PREPPING FOR THE SPASaratoga PreviewsJohn ConteWednesday, 6/20

The immediate response a player might have to the thought of handicapping a 5 ½ furlong turf race at Saratoga is something along the lines of, how does one analyze a full field of helter-skelter sprinters running at one pace and hoping to get the perfect trip?

Based on the actual results of these races, how they are run and the payoffs to those who bet them, this is not close to an accurate assumption. In fact, a close look at these races indicates that they are among the most formful contests run over the…

Saratoga PreviewsMonday, 6/18John DaSilva

For many years, what you will read below and what I will further submit leading up to the Saratoga Meet which begins Friday, July 20 are the type of articles I wrote for The NY Post  before they discontinued most of their racing coverage (as most daily newspapers have.) I was in the Press Box for 19 years covering Saratoga for my paper. I was up early for morning workouts at the Oklahoma training track where I got to know everyone from the trainers to the jockeys to the clockers. And to this day I am on a…

MAKE MONMOUTH PART OF YOUR SUMMER WAGERING ROUTINE

Now that the 2018 Triple Crown is in the books, the next big 3-year-old race on everyone’s radar will be the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Saturday, July 29. While it is highly unlikely that Justify will return to the races in time for the Haskell, the race nevertheless is sure to attract a first-class field of sophomores hoping to emerge during the second-half of the season.

While talking about the Haskell, this seems like a good opportunity to put some focus on the Monmouth Park race meet. Monmouth occasionally gets…

After the Kentucky Derby and Preakness are in the books, New York’s Belmont Park again is ready to become the center of the racing universe thanks to the running of the third jewel of racing’s Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes. This is especially true in years when there is a Triple Crown on the line, and that’s a big deal because this year’s Crown aspirant, Justify, appears to have a better than average chance to accomplish the feat than most of the recent losers that have come before him.

All eyes in the horseracing world – and sports world – will…

John ContePreviewing The Belmont StakesWednesday, May 30

Once again bettors and race fans are faced with two dimensions of their love for the game.

With the prospects of a Triple Crown once again on the line, the acute majority of racing fans will be more than happy to witness Justify accomplish the feat.

By the same token, bettors looking to make a score would be happy to see a horse they bet to beat Justify accomplish that feat because the Value Return would be expanded.

For many of those fans/bettors this could be a dilemma. I find no such problem. I believe we can…

John ContePreakness Preview, 5/17

Let me get this out of the way first.

There has been little interest in speculating on the outcome of the 143rd running of the Preakness Stakes. If you listened to 10 minutes of punditry or 10 hours of punditry this week you heard the same thing. It is impossible to believe any of the colts going up against him on Saturday will deny Justify the second leg of the Triple Crown. He has proven to be heads and tails above any of the three other Kentucky Derby runners who return, Bravazo, Good Magic and Lone Sailor and…

John DaSilva All Stakes PreviewFriday, May 11

This year it has taken Belmont’s Spring Meet a bit longer than usual to get into its usual top level, top class racing.

Whether it was the lingering bad weather that postponed barns shipping back from Florida or those that gave their top horses a break began getting them back into training a little longer is hard to say. But whatever the reason, that slumber ends Saturday with a huge 5 Stakes day….4 of them Graded races.

Grade 3 Vagrancy H. – 4 Year Old & Up Fillies & Mares – 6 ½ FurlongsRun Happy S.…

Hammerin’ Hank Preakness PreviewWednesday, 5/9

Regardless of how impressive he might have been this past Saturday in Louisville, it is on to Baltimore where the Kentucky Derby winner will have to “Justify” his Run for the Roses triumph.

A number of those who challenged Justify in the Kentucky Derby have already been declared out of the Preakness. The connections of third place finisher Audible have already announced that they will await the Belmont Stakes and as of Tuesday, runner up Good Magic is at best 50/50 to compete.

I’m sure a few more Kentucky Derby emigres will sign on and as of now…

With all the hub-bub in Thoroughbred racing focused on the Triple Crown, it can be easy to overlook that at the same time horseplayers are concentrating on the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, the new season at beautiful Belmont Park is already up and running. The 2018 Belmont Park Spring/Summer meet opened on Friday, April 27 through closing day, Sunday, July 15. After months and months of Aqueduct, the New York circuit finally returns to Belmont Park and handicappers are more than ready for the move, to say the least.

The biggest day of the 54-day Belmont meet, of course, will…

John ConteDerby Eve PreviewThursday, May 3

If you are like any horse racing fan then you know that everyone from your uncle to co-worker has asked you about the Kentucky derby.

Like your uncle and co-worker, even those people that don’t regularly get involved in horse racing are likely to bet the Kentucky derby.

On the other hand, if you are a serious horse player like I am, you won’t be sitting on your hands until Saturday. All you need do is look to Friday’s 13 race Churchill Downs program, headed by the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks (the filly equivalent of the Kentucky…