Author Archives: Jarrod Horak

Beyond the 2023 Triple Crown: June Rankings

By Jarrod Horak The 2023 Triple Crown is in the rear-view mirror and we are speeding towards the big summer targets. The 3-year-old division is wide open at this stage and it is time to catch up with the sophomore leaders.  Two Phil’s appeared to reach the top of the leaderboard after an impressive score […]

Was the 2023 Kentucky Derby a Strong Race?

By Jarrod Horak The early pace was swift and Mage rolled home from off the pace to capture the 2023 Kentucky Derby. Five horses scratched and the Florida shipper ended up defeating 17 runners on the first Saturday in May, and the strong early pace really helped the late runners. Ten horses have run back. […]

Play These 3 Triple Crown Series Runners

By Jarrod Horak The 2023 Triple Crown Series is over and we saw three different winners once again. That has been the case since 2019 and the current sophomore division is seemingly without a leader. The Derby featured a pace meltdown, the Preakness had no early pace, and the recently concluded Belmont Stakes was captured […]

Arcangelo Rides the Rails in Belmont Stakes 2023

By Jarrod Horak Arcangelo took advantage of a ground saving trip to win the 2023 Belmont Stakes. Javier Castellano rode the winner for Jena Antonucci. It was the first Belmont win for rider and trainer, and Antonucci became the first female conditioner to capture the Belmont and first to win any of the Triple Crown […]

Belmont Stakes 2023 Final Thoughts

By Jarrod Horak The 2023 Belmont Stakes will be run later today at Belmont Park and the conditions could not be more ideal. The track is fast with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 70’s. It is time to take one final look at the nine entrants. 1 – Tapit Shoes (20-1): Brad Cox’s […]

Unwrapping the Belmont Stakes Pace Puzzle

By Jarrod Horak I took a look at the Preakness pace scenario prior to the second jewel of the Triple Crown, and this time I will see if I can unwrap the puzzling Belmont Stakes race shape.  In the Kentucky Derby, the pace was sizzling and Mage rumbled home from the back of the pack. […]

National Treasure: A Tale of Two Belmont Works

By Jarrod Horak Preakness hero National Treasure has worked twice for the 2023 Belmont Stakes and the two morning moves could not have been more different. What does it mean and how will it affect his performance on Saturday? On Tuesday, May 30, National Treasure was surprisingly back on the worktab a mere 10 days […]

Analyzing Todd Pletcher’s Belmont Winners 

By Jarrod Horak The 2023 Belmont Stakes includes two runners from the powerful Todd Pletcher barn, 2-year-old champion Forte and Grade 1 Blue Grass hero Tapit Trice. Last year, Pletcher trainees Mo Donegal and Nest finished first and second in the final leg of the Triple Crown, and he seeks his fifth Belmont winner on […]

Belmont Stakes 2023 Report: Early Preview

By Jarrod Horak The 2023 Belmont Stakes is shaping up as a very good betting race. Kentucky Derby winner Mage will not be running at Belmont Park after a show finish in the Preakness crushed his Triple Crown dreams, but National Treasure, the wire-to-wire winner of that race, is eyeing the final jewel of the […]

Preakness 2023: National Treasure all the way

By Jarrod Horak The 2023 Preakness Stakes played out in real time just the way it looked on paper. National Treasure broke smoothly from the inside post, got to the front with relative ease, and held off Blazing Sevens in the lane to win by a head. Kentucky Derby winner Mage was third.  The complexion […]