs. First, there's nothing like racing under the lights. Also, it IS historic Churchill Downs after all. Second, there is always such a big crowd that when the horses turn for home the ROAR of the crowd is just deafening. And finally, all and I mean ALL the fashion is just such great people watching. So when I looked at the calendar for the spring meet at Churchill and saw that this event would be after the Stanley Cup playoffs I arranged to meet my buddy Keith in Louisville. But because we leave for Alaska in a week this was a

Downs After Dark Louisville Adventure!

whirlwind affair as I left FLL at 6:30am on Saturday morning.....landed in Louisville a little after noon....lunch...off to the track...last race about 11:10pm Up at 4am to head to the airport and was back home by early Sunday afternoon. WOW. LOVED being there - had fewer winning bets than usual but still, was a great adventure. To see all the pics from the 3-day weekend of racing and read all the stories CLICK HERE.

June 14: Delaware Derby Day/ Haskell Preview Day

This week saw me playing races at Delaware Park - which I've visited on two different occasions. And it was the inaugural Delaware Derby that was the co-feature with the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks. I was able to score in eight races, half of which were stakes races, but it was not a big day for me. Won at the "usual" 36% but had more of my "big bets" not deliver and several of my lesser bets score at a short price. But this was all "OK" by me as our Florida Panthers had a BIG win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to take a 3-2 lead with a chance to win THE CUP at home on Tuesday. CLICK HERE to see this week's photos and read all the stories of the week.

Belmont Festival Weekend / Egypt Lecture Adventure

June 4 - 8

It was an extended five day racing weekend as the Belmont Stakes was run for the second year at Saratoga. There were stakes races every day and over the course of the multiple racing cards I cashed on TEN stakes winners including the Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty. I headed to Orlando on Thursday and enjoyed the weekend watching both my son and grandson play in their hockey game. And I was very excited to have a big "Date Night" with my daughter as we spent "A Royal Evening" with the leading archeologist of Ancient Egypt when we attended a lecture at the Orlando Hilton. And as an added bonus I was able to watch our Florida Panthers win in dramatic fashion in double overtime of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals with my son & his wife late Friday night. To see all the photos and read this week's stories, CLICK HERE.

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

October 2024

AMA Waterways: Burgundy & Provence

CLICK HERE

August-September 2024

Viking Oceans: British Isles Explorer

CLICK HERE

July 2024

AMA Waterways: Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps

Summer 2024

Spring 2024

April / May 2024

Viking Oceans: Empires of the Mediterranean

CLICK HERE

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!