CALIFORNIA — By Chris Lomon   Spotlight Race:  $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Santa Ynez Stakes, 7 furlongs on the main track at Santa Anita Park.   Date:  Sunday, January 5 (Race 7, 5:36 pm ET ).   What to do with a $20 Bet : $20 to win on A.Z. Wildcat   The...

CALIFORNIA — By Ed DeRosa   The stakes double on Saturday at Santa Anita Park features a juxtaposition of sorts as Triple Crown hopefuls take to the track for the San Vicente Stakes while older female sprinters feature in the Los Flores Stakes.   Racing Hall of Fame...

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...