By Jarrod Horak Saturday’s Churchill Downs card features three competitive graded stakes races on the main track, and I’ll break down each one using the pace analysis, trip notes, and figures from past performances provided by Today’s Racing Digest. The races covered in this analysis include the Grade 2 Shawnee Stakes, Grade 3 Aristides Stakes, and […]
Tag Archives: Brad Cox
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, […]
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 […]
By Jarrod Horak I’m diving into the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland, a $350,000 event for fillies and mares going 1 1/2 miles on the turf. This is a classic stamina test, and races at this distance often come down to pace dynamics, positioning, and which runners can sustain their finish over the final […]
By Jarrod Horak I’m breaking down the Grade 2 Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland, a $400,000 event for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. This is Race 9 on Friday, April 17 with a scheduled post time of 5:16 p.m. ET. This race sets up as a tactical dirt route with […]
By Jarrod Horak I’m diving into the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, run Saturday, April 11 as Race 10. It’s a $400,000 event for three-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the main track, offering 20 Kentucky Derby points to the winner. Despite the points on offer, this race likely won’t produce a Derby qualifier. […]
Introduction We head to Keeneland for a strong Saturday card on April 11, highlighted by the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes. This race is one of the premier early-season turf events for older fillies and mares and consistently draws a competitive and deep field. The following analysis is based on the projected race card and […]
By Jarrod Horak I’m diving into the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland, a $650,000 turf event for fillies and mares going a mile and a sixteenth. This race drew a competitive field with a mix of proven class, tactical speed, and late-running threats—making pace and trip absolutely critical. Using the Complete Digest, I […]
By Jarrod Horak I’m back with my latest Road to the Kentucky Derby breakdown, and this time I’m diving into the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. This $1.25 million Derby prep is one of the final and most important stepping stones on the trail, with three-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on the main […]
By Jarrod Horak The Road to the Kentucky Derby rolls through South Florida with the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. This $1 million test at 1 1/8 miles is one of the most important final preps, offering critical points toward qualifying for Churchill Downs. With a mix of proven stakes winners and improving […]
