They are back it at for the start of another racing week at Santa Anita Park after a fun Memorial Day weekend in Arcadia. A nice-race card that of course includes an All-Turf Pick 3 sequence that gets started in Race 5 welcomes horseplayers back to the “Great Race Place.” Remember, this player-friendly wager has a 15% takeout and a $3 minimum. Here is how I will attack it.Grade Descriptions: Grade A=Highest degree of confidence; Grade B=Solid Play. Grade C=Least preferred or pass; Grade X=probable winner but likely at odds too short to play.Race 5:Grade: C+Main Ticket: 1 Goje; 7 What’s a Good NameBackups: NoneForecast: Even-money favorite #5 Holdthatrainbow aims to make a perfect 2 for 2 to start her career after working out a great trip to score at 7-1 on debut for Carla Gaines. The upside is there since Gaines is not necessarily a trainer, we expect to have her runners cranked at first asking, but the price is tough to swallow. I will try to beat the ML choice with two fillies. #1 Goje hopes to make it two in a row after grinding out her first career win over this course and distance 12 days ago. If she can work out a trip from the rail draw, she is highly capable. #7 What’s a Good Name is a wild card since she tries the grass for the first time. She draws favorably to the outside, attracts Joel Rosario, and is a full-sister to a runner from the same connections that has earned 3 of her 4 lifetime victories over the grass. She can certainly get to the wire first versus these if she is able to take to the surface switch.Race 7:Grade: B-Main Ticket: #4 I’m Otter HereBackups: NoneForecast: I will lean on the 2-1-chalk in this starter allowance at one-mile over the turf where #4 I’m Otter Here should be set for another big run. The son of Munnings was caught 4-wide into the first turn, but was able to run a solid second at odds of 11-1 against similar on April 26. He has finished first or second in all 3 starts over this turf course and retains the services of Hector Berrios.Race 9:Grade: C+Main Ticket: 2 Latin Air; 5 Chef KateBackups: NoneForecast: I will try to bust things open in the final leg where the runners expected to take the most money have had plenty of chances. #7 Humidity and #9 G’oro are the two ML favorites, but tough to endorse. I will hope one of two lightly-raced fillies takes a step forward in their second career start. #2 Latin Air adds blinkers and stretches out to two turns after breaking slowly and chasing in her debut going 6-furlongs. Hopefully, the addition of shades has her prominently placed under Ricky Gonzalez. #5 Chef Kate also was outrun on debut after a slow start. Trainer Vladimir Cerin turns to veteran Edwin Maldonado in hopes the added ground will lead to big improvement. Neither of these runners is close to a lock to fire, but I just cannot swallow the chalk to close the Friday proceedings.

Saturday at Churchill Downs marks the first big stakes card since Kentucky Derby Day under the twin spires. “Stephen Foster Preview Day” gets started at 12:45 PM eastern and includes seven stakes races over the 11-race slate. As part of the fun on Saturday, 1/ST BET and Xpressbet are offering up a 2 Million Points Hit & Split in the late Pick 4. The sequence is comprised of all graded stakes events, including the featured Blame (G3). Remember to register for the new promotion before attempting to take your share of the rewards points.Grade Descriptions: Grade A=Highest degree of confidence; Grade B=Solid Play. Grade C=Least preferred or pass; Grade X=probable winner but likely at odds too short to play.Race 8: Aristides (G3)Grade: B-Main Ticket: 1 Mad House; 2 CornucopianBackups: NoneForecast: The late Pick 4 gets rolling with this 6-furlong dash over the main track where the inside three runners are expected to take the lions’ share of public support. #3 Roll on Big Joe was made the 9-5-ML favorite after his runner-up finish to #1 Mad House in the Count Fleet (G3). He has won 3 of 4 over this surface, but had no real excuse when turned away in Arkansas last month. He can win, but I will use the second and third choices instead. Mad House should make the lead and proved tough to get by in the lane at Oaklawn Park last out. He comes into his first local start in the best form of his career and retains Paco Lopez. #2 Cornucopian was never overly comfortable in the Churchill Downs (G1) where he underwhelmed in his first start in Louisville. The class drop and move to Flavien Prat should help his chances. It feels like a now or never type spot for the $1.1M Keeneland September ’23 purchase.Race 9: Regret (G3)Grade: B-Main Ticket: 9 Tam TamBackups: 6 DandonaForecast: Four of the nine entered in this year’s Regret exit the Edgewood (G2) earlier this month. Those 3YO fillies and others try the 1 1/8-mile distance for the first time. The added ground and the race shape should benefit #9 Tam Tam. The Rigney Racing filly is a head away from being a perfect 3 for 3 since moving to the grass. She fought gamely last out losing a tight one at odds of 20-1 and should have things her way under jockey Junior Alvarado. If the pace is more contentious than it appears on paper #6 Dandona could be dangerous. The late running daughter of Tiz the Law was caught 4-wide into the first turn and remained wide throughout in the aforementioned Edgewood. She has a strong turn of foot and should get a much better trip in this spot.Race 10: Blame (G3)Grade: BMain Ticket: 3 Hit ShowBackups: NoneForecast: The prep for next month’s Stephen Foster (G1) is another race where early speed appears to be at a premium. #8 Vibe is the one who should benefit most, but the $3M son of Into Mischief has yet to prove himself at two-turns. That makes him tough to endorse or get excited about at his 9-5-ML offering. I prefer the veteran #3 Hit Show. The son of Candy Ride made the trip back to Meydan in March to defend his Dubai World Cup (G1) title, but was unable to do better than a mid-pack fifth. That said, the Brad Cox trainee has thrived at the 9-furlong distance throughout his career and should find a favorable ground saving spot off a moderate early tempo. He should handle these if set for his best off the two-month freshening.Race 11: Arlington (G3)Grade: BMain Ticket: 9 QuatrocentoBackups: NoneForecast: The card and sequence conclude with this 1 1/16-mile event for older runners on the grass where once again it looks like the pace should be on the moderate side. This should greatly benefit #9 Quatrocento. The son of War Front did not have an easy lead last out in the Opening Verse due to the presence of the quick Mi Bago, but should have no issues controlling the pace on the slight stretch out under regular rider Julien Leparoux. The Fausto Gutierrez trainee is winless in 3 tries over this course, but it is not as if he has run poorly in those starts. He should have no issue making the front and be tough to catch from there.

