By Jarrod Horak The Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park is the next Kentucky Oaks prep race on the calendar. With a $1 million purse and 200 total Oaks qualifying points on the line, this mile-and-a-sixteenth test for three-year-old fillies drew a compact field of six headed by even money favorite Explora. I broke […]
Tag Archives: Brad Cox
By Jarrod Horak I’m breaking down the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park, a key Kentucky Derby prep worth 100-50-25-15-10 points to the top five finishers. This $777,000 race is contested at 1 1/8 miles over the all-weather surface, and it’s a fascinating mix of proven synthetic runners, turf shippers, and developing three-year-olds […]
By Jarrod Horak This is one of the more intriguing Kentucky Oaks prep races on the calendar, and the 2026 Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park shapes up as a wide-open betting race. With a $300,000 purse, Oaks points on the line, and a full field of developing three-year-old fillies, this mile-and-a-sixteenth test on the synthetic […]
By Jarrod Horak The Road to the Kentucky Derby continues with the $500,000 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs on Saturday, March 14. This Kentucky Derby points race brings together a field of three-year-olds traveling one mile and one-eighth around one turn on the main track. In this breakdown, I’ll first walk through the field, then […]
By Jarrod Horak On Sunday, March 1, I’m breaking down two major Kentucky prep races at Oaklawn Park: the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes (Race 9), a Kentucky Oaks 2026 points race, and the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes (Race 11), a Kentucky Derby 2026 points race. For this analysis, I’m using the Complete Digest, which provides […]
By Jarrod Horak The Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park is one of the most important early-season tests on the Road to Kentucky Derby 2026. Run at 1 1/16 miles for three-year-olds, this $425,000 event offers valuable Derby points and serves as a key stepping stone toward longer and tougher assignments this […]
By Jarrod Horak The Risen Star Stakes picks Today’s Racing Digest breakdown is one of the most important Derby trail previews of the winter. This is a Grade 2, $500,000 Kentucky Derby points race at Fair Grounds for three-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on the main track, and it offers 50 points to the winner […]
By Jarrod Horak The Grade 3, $1 million Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn on Feb. 6 is for 3-year-olds traveling 1 1/16 miles on the main track and the scheduled post time is 5:40 PM ET, and this is a Kentucky Derby 2026 points race. Southwest Stakes field (race 11): 1 – Reclamation (30-1) 2 – […]
By Jarrod Horak This article and video includes analysis of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, January 24. Pegasus World Cup field: 1 – Disco Time (8-5)2 – British Isles (20-1)3 – Full Serrano (12-1)4 – Banishing (20-1)5 – Skippylongstocking (15-1)6 – Madaket Road (10-1)7 – Tappan Street (6-1)8 – […]
Fair Grounds Lecomte Stakes 2026 picks Today’s Racing Digest — This is the Grade 3, $250,000 Lecomte Stakes on Saturday, January 17, 2026, and it’s a Derby-points type of race where trip and pace matter as much as raw talent. I’m going to keep it practical: who gets the right run, who can improve, and […]
