Weekend Winners Club

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Monday, August 6, 2018. Hastings Racecourse will have 7 stakes races today for their British Columbia Cup series, including the Classic, Distaff, Debutante, Nursery, Marathon, Jockey Club, and Derby Trial.
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The races are each worth $50k except the Marathon. So it’s not a huge race day but it is relatively speaking for Hastings and for a Monday, in which there are only 3 other stakes races total in North America.
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So enjoy the racing from Vancouver.
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Get Hastings British Columbia Cup Grid PP’s here free
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Saturday, August 4, 2018. It’s a rare big day at Mountaineer Race Track with 7 stakes races culminating in the West Virginia Governors Stakes and WV Derby, both G3 races.
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The Derby field consists of 9 horses that were not on the Kentucky Derby trail. The Governors stakes includes some that were on the Derby trail in previous years.
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Get the West Virginia Derby Mountaineer Saturday Grid here free
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Saturday, July 28, 2018. Del Mar’s legendary meet is underway and today they will run the Bing Crosby G1 for California’s best sprinters.
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The winner will get an automatic entry into the Breeders’ Cup TwinSpires Sprint since it’s a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Race, all of which are listed in the sortable table here.
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Chances are that we will be seeing more than 1 of these in the BC Sprint, because we did in last year’s event. 3 of these great sprinters contended in the BC Sprint last year, finishing 1st, 4th, and 5th.
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Defending BCS champ Roy H has only raced twice this year, winning the Palos Verdes G2 at Santa Anita, then shipping for a strong but disappointing 3rd place finish by 1 length in the Dubai Golden Shaheen G1, getting uncharacteristically passed late in the stretch.
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American Pastime finished 4th in last year’s BCS and hasn’t raced yet this year. Ransom the Moon finished a nose behind him in that race for 5th and has run twice this year, 2nd and 5th in graded stakes.
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American Anthem was on the Triple Crown trail last year but had difficulty holding up around two turns. Since returning to sprint, he’s won 3 graded stakes races and finished 3rd in 2 G1’s. It looks like 7f is his best distance but Baffert will have him ready for action.
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The initial field is set for 11 and it looks competitive on paper, with at least half the field having a good shot at purse money, but beating Roy H will be tough for any of them.
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Get the Del Mar Grid here free now.
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Saturday, July 21. Saratoga Springs, NY. It’s another Saturday in the park at Toga, hosting 2 graded races on an 11 race card. The featured bouts are the Sanford G3 followed by the Diana G1.
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The Sanford gives top 2yo’s a chance to prove their worth as some of them begin their quest for next year’s Run for the Roses. As usual Todd Pletcher has the favored morning line horse, stakes placed Sombeyay at 2-1 and Lexitonian at 3-1.
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However, 2 others in the 8 horse field have higher performance figures in their young careers. Mark Casse’s Strike Silver at 3-1 broke his maiden with an 83 in his only race. Chase Greatness also scored an 83 in the slop his 2nd time out and checks in at 8-1 for a good longshot pick.
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All 8 horses are winners and only Chase Greatness and Sombeyay have run twice.
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The Diana G1 for fillies and mares going 9f, features a field of 6 graded stakes winners and War Canoe, a 50-1 optional claimer who Contessa figures can run better against a fast pace with good closing speed.
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Unfortunatley, she and favored Sister Charlie, probably won’t get the pace they want on paper. There are no front runners and only 2 of these horses have had the lead at 1C in their past 10 races. Only 1 has had the 1C lead multiple times, Hawksmoor. New Money Honey has had it once.
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Two others, Ultra Brat and A Raving Beauty, who will likely be the post time favorite, tend to run near the lead but not on it until late.
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Fetch Saratoga Saturday Grid PP’s here free
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Saturday, July 14. Indiana Grand Racing and Casino.
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Just about every track that horse racing, has a Derby. Today, it’s Indiana Grand’s turn to have the Indiana Derby and Indiana Oaks. There are 4 other stakes listed on the card worth $100k each. First post is at 5:30pm ET.
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The Indiana Derby field currently consists of 9 horses who did not run in the Kentucky Derby, or any Triple Crown race. In fact, only a few of them actually ran in any the Kentucky Derby points/qualifying series races.
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But it is a competitive field relatively. Favored King Zachary was a distant 6th in the Wood Memorial but has improved and recently won the Matt Winn G3. Title Ready faded to 4th in the Rebel G2 but lost by only 1 length in the Ohio Derby last month, right behind Trigger Warning.
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Download Indiana Derby and Oaks Saturday Grid PP here now
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Saturday, July 7. Arlington Park has a great lineup of graded stakes today on their legendary turf course. Races include the American Derby G3, Modesty Handicap G3, Stars and Stripes G3, Arlington Handicap G3.
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Download the Free Grid for Arlington Park now here.
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Friday, July 5. Yes it’s Prairie Meadows getting the nod 2 days in a row in Free Grid Week. Why? it’s really the only track with anything significant going on Friday. The Cornhusker G3 and Iowa Derby highlight a great 10 race card with 2 other stakes races.
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The Cornhusker Handicap favors the fabulous Dr. Dorr, winner of the California G2 and runner up in the Santa Anita Gold Cup G1 this year, causing Baffert to ship him to the Prairie. Triple Crown contender McCraken hopes for a solid pace to overtake him in the field of 9.
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Download the Prairie Meadows Iowa Derby Grid here
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Thursday, July 5. Still celebrating Independence and Dominion Week, we have another Grid today. Prairie Meadows? Yes! Prairie will have 3 stakes races including the Iowa Oaks G3, Iowa Distaff, and Saylorville. 10 races out on the Prairie tonight.
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Download Prairie Meadows Thursday Grid here.

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Wed, July 4: Happy Independence Day from Monmouth Park, NJ, which is hosting the Jersey Girl stakes on their 9 race card. They also have a $80k Pick 6 Jackpot rolling into the day, and are part of the TVG Super 5. Free Grid Week continues.
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Get Wednesday Monmouth Grid here.
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Tuesday, July 3. Parx enters the Free Grid Week rotation today with the Dr. James Penny Memorial G3 stakes on turf. The field is only 6, but there are 8 other races to choose from.
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Philadelphia, the home of Parx racetrack, is also the home of the Liberty Bell and the location where the US signed the Declaration of Independence, as we continue to celebrate Independence Week. It is also the home of the Superbowl Champion Eagles.
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Download the Parx Grid right now here.
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