CALIFORNIA — By Chris Lomon   Spotlight Race: $76,000 Allowance Optional Claiming, 1 1/16 miles on the turf   Date: Sunday, September 8th (Race 11, 9:32 pm ET)   What to do with a $20 Bet: $1 Exacta: #2 and #11 to finish first, with any of #1, #2, #3, #7, #11,...

TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon   Still Burnin’ After 29 starts, four graded stakes wins, and over $2 million in total purse earnings, 7-year-old gelding Get Smokin is still hungry for more. The marvelous Mark Casse trainee will make his triumphant return to Kentucky Downs this...

KENTUCKY — By Ed DeRosa   Before we get into the field for the One Dreamer Stakes today at Kentucky Downs, the one thing you absolutely must know about this track is that 18 of the 33 races during its opening week were won on the front end. To paraphrase William...

TORONTO — By Ed DeRosa   Of course the King’s Plate is one of the best wagering opportunities on the 12-race card this Friday at Woodbine, but we already discussed that on Railbirds last week, and the field hasn’t changed. What we didn’t mention is that to be one of the...

NEW ORLEANS — By Ed DeRosa   Thanks to a partnership between my employer Horse Racing Nation, and Fair Grounds Race Course, I’ve paid a lot of attention to the races in New Orleans, and one thing I’ve noticed as a multi-race player is that one longshot is enough to...

FLORIDA — By Chris Lomon Spotlight race: $100,000 Ladies’ Turf Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream      Date:  Sunday, February 11 (Race 9, 4:07 p.m. ET)        Why to watch:  The five-furlong tilt features an interesting mix of early speed, press-the-pace types and strong...

SANTA ANITA PARK — By Chris Lomon Spotlight race: $100,000 San Marcos Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita      Date:  Saturday, February 10 (Race 8, 7:00 p.m. ET)        Why to watch:  It’s a small field, but five of the six hopefuls can make a strong case for taking all the...

TORONTO — Win-win situation Chasing Bourbon ($4.70) and Vandoo ($2.50) dead-heated for top spot in Saturday’s fifth race. It was the first race for the 2-year-olds, who covered five furlongs on the Tapeta in :59.37. Krista Cole-Simpson trains Chasing Bourbon, a son of Old...