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The second week of the extended 2026 Saratoga Race Course meetings kicks off Thursday with a another nine-race card and a rare day without a stakes race here in upstate New York. How’s your bankroll faring after opening weekend? Fear not if it’s not up to par, there’s plenty of time to make up for … Read more
Welcome to May. If you’re like the team here at TIHR, this week is when your friends ask you for Kentucky Derby opinions. It’s the nation’s most famous race for a reason. That reason may or may not be because your friends pay attention to it before getting on with the rest of their spring/summer. … Read more
All the preliminaries are over. Say farewell to 502uesday, Champions Day and (aghast) Thurby. The big time starts Friday with the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. The stars will be out Friday, with a glistening undercard leading up to the 150th renewal of the Oaks. Worth $1.5 million and so much more, the Oaks attracted … Read more
A week out from the 150th Kentucky Derby and the signs of spring are everywhere from coast to coast. Especially so here in the Bluegrass, where trees are in full bloom and grass already in need of a significant cut. Kroger, Liquor Barn and Total Wine are stocked with all the necessities, whether it be … Read more
The last Saturday in April. As usual, the steeplechase season hits full speed and makes you wonder where it went and how we got here. Two stops – one a storied timber race, the other a roaring-back-to-prominence Virginia stalwart – make for a full day. Last week was busy and featured the best performance of … Read more
Here we go. Into the final countdown we go with phrases like “penultimate work” and “just what we wanted” thrown about as Kentucky Derby contenders go through their final paces at home or at Churchill Downs. We’re two weeks out from Kentucky Derby 150 and all eyes on Louisville. The Special rolls along, too, prepping … Read more
The big boys come out to play Saturday with the $75,000 Temple Gwathmey highlighting a nine-race card at Middleburg Spring over the historic Glenwood Park course in Virginia and Maryland timber toppers going out again at the Grand National in Butler. Both meets are live-streamed on the NSA website. Last week at Tryon, Go Poke … Read more
Approaching the midpoint of April and just three weeks remaining until the historic 150th renewal of the Kentucky Derby. The Saturday Special covers the final “prep” for the Derby and we dig into the Grand National card from Aintree. A little of that, and plenty more for this week’s edition. Enjoy. Names of the DayAir … Read more
Let’s get this out of the way first. The TIHR handicapping team struck out last week at Old Dominion. Three NSA races, three punters, three goose eggs. Good thing there are more races this weekend. Two Saturday stops, My Lady’s Manor in Maryland and Tryon Block House in North Carolina, offer five races apiece. The … Read more
Now we’re getting serious. Just four weeks until the 150th Kentucky Derby and with three key preps on the slate this weekend the makeup of the field figures to take shape. The Saturday Special previews those preps – from New York, Kentucky and California – recaps last weekend and offers some handicapping advice for those … Read more
Old Dominion. It’s a university, a beer, a trucking company, a music academy, a Nashville-based band. And, Saturday, a race meet. Technically a nickname for Virginia, since it was the first (and oldest) overseas dominion of the kings and queens of England, the title ends up on the racing because it’s organized by the Old … Read more
