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By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) contenders will head to Aqueduct this week for a pair of qualifiers worth $250,000 apiece, and I can't think of a better way to kick off December than by handicapping both races. Let's dig in and examine the key contenders! Remsen S. ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! While there's plenty of quality holiday racing on tap this afternoon, the best race of the week falls on Friday, when Churchill Downs will host the $750,000 Clark S. (G1). The 1 1/8-mile race has been won in recent years by champions Blame (2009), Wise ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Every year, after the Breeders' Cup, I like to take a week on Unlocking Winners and highlight a handful of horses I'm excited to follow in the months ahead. Usually, I focus on up-and-coming Kentucky Derby contenders. But this year, I'm going to take a different approach and share ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman If you wish to take a by-the-numbers approach to handicapping Sunday's $100,000 Bob Hope S. (G3) at Del Mar, a basic conclusion can quickly be drawn: trainer Bob Baffert is almost certain to win. After all, Baffert has won the Bob Hope 10 times since 1996, including four times ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Let's see... 14 races, and 14 opportunities to cash giant betting payoffs. The Breeders' Cup isn't just a fantastic sporting event—it's also a terrific day for horseplayers. Who doesn't like large fields and huge betting pools? The 2021 Breeders' Cup will take place at Del Mar ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Pre-entries for the 2021 Breeders' Cup were released on Wednesday, which means handicappers are busy pouring over past performances for the two-day Del Mar extravaganza. While a proven affinity for Del Mar isn't a prerequisite for winning Breeders' Cup races, it certainly doesn't ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The 2021 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar is just two weeks away, which means the prospective fields are coming into focus and early handicapping can begin. The last time the Breeders' Cup took place at Del Mar, longshots reigned supreme, with seven of the 13 winners starting at ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The U.S. racing calendar is close to entering its annual lull leading up to the Breeders' Cup. But before top-class racing action goes on its brief hiatus, there are a couple of Grade 1 races to contest at Keeneland and Woodbine this week. Let's dig into the entries and settle on ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Four weeks out from the Nov. 5-6 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, an impressive array of important qualifiers will take place during opening week of the Keeneland fall meet. No fewer than 10 graded stakes are on the agenda, with nine serving as ''Win and You're In'' qualifiers to the ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman In case you haven't heard, 20 graded stakes are slated to take place across North American from Friday through Sunday as high-profile horses wrap up their preparations for the 2021 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar. Most of the action is taking place at three tracks: Belmont Park, Churchill ...