HORSE RACING HORSE TRACK BETTING ARTICLES

Fresh off his second Triple Crown championship since 2015 with Justify last year, Hall of Fame Trainer Bob Baffert has hit full stride at the age of 66 with no signs of slowing down. In 2015 Baffert trained American Pharoah to the first Triple Crown title since Affirmed won it in 1978. As a result of those two Triple Crowns in the past four seasons Baffert is on top of everyone’s list as the best trainer in Thoroughbred racing. And it should come as no surprise that Baffert is training three of the top favorites to win the blanket of roses at Churchill Downs on May 4 with Game Winner, Improbable, and Roadster. The one wild card that is considered a serious threat to the Baffert trio is Omaha Beach, trained by Richard E. Mandella. Let’s take a look at the top choices now that all of the prep races are done. ... 

The Kentucky Derby is just over two weeks away and two horses have emerged as co-favorites; Roadster and Omaha Beach. Those two horses are listed at +400, while Game Winner and Improbable are the co-third choices at +500. This could be one of the most wide open Kentucky Derby’s in history, as eight horses are currently listed at single-digit odds. It could be that the favorite in the Derby goes off at odds of 5-1 or maybe even 6-1. Let’s look at the latest Kentucky Derby odds and the top contenders. ... 

The Kentucky Derby is less than a month away and there is now a solid group of top contenders to win the race. Roadster is coming off a good win in the Santa Anita Derby and he is now listed as the favorite in Kentucky Derby odds at +450. Improbable is a close second choice at odds of +500, while Omaha Beach is the third choice at odds of +600. Let’s look at the latest Kentucky Derby odds and the top contenders.... 

The Santa Anita Derby takes place on Saturday and can be seen on NBCSN, but the focus may be more on the overall situation at the track than on the horses. The situation at Santa Anita is dire, as 23 horses have died at the track since late December. If there is another death on Saturday the pressure on the track to close would be immense. Let’s look at Saturday’s race and hope that everything goes smoothly.... 

Get ready for the Kentucky Derby by betting on Saturday’s Kentucky Derby prep races at BookMaker. The Wood Memorial, Blue Grass Stakes and Santa Anita Derby all take place on Saturday and can be seen on NBCSN. The Wood Memorial has a field of 11 horses with Tacitus listed as the morning line favorite. Tacitus is the son of Tapit who won this race 15 years ago. Let’s look at the race and Wood Memorial Picks.... 

The first time that most people really start to think about the Kentucky Derby is early April when the three biggest prep races of the year take place. It just so happens that this year they all fall on the same day, Saturday, April 6. The $1 million dollar Blue Grass Stakes is worth 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points so that means an automatic entry into next month’s race. A field of 14 will go to the post on Saturday afternoon on NBCSN, with Vekoma listed as the 9-5 morning line favorite. Le... 

One of the richest races in the world takes place on Saturday with $12 million dollars on the line in the Dubai World Cup. Thunder Snow is listed as a slight favorite to win what should be a very competitive race. Thunder Snow will be trying to make history, as there has never been a repeat winner of the Dubai World Cup. Five horses are expected to go off at single-digit odds in what is expected to be a 13-horse field. Let’s look at the race and Dubai World Cup picks. ... 

While the Kentucky Derby tops all horse racing events for tradition and history the Breeders Cup Classic is, without question, the top-quality race of the year. It is truly the definitive event of the entire season. The 14 top thoroughbreds 3 years old and older compete. The purse is a whopping $6 million and the length of the race is a mile and a quarter. The only thing missing from the Breeders Cup will be 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, who had to retire due to an injury to his left front ankle. But that does not take away from a field that is truly a sensational classic! ... 

The first and most important factor to consider on Breeders Cup Saturday is that it is a very chalky and public type of day. Much like March Madness in college basketball there will be a lot of one-time warriors that bet the Breeders Cup and perhaps the Triple Crown races and nothing else the rest of the year when it comes to horse racing. Beyond that what makes handicapping the Breeders Cup so enjoyable is the challenge of sorting through the best horses in the world. But betting on the chalk is more often than not an amateur hour move. With that in mind let’s take a look at some of the longshots that the public won’t touch and as a result could bring some additional value. ... 

The biggest weekend of the year for horse racing begins on Friday with a host of Breeders Cup races that will climax with the Sentient Jet Juvenile feature race which is the richest two-year-old race in North America and serves as a preview for the Triple Crown horse racing season that will follow next spring leading up to the Kentucky Derby. The Sentient Jet Juvenile has a purse of $2 million purse. But another $2 million purse will be on the line Friday with the Tito’s handmade Vodka Juvenile Fillies. Also, on the card are $1 million purse races with the Juvenile Turf, Juvenile Fillies Turf and the Juvenile Turf Sprint. ... 

Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky is the site for the 2018 Breeders’ Cup on Friday, November 2 and Saturday, November 3. It is the best time of the year for horse racing, with five Breeders’ Cup races on Friday and nine on Saturday. The marquee race among the 14 is the $6 million dollar Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday, November 3 on NBC. Accelerate is the current favorite to win the Classic at odds of 9-2. Let’s look at the early Breeders’ Cup Classic odds and the schedule for the 2018 Breeders’ Cup. ... 

All eyes will be on Justify as the Bob Baffert-trained colt looks to become the 13th Triple Crown winner and the second in the last three years. After claiming a 2 1/2-length victory at the Kentucky Derby and winning the Preakness by a neck, Justify has come off as the betting favorite at 4/5 odds. The field for the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes appears to be more stacked than at the Preakness and Justify will have to contend with Bravazo and Tenfold, two horses he held off at the wire at Pimlico. ... 

