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By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman It's not often that I make a Friday race the focus of my weekly Unlocking Winners analysis, but then again, not every Friday features the opening of the much-anticipated Keeneland fall meet, and even fewer Fridays happen to feature my best play of the week. So that's why, after much ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman When eight horses head to the Belmont Park starting gate for Saturday's $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I), plenty of attention will be focused on the talented European shippers Mendelssohn and Thunder Snow. The attention, of course, is understandable—it's not all that common ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Is there such a thing as a post-Triple Crown ''Triple Crown?'' Maybe not, but the Haskell Invitational (gr. I), Travers Stakes (gr. I), and Pennsylvania Derby (gr. I) have certainly emerged as the three major post-Triple Crown prizes in recent years, pitting Triple Crown veterans ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The Breeders' Cup is just seven weeks away and so the schedule of prep races is really starting to heat up! This weekend, Woodbine racecourse in Canada will host three ''Win and You're In'' qualifiers for the Breeders' Cup, led by the $800,000 Woodbine Mile (gr. I) over the massive ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman I have long been a fan of Kentucky Downs, the unique European-style racecourse in Kentucky that is quite unlike any other racetrack in North America. Because the course is so different—featuring both left- and right-handed turns, plus undulating ground and a long homestretch—it's ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman I must admit that when I first examined the past performances for Saturday's $750,000 Woodward Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga, I had no real opinion of the race, and the only strong feeling I had was some sort of primeval urge to turn around and flee from such a wide-open and downright ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Arguably the best race of the summer at Saratoga is coming up on Saturday, that being the $1,250,000 Travers Stakes (gr. I). The 1 ¼-mile ''Midsummer Derby'' is something like an unofficial fourth leg of the Triple Crown, frequently pitting some of the best three-year-old colts in the ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Since this article is a preview of the $1 million Pacific Classic (gr. I) at Del Mar—arguably the most anticipated and prestigious race of the weekend—I suppose it would make sense for me to begin with an explanation of why #5 Accelerate is clearly the horse to beat. Then again, isn't ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The $1,000,000 Arlington Million (gr. I) at Arlington Park has long been among the most prestigious turf races in North America, and while you can argue that competition from other rich races has caused the Million to lose a bit of its luster in recent years, you wouldn't really know ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Action on the road to the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) at Churchill Downs picked up last week with a couple of major races for three-year-olds, and it will continue this Saturday with the prestigious $1,200,000 Whitney Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga. Over the last dozen years, the ...