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By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman How fast the summer has flown by! Believe it or not, this weekend will bring the Saratoga and Del Mar meets to a close, but fortunately for racing fans, the two tracks will go out in a burst of excitement with many top-notch graded stakes races scheduled to be run. There are actually ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman While the upcoming Saturday of racing at Saratoga is exceptional from start to finish-there are seven graded stakes races on the card, including six Grade 1 events-the highlight will undoubtedly be the $1,250,000 Travers Stakes (gr. I). For the first time since 1982, three separate ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman As the summer rolls on and we draw closer to the end of the season, the racing action is really starting to heat up at Saratoga and Del Mar. While the richest race of the week is the $1 million Pacific Classic (gr. I) at Del Mar, in which Arrogate will seek to rebound to winning ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman One of my favorite days of racing each year is Arlington Million day, when Arlington Park in Illinois puts on an impressive card including three Grade 1 turf races that attract top-notch horses from around the world. The highlight each year is the $1 million Arlington Million (gr. ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The road to the Breeders' Cup Classic has had a few surprising twists and turns thus far, such as Arrogate's surprising defeat in the San Diego Handicap two weeks ago, so although the $1.2 million Whitney Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga might look like a predictable race at first glance, ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The top-notch racing at Saratoga will continue this weekend with several competitive graded stakes races on the agenda, including the $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes for three-year-olds and the $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. I) for older sprinters. While the field sizes aren't ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The eagerly-anticipated Saratoga meet kicks off on Friday, and the action-packed opening weekend includes several top-notch graded stakes races, led by the Diana Stakes (gr. I) and the Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I). Although both races feature heavy favorites, a couple of ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman With the Del Mar and Saratoga meets scheduled to begin next week, this coming weekend is essentially the ''calm before the storm'' of top-class racing just around the corner. However, that doesn't mean that this weekend is lacking in excitement, for there are several notable graded ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Get ready, everyone! A very busy weekend of racing is on schedule, led by a terrific series of graded stakes races at Belmont Park. They included the $1.25 million Belmont Derby (gr. I) and the $1 million Belmont Oaks (gr. I), while across the country at Prairie Meadows, the $250,000 ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman On a weekend that is a bit light in terms of graded stakes action, one of the most intriguing races is the $250,000 Mother Goose Stakes (gr. II) at Belmont Park. Although the field size isn't huge, I think there's potential for an upset winner. Let's take a look at the ...