Justify will try and become the 13^th horse to win the Triple Crown when he races in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 9 on NBC. Justify is listed as the odds-on favorite to win the Belmont and capture horse racing’s Triple Crown. Justify was very impressive in winning the Kentucky Derby, but he looked tired in winning the Preakness. Can Justify give trainer Bob Baffert his second Triple Crown winner or will the grueling mile and a half be too much for Justify? ... 

Kentucky Derby winner Justify is the odds-on favorite to win the Preakness Stakes on Saturday on NBC. Justify is not going to be facing a lot of horses on Saturday in the second leg of the Triple Crown, as just seven challengers will go against him, the smallest Preakness field since 2015. Most of the seven are not given much of a chance as only Good Magic is listed at single-digit odds at 3-1. All of the other horses are listed at double-digit odds. Let’s look at Saturday’s race and Preakness Stakes Picks. ... 

Justify listed as the odds-on favorite. In addition to betting on which horse you think will win the race, there are other options available for the Preakness Stakes including Preakness Stakes props. One of the most popular props is the one on whether or not Justify will win the Triple Crown. The No is still favored on this prop, although the odds have dropped. Let’s look at a couple of Preakness props and Preakness facts. ... 

Can trainer Bob Baffert do it again? Baffert trained American Pharoah in 2015 and that horse ended a long drought by winning the Triple Crown. Baffert will bring Justify to the 2018 Preakness on Saturday, May 19 after the horse won the Kentucky Derby in dominating fashion. Justify is expected to go off as the odds-on favorite to win the Preakness, but the horse is still not favored to win the Triple Crown. ... 

If you want to do more than just bet on which horse you think will win the Kentucky Derby, you may want to consider betting Kentucky Derby matchups and props. The matchups are similar to what you see in golf, as you just worry about your horse beating another horse. When it comes to props, one of the most popular ones to bet before the Kentucky Derby is whether or not any horse will win the Triple Crown. Let’s look at Kentucky Derby matchups and props. ... 

Can Justify make it six straight years of the favorite winning in the Kentucky Derby? To do so, Justify will have to overcome the so-called “Apollo Curse,” as no horse has won the Kentucky Derby without having raced at 2-years old since Apollo in 1882. Justify is listed as the 3-1 favorite on the morning line but you can get a better price than that right now at BookMaker, as Justify is listed with odds of more than 4-1. Let’s look at Saturday’s race and Kentucky Derby picks. ... 

Is this the year when the five-year streak of favorites winning the Kentucky Derby comes to an end? Justify is listed as the 3-1 morning line favorite to win the Derby, with Mendelssohn the second choice at odds of 5-1. If you like a longshot then the Kentucky Derby is normally a great race to bet, as from 1980 to 2000 the favorite lost every time. That trend has reversed recently, with the favorite winning the last five years. Let’s look at some longshots to consider for the 2018 Kentucky Derby. ... 

Did you know that the Kentucky Derby betting favorite has won the race in each of the last five years? It used to be that you never wanted to bet on the Kentucky Derby favorite, but recently that has completely changed, with the favorite cashing in the last five races. The favorite this year is expected to be Justify, who is currently listed at odds of just over 3-1. Is Justify going to continue the recent trend of Derby favorites cashing on May 5? ... 

The Kentucky Derby is just over two weeks away and Justify is the current favorite at odds of just over 3-1. Justify is unbeaten and coming off a win in the Santa Anita Derby for trainer Bob Baffert. The second place finisher in that race, Bolt d’Oro is the second choice in the betting at odds of just under 6-1. Four other horses are listed at single-digit odds. Let’s look at the latest Kentucky Derby odds, Kentucky Derby contenders and an early Kentucky Derby value pick. ... 

The last chance for horses to qualify for the Kentucky Derby is on Saturday, April 14 in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. The race has been run since 1936 and the race has seen six horses go on to win the Kentucky Derby, the most recent of which was American Pharoah in 2015. Trainer Todd Pletcher has won this race four times and he has the morning line favorite for the 2018 race in Magnum Moon who is listed with odds of 8-5. Let’s look at the race and Arkansas Derby picks. ... 

One of the major Kentucky Derby prep races is the 94^th running of the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on Saturday, April 7. Good Magic is listed as the 2-1 morning line favorite for trainer Chad Brown. Good Magic was the 2-year old male champion and won the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last year. A total of 15 horses, including one also-eligible are entered in Saturday’s Blue Grass Stakes that can be seen on NBCSN. Let’s look at the race and Blue Grass Stakes picks.... 

It is expected to be a two-horse race on Saturday, April 7 in the Santa Anita Derby, as Bolt d’Oro takes on Justify. The race is one of the major Kentucky Derby prep races and can be seen on NBCSN. This year’s Santa Anita Derby will see a short field of seven horses competing for the 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Justify for trainer Bob Baffert is the 4-5 morning line favorite, while Bolt d’Oro for trainer Mike Ruis is the second choice at odds of 6-5. Let’s look at the race and Santa Anita Derby picks.... 

Enticed leads the field for the Wood Memorial on Saturday, April 7 that can be seen on NBCSN. The race is one of three Kentucky Derby prep races on Saturday and will award 100 Kentucky Derby Championship Series points to the winner with the second place finisher getting 40 points, the third place finisher 20 and the fourth place finisher 10. Enticed is the 6-5 morning line favorite for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Let’s look at the race and Wood Memorial picks....