Delta Destiny – Princess and Jackpot Stakes Start Triple Crown Aspirations

Yazan: Dylan | 17 November 2011 | 2 Comments
Categories: Handicapping, Horse Racing

On Saturday Delta Downs in Vinton, LA will host two races that could have Kentucky Oaks and Derby implications come springtime. The Million Dollar Delta Downs Jackpot S. (G3) effectively kicks off the 2012 road to the Triple Crown. The Delta Jackpot has been known for producing exciting finishes (dead heat in 2007) and a [...]

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Breeders’ Cup Sprint Preview

Yazan: Steve | 05 November 2011 | Comments Off
Categories: Handicapping, Horse Racing

Brian Hoffacker (aka Ghostzapper04) of the Trip Handicapping blog reviews the field in today’s BC Sprint. It figures to be an exciting race. BC Sprint – Churchill Downs Race 5 – Post Time 2:37 (Eastern) #1 EUROEARS (4-1) – 7 year old horse (Speed) Once the doors spring open for the Sprint, we’ll know within [...]

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Breeders’ Cup Challenge – WirePlayers vs Hello Race Fans

Yazan: Derek | 03 November 2011 | 4 Comments
Categories: Handicapping, Horse Racing

In addition to our own picks and analysis, this year the handicappers from WirePlayers are going head-to-head in a BC challenge against the handicappers from Hello Race Fans.  Each member will pick a winner for each race, with five points towards the overall score for a win, two for a place finish and one point for [...]

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Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic & Dirt Mile Preview

Yazan: Paul | 03 November 2011 | 1 Comment
Categories: Handicapping, Horse Racing

For an in-depth analysis on the two-day Breeders’ Cup program, here’s Paul Mazur’s take on Friday’s Ladies Classic and Saturday’s Dirt Mile. Churchill Downs — Friday — Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic — Race 10, post time 7:30 ET ROYAL DELTA clearly needed the first race at Saratoga in the CCA Oaks, and she beat IT’S [...]

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A Late-Season Turf Treat — Hawthorne’s Halloween Weekend

Yazan: Paul | 29 October 2011 | 1 Comment
Categories: Handicapping, Horse Racing

For most, Halloween weekend either means donning a costume, attending a party, or giving out to candy to those who come to the door. For handicappers, it’s a respite as most look forward to next week’s Breeders’ Cup. Paul Mazur (@heylaserbeam) looks at two overnight grass stakes for two-year-olds at Hawthorne this weekend, seeing if [...]

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High on Grass – Jamaica, First Lady & Shadwell Turf Mile Edition

Yazan: Derek | 07 October 2011 | 3 Comments
Categories: Handicapping, Horse Racing

With only four weeks until the Breeders Cup, this weekend offers the last round of significant prep races before the big day. In honor of his one-year anniversary writing for WirePlayers, Derek Brown returns to the races from his maiden post with a trio of Saturday’s G1 stakes from Belmont and Keeneland   Belmont Race [...]

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Weekend Stakes Racing Action

Yazan: Steve | 30 September 2011 | 3 Comments
Categories: Handicapping, Horse Racing

This weekend is a Stakes Players’s dream with 18 graded stakes races headlined by Belmont Park’s “Super Saturday.” In addition to the Saturday’s Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup Belmont, this is opening weekend for Santa Anita’s fall meet (once traditionally held by the Oak Tree Racing Association). Perhaps the most interesting, and best betting races, [...]

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A Saturday Salad of Stakes Quick Picks

Yazan: Derek | 23 September 2011 | 4 Comments
Categories: Handicapping, Horse Racing

If fall stakes races were a gourmet meal, the Breeders Cup would be the lobster tail and filet mignon and next weekend would be a hearty appetizer of steamed mussels or crab-stuffed mushrooms.  Thus, in keeping with the metaphor, Saturday afternoon offers a nice Caesar salad of stakes around the country.  While they likely won’t [...]

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High on Grass – Woodbine Weekend Turf Stakes Edition

Yazan: Derek | 16 September 2011 | 9 Comments
Categories: Handicapping, Horse Racing

This weekend’s best turf stakes take place north of the border at Woodbine Racetrack, headlined by Sunday’s G1 Woodbine Mile.  Saturday offers a preview of the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf races, and Sunday showcases the older turf division. In an odd twist, none of the stakes are part of any all-stakes multi-race wagers, but Derek [...]

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Belmont Park Fall Championship Meet

Yazan: Dylan | 08 September 2011 | 5 Comments
Categories: Handicapping, Horse Racing

While some may be sad that Saratoga meet is over, there is still plenty to look forward to this fall at Belmont Park. The fall “Championship Meet” at Belmont is arguably the strongest in the country with its series of prep races leading up to the Breeders Cup, horse racing’s year ending championship. The opening [...]

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Travers Day Pick 4 – Single or Spread?

Yazan: Derek | 25 August 2011 | Comments Off
Categories: Handicapping, Horse Racing

At first glance, Saturday’s Pick 4 sequence at Saratoga, headlined by the Grade 1 Travers Stakes, looks to be a bit chalky. But are the horses that look like logical singles legit or worth trying to beat?  With a $1 million guaranteed pool on the line, Derek Brown (AKA NJDerek) says a little of both. [...]

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Handicapping Saratoga’s Grand Slam

Yazan: Dylan | 25 August 2011 | Comments Off
Categories: Handicapping, Horse Racing

Dylan J. provides his strategy on the Travers Day Grand Slam wager. The key to my Travers Day is the Grand Slam running races 7-10. Due to the nature of the wager  (picking the winner of the last leg and a top three finisher in each of the first three legs), I handicap the last [...]

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High on Grass – Arlington Million Edition

Yazan: Derek | 12 August 2011 | 4 Comments
Categories: Handicapping, Horse Racing

There may be eight million stories in the naked city, but there’s $200,000 and then some up for grabs in the Windy City in Arlington Park’s all-turf stakes middle pick 4 tomorrow, headlined by the G1 Arlington Million. For the sake of this post, let’s not focus on how bad a transition that was. Here’s Derek’s [...]

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Saratoga Steeplechase – Mrs. Ogden Phipps Stakes

Yazan: Dylan | 10 August 2011 | Comments Off
Categories: Handicapping, Horse Racing

Thursdays in August are the best as once again a hurdle race will kick off the Saratoga card. This week’s feature has a unique group of fillies and mares headed postward as several entered have yet to break their maiden. #1 WELL FASHOINED (4-1) is the horse with the most upside. A rule I usually [...]

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Saturday Graded Stakes Preview

Yazan: Steve | 05 August 2011 | 2 Comments
Categories: Handicapping, Horse Racing

There are 4 graded stakes on Saturday, most notably the G.1 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga for older horses and the G.1 Clement Hirsch at Del Mar for older mares. Mountainer Park Grade 2 West Virginia Derby ($750K) – 1 and 1/8 miles – Race 8 - 5:35 post time. The 2011 edition lacks the star power [...]

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