Author Archives: Jarrod Horak

Saratoga News and Views: Belmont at the Spa?

By Jarrod Horak The Saratoga summer meet wrapped up earlier today and the stakes schedule ended with a shocking result. Nutella Fella stunned his rivals and paid $111 in the Grade 1 Hopeful. Irad Ortiz Jr. was the leading rider, and the trainer title came down to the final race of the meet. Linda Rice […]

Pioneering Spirit takes the 2023 Bernard Baruch at Saratoga

Saratoga 2023: Spinaway & Hopeful Recaps

By Jarrod Horak The curtain has come down on the 2023 summer meet at Saratoga. The final two Grade 1 races of the meet were for 2-year-olds, and neither had the result that many were expecting. Brightwork was hardly a big surprise in the Spinaway, but Nutella Fella’s victory in the Hopeful was completely expected […]

Thin White Duke lands the Harvey Pack Stakes at Saratoga on 9-2-23

Saratoga 2023: Stakes Recaps for September 2 

By Jarrod Horak I did not have wagering success in the four stakes races at Saratoga on Saturday, Sept. 2, but I was pleased as a racing fan with one outcome in particular. The one performance that really stood out was Thin White Duke’s rallying win in the Harvey Pack Stakes. You cannot help but […]

Carl Spackler wins 2023 Saranac Stakes at Saratoga

Saratoga 2023 Stakes Recaps (Aug. 30-Sept. 1)

By Jarrod Horak This is my first of three stakes recaps for the final week of the 2023 Saratoga summer meet. Bill Mott won a pair of juvenile stakes to begin the week, and Chad Brown’s exciting sophomore turf star Carl Spackler (IRE) picked up his second graded stakes win of the summer in the […]

Brightwork wins 2023 Adirondack

Saratoga Stakes Analysis: Spinaway & Hopeful

By Jarrod Horak Juveniles take center stage in the final two Grade 1 races of the Saratoga 2023 summer meet. Ways and Means makes her much anticipated stakes debut in the Spinaway on Sunday, Sept. 3, and the closing Monday feature is the Hopeful featuring Bob Baffert’s $2 million purchase Muth.   Click here for Saratoga […]

Geaux Rocket Ride wins Haskell

Pacific Classic 2023 Analysis & Video

By Jarrod Horak The Grade 1 Pacific Classic will be run at Del Mar on Saturday, September 2. A total of eleven horses will line up in the starting gate and Geaux Rocket Ride is the 5-2 morning line favorite. This race has a good mix of improving sophomores and solid older horses. I will […]

Big Invasion wins 2022 Mahony Stakes

Saratoga 2023: Stakes Analysis & Video (9-2-23)

By Jarrod Horak The three-day Labor Day weekend stakes action gets underway on Saturday with the Flower Bowl. Three other stakes are on tap including the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Check out my video analysis of the latter event at the end of this post. Click here for Saratoga Racing Picks, Tips, and Insider […]

Carl Spackler wins 2023 Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga

Saratoga 2023 Closing Week Stakes Previews

By Jarrod Horak We made it to the final week of the Saratoga meet. It has been tumultuous summer at the Spa, and let’s hope that we can end the season on a high note with safe trips for all horses and riders. There are a trio of stakes races during the week including a […]

Eddie's New Dream takes the Solana Beach Stakes at Del Mar on 8-25-23

Del Mar 2023 Week 6 Stakes Recaps (Aug 25-27)

By Jarrod Horak Week 6 at Del Mar was the calm before the stakes storm. We saw decent performances in the graded ranks from Anarchist and Eda, and now the stakes schedule kicks into high gear for the final two weeks of the summer meet. There are ten stakes on the docket from Sept. 2-4, […]

They are off and running at Saratoga Race Course

New York Showcase Day 2023 Stakes Recaps

By Jarrod Horak I enjoyed handicapping these New York-bred stakes races at Saratoga on Sunday, Aug. 27. I previewed the races for the Digest and ended up going 3-for-6 with a second. These six stakes races wrapped up the Travers week stakes action. There is one week and ten stakes races to go at the […]