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By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman A rich afternoon of high-class racing is taking place on Saturday at Kentucky Downs. Five rich stakes are on the agenda, and rather than focus on just one, we're taking a quick look at all five: Race 8: Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf S. (G3) #1 Dalika (2-1) is the morning line ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman A pair of prestigious ''Win and You're In'' qualifiers for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) are taking place at opposite ends of the country this Saturday. Let's dive in and handicap both races: Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar Any analysis of the Pacific Classic must begin with the ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Get ready, racing fans! Half a dozen graded stakes are slated to take place on Saturday at Saratoga, including a quintet of Grade 1 prizes led by the prestigious $1.25 million Travers S. (G1). Rather than handicap just one of these star-studded events, let's take quick looks at ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The feature race on Saturday at Saratoga is the $600,000 Alabama S. (G1), one of the most important events in the country for three-year-old fillies. The historic race is contested over 1 1/4 miles on dirt, which is an uncommon distance for sophomore fillies to tackle. But the ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Racing fans bid farewell to Arlington Park following the 2021 race meet, but Arlington's most prestigious races—the Arlington Million (G1) and the Beverly D. S. (G1)—are living on at Churchill Downs. Churchill Downs doesn't typically race in August, but a rare (maybe ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Saturday is shaping up to be an action-packed day of racing from coast to coast, with the $1 million Whitney S. (G1) at Saratoga leading the way. The prestigious 1 1/8-mile ''Win and You're In'' qualifier to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) has drawn half a dozen entries, ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Saturday is shaping up to be a chalky day at Saratoga, at least as far as the graded stakes are concerned. The Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. (G1) and the Jim Dandy S. (G2) highlight the third Saturday of the summer meet, but both have drawn small fields packed with formidable ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Saturday is shaping up to be a terrific day of racing throughout the United States. Saratoga is heading into its second weekend, with the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) serving as the highlight. Out in California, the action at Del Mar is heating up with the San Clemente S. ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Summer is here, and so is racing at Saratoga. The beloved New York race meet kicks off on Thursday, and the first of many Grade 1 race on the agenda—the $500,000 Diana S. (G1)—is slated for Saturday. The 1 1/8-mile turf test for fillies and mares has been dominated in recent ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman A terrific Saturday of racing at Belmont Park culminates with the $1 million Belmont Derby (G1) for three-year-olds racing 1 1/4 miles on turf. No fewer than 13 horses have been entered, setting the stage for a competitive event. At first glance, the Belmont Derby appears ripe ...