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 By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Now that the Kentucky Derby is over, things are starting to calm down a bit in the world of Thoroughbred horse racing, but that doesn't mean this weekend is going to be a quiet one! A quality group of stakes races is on the agenda, led by the $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman The preparations began months ago, when the two-year-old racing began at Saratoga and Del Mar. Since then, I have watched hundreds of races and dozens of workout videos; I've analyzed an untold number of result charts; I've calculated the fractions of all the major Derby prep races; ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Anyone that has ever played the trifecta or superfecta in the Kentucky Derby knows that finding live longshots is the key to hitting those bets. With two exceptions, every Kentucky Derby since 2001 has seen at least one horse at odds of 20-1 or higher finish in the superfecta, and ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman While handicapping the Kentucky Derby, one of the most important factors to consider is the pace of the race. With eighteen, nineteen, or twenty young horses trying ten furlongs for the first time, the pace of the Derby-whether fast, slow, or somewhere in the middle-can have a huge ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman We're almost there, folks! On April 16th the last two prep races for the 2016 Kentucky Derby will be held, and the field for the 142nd running of the ''Run for the Roses'' will be more-or-less established. The most important of the two prep races is the $1 million Arkansas Derby (gr. ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Get ready, everyone! This coming Saturday promises to the best day of racing in the U.S. so far this year, with seven grade I races and numerous grade II and grade III events on the schedule. Leading the way are three major Kentucky Derby prep races, including the $1 million Santa ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman It's not every year that racing fans get a showdown as epic as the one coming up in Saturday's $1,000,000 Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (gr. I) at Gulfstream Park. A matchup between the two favorites for the Kentucky Derby is a great rarity indeed, especially when both are undefeated, ...

J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman It's finally here! The $1,000,000 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (gr. II) at Fair Grounds on March 26th is the first Kentucky Derby prep race to offer 100 qualification points to the winner, meaning that at long last, we've reached the homestretch of the Kentucky Derby trail! The ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Take a deep breath, folks! With just seven weeks remaining until the Kentucky Derby, the $900,000 Rebel Stakes (gr. II) is the last Derby prep race that falls before the start of the ''final prep races'' on March 26th. In other words, from here on out, the road to the Derby is ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Thus far along the road to the Kentucky Derby, we've seen some very special horses win Derby prep races, but many handicappers feel that we still haven't seen a true ''wow'' performance yet-the kind of performance where you can say with confidence that if a horse were to repeat the ...