Tag Archives: Todd Pletcher

Victory Ride Stakes 2026 Preview & Picks

By Jarrod Horak The Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes headlines the 10-race program at Saratoga on Friday, July 10. The $225,000 event is contested at 6½ furlongs on the main track for three-year-old fillies, and it goes as Race 9 with a scheduled post time of 5:40 p.m. ET. Predicted Pace The early pace should […]

Saratoga Suburban Stakes 2026 Preview & Picks

By Jarrod Horak The Grade 2 Suburban Stakes is one of the star attractions on Saturday, July 4 at Saratoga. It goes as Race 8, offering a $500,000 purse for older horses going 1¼ miles on the main track. Scheduled for 4:42 p.m. ET, the race brings together an accomplished field of proven graded stakes […]

Belmont Stakes 2026 Analysis & Picks

By Jarrod Horak The final jewel of the Triple Crown arrives at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, June 6, as a talented field of nine three-year-olds competes in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes. With a $2 million purse on the line and a distance of 1¼ miles to conquer, this year’s Belmont shapes up as […]

Churchill Downs Stakes Picks May 30, 2026

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 […]

Kentucky Derby 2026 Analysis at Churchill Downs

By Jarrod Horak The Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs headlines Saturday’s card as Race 12, featuring a $5 million purse for three-year-olds going 1 1/4 miles on the main track. With a full field of contenders and a projected honest pace, this year’s Derby shapes up as a wide-open betting race. For this […]

Kentucky Derby: Top Numbers & Pace Analysis

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 […]

Blue Grass Stakes 2026 Picks at Keeneland

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 […]

Florida Derby 2026 Picks, Analysis & Contenders

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 […]

Arkansas Derby 2026 Picks & Analysis

By Jarrod Horak I’m breaking down the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park, a $1.5 million Kentucky Derby points race at 1 1/8 miles. This race consistently produces serious Derby contenders, and this year’s field brings a mix of proven stakes runners and lightly raced upside types. From a pace perspective, Redland Rebels figures […]

Virginia Derby 2026 Analysis at Colonial Downs

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 […]