Saturday’s stakes-spangled card at Woodbine gets extra juice with a $3,000 Exacta-Thon promotion when you play with 1/ST BET and Xpressbet. Take down winning exactas ($2 minimum) in 5 of the 10 races on the program to rake in your share of the bonus cash. Three stakes share the playbill Saturday in greater Toronto and I’ll lean into those for some Exacta-Thon assistance.Race 6: Grade 3 $150,000 Belle Mahone StakesSeven elder fillies and mares match up over 1-1/16 miles on the Tapeta. Note that #6 Stylish Sue is cross-entered Saturday in Churchill Downs’ Mint Julep Stakes. Three of these will be making their first starts of 2026, and none of those have displayed past success off this kind of break to open the season. The horses with ’26 experience include #2 Equitas, #3 Deloraine, #4 Power of Destiny and the aforementioned #6 Stylish Sue if she makes the trip. #2 Equitas had a mistimed move on the Keeneland turf but still got a field-best, last-out 94 BRIS late pace figure that could be quite handy in a race with a fair amount of pace and horses potentially lacking foundation. Exacta key-box 2 with 4,6. Swap #5 Elysian Field for Stylish Sue in the event of a scratch.Race 7: Grade 2 $175,000 Eclipse StakesThe local handicap division gets its first major test of 2026 with this 1-1/16 miles test on the main track. Seven entered, including last year’s Prince of Wales Stakes classic winner #7 Runaway Again. But it’s first-time Woodbine visitor #6 Maycocks Bay who figures to be the one to catch. Godolphin’s front-running Speightstown gelding tries synthetic for the first time after plying his trade on dirt and turf at Fair Grounds, Oaklawn and Keeneland of late. He looks to be potential lone speed, which is always dangerous in a smaller field size like this. #4 Jokestar has been better on dirt than synthetic, but the Kevin Attard trainee is in good form right now after stakes bids at Laurel and Oaklawn. #1 Stanley House makes an old-school sprint-to-route move while second off the layoff and could fire an improved effort. Exacta key-box 6 with 4,1.Race 9: Grade 3 $150,000 Jacques Cartier StakesI’m inclined to think #2 Western Whirl could very well wire this 6-furlong sprint. The 5-year-old comes off a November layoff but note he ran one of the fastest races of his life in victory here last June off a similar break. Trainer Stuart Simon hasn’t been off to a good start in limited tries this season, and there appears to be a missed workout May 8, so that’s where caution kicks in. Let’s back-wheel him second behind a few logical players. #4 G T Five Hundred has been in strong form throughout winter and spring, while #5 Possiblemente can say the same via Kentucky and #6 Playmea Tune should welcome the return to Woodbine from Florida. Exacta 4,5,6 over 2. At the right win price (5-1 or more), some action with Western Whirl on top wouldn’t be a bad play intra-race.

NOTABLE CARRYOVERSJackpot Pick 6 | $83,185 | Thistledown | begins Race 3 | 1:50 pm ETSuper Hi 5 | $9,451 | Churchill Downs | Race 1 | 5:00 pm ETJackpot Pick 6 | $74,346 | Charles Town | begins Race 4 | 8:25 pm ETLONGSHOT RACE ALERT FROM BETMIXHorseshoe Indianapolis | Race 4 | 3:43 pm ETChurchill Downs | Race 4 | 6:27 pm ETEvangeline Downs | Race 4 | 7:36 pm ETTRAINERS TO WATCHAnthony Farrior | Charles Town | all 6 entrants 5-1 or less oddsDID YOU SEE?Yesterday | favorites won 27 of 50 Thoroughbred races (54%) across the USPUT US ON YOUR HANDICAPPING TEAMScott Shapiro: Churchill Twilight Thursday Spot PlaysFrank Carulli & Brian W. Spencer best bets today in Xpressbet.com member’s section

There’s zero chance of precipitation in the advance weather forecast at