TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon   Red Hot Coal   On a run of two straight stakes wins, Coal Battle (9-2) enters the $250,000 Smarty Jones with no intentions of slowing down.   A pair of impressive, and strikingly similar performances in the Remington Springboard Mile (hard...

FLORIDA — By Sean Collins   Eight grade 1 winners received invitations to the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 25, including 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan  and 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner White Abarrio ....

CALIFORNIA — By Ed DeRosa   The limb I am going out on to say that the Frankel Stakes on Friday at Santa Anita Park is a three-horse race is more a full on branch than a twig, but eliminating more than half the field has some merit, and there are other clues to point...

NEW ORLEANS — By Ed DeRosa   Louisiana Champions Day on Saturday at Fair Grounds features seven stakes for the bayou breds, and from a wagering perspective they saved the best for last.   The stakes portion of the ten-race card begins with race 3: the Louisiana...

TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon   Balance Restored   For the people out there who enjoy all things symmetrical, we have another enticing item to share with you.   On Saturday afternoon at Aqueduct, 3-year-old colt Locked captured the $500,000 Cigar Mile (G2) to keep...

TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon   Get Some Popcorn Ready   Simply calling the $500,000 Cigar Mile (G2) ‘stacked’ is a grave, and borderline blasphemous understatement.   Set to feature a tantalizing field of 11 hopefuls, headlined by five millionaires and four Grade/Group...

NEW YORK — By Ed DeRosa   The last big day of racing in New York this year is Saturday at Aqueduct where a quartet of graded stakes takes place headlined by the $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap.   The Remsen and Demoiselle Stakes for two-year-old males and fillies,...

TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon   Above the Norm Three cheers for Good Cheer, the 2-year-old filly who’s off to a perfect three-for-three start to her professional racing career. The promising youngster can secure a fourth straight tally this Saturday in the $400,000 Golden Rod...

KENTUCKY — By Ed DeRosa     It may be Black Friday, but there is no two-for-one special on the Brad Cox trainees in the Grade 2 Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs.   That’s OK, though. We’re not looking for a sale because we like the horse who figures to be the...

CALIFORNIA — By Chris Lomon   Spotlight Race:  Grade 3 $100,000 Red Carpet Stakes   Date: Sunday, November 24 (Race 7, 6:30 pm ET )   What to do with a $20 Bet in the Red Carpet: $10 win, $10 place on #3 Everything Bugs Me   The Reason: In a race where the...