By Jarrod Horak The Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs is always one of the most competitive races of the year, and this $1.5 million event for three-year-old fillies at a mile and an eighth looks especially deep. With a full field, multiple pace scenarios, and several improving runners, finding value is key—and that’s […]
Category Archives: Track Angles
Kentucky Oaks picks are never just about finding the most obvious filly in the field. Oaks Day at Churchill Downs is a full-card wagering puzzle, and the 152nd Longines Kentucky Oaks gives horseplayers a major opportunity to attack the card with sharper information, stronger opinions, and better ticket structure. The Kentucky Oaks is America’s premier […]
By Jarrod Horak The 2026 Kentucky Oaks (Race 13 at Churchill Downs, post time 8:40 p.m. ET) offers a deep and competitive field, which is exactly where I want to hunt for value. My approach is simple: identify improving fillies sitting at 10-1 or higher on the morning line and evaluate them using advanced performance […]
Kentucky Derby picks require more than a quick opinion on the favorite. Derby Day at Churchill Downs is a full-card wagering puzzle, and the strongest approach starts with track profile, post-position trends, pace shape, and the type of trip each horse is likely to work out. The 152nd Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve is […]
By Jarrod Horak I’m always hunting for value in a race like the Kentucky Derby. With a full field, unpredictable pace, and massive public attention, this is where longshots can light up the tote board—especially underneath in exotics. Using the Today’s Racing Digest past performances, I’m breaking down three live longshots who bring improving numbers, […]
Belmont at the Big A is not a meet you should handicap with generic rules. The races are run at the Big A, and the setup creates different challenges depending on surface, distance, field size, post position, and projected pace. Dirt sprints, one-turn dirt routes, turf sprints, and turf routes all need their own read. […]
By Jarrod Horak As we get closer to the first Saturday in May, I’ve gone through the latest data to identify the strongest Today’s Racing Digest numbers for the top Kentucky Derby 2026 contenders. This is the time of year where understanding how a race will unfold becomes just as important as who is fastest […]
Kentucky Derby handicapping always starts with the same challenge: which horses in this field have already shown the kind of finishing power required to win at Churchill Downs? One of the best ways we attack that question is through Today’s Racing Digest’s Final Time Rating, or FNL RAT. It is one of the clearest tools […]
Kentucky Oaks and Derby handicapping starts with understanding exactly how Churchill Downs has been playing, not just repeating general ideas about speed, closers, or post position. The real edge comes from separating the way the Churchill dirt track has played in ordinary races from the way the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby have unfolded on […]
If you want better Churchill Downs picks, start by understanding the track before you start ranking horses. Churchill Downs is one of the most bet racing circuits in the country, but it is still a track where configuration, pace, and trip decide a huge share of races. A horse that looks strong on paper can […]
