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By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Three weeks out from the Breeders' Cup, there isn't a whole lot of graded stakes action taking place in North America. But Keeneland does have one major highlight for us: Saturday's $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1), which has drawn a strong field of 10 three-year-old ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman On Aug. 23 at Saratoga, we witnessed one of the most exciting races so far in 2024. The Personal Ensign (G1) for fillies and mares racing 1 1/8 miles drew a stellar field. Reigning champion older dirt female Idiomatic started as the 4-5 favorite against multiple Grade 1 winner ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Five weeks out from the Breeders' Cup, an action-packed Saturday at Santa Anita is highlighted by the $1 million California Crown (G1). The California Crown is a rebranding of the Awesome Again, coupling a new name and a dramatically richer purse with the date, distance, and Grade ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman I've puzzled over handicapping Saturday's $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing. The reason? For the most part, the 11 horses entered in this 1 1/8-mile race haven't run especially fast on the Beyer Speed Figure scale, suggesting a longshot won't need much improvement to ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman An exciting slate of races is taking place across North America this Saturday. At Churchill Downs, a five-stakes card is highlighted by the Iroquois (G3) and Pocahontas (G3), the opening legs of the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Road to the Kentucky Oaks. At Belmont at the Big A, ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Closing week of the Del Mar summer meet is underway. Two final Grade 1 races wrap up the action: Saturday's $300,000 Del Mar Debutante (G1) for two-year-old fillies and Sunday's $300,000 Del Mar Futurity (G1) for two-year-olds. Both races are seven-furlong dirt sprints. Both have ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman A fantastic holiday weekend of horse racing is on the agenda. Rich stakes races can be found all across the country, and some of the best horses in training are slated to compete. We'll analyze three races this week: Saturday's $1 million Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar, Sunday's ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman An absolutely fascinating renewal of the $1.25 million Travers (G1) is taking place at Saratoga this Saturday. The 1 1/4-mile contest for three-year-olds is stuffed with talent. Among the entrants are a champion, a classic winner, a Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner, a Grade 1 winner who ...

By J. Keeler Johnson (''Keelerman'') Twitter: @J_Keelerman Who will win Saturday's $600,000 Alabama (G1) at Saratoga? Eight three-year-old fillies have entered the 1 1/4-mile dirt contest, but one notable name is missing from the entries. Thorpedo Anna, the runaway division leader after winning the Kentucky Oaks (G1), Acorn (G1), and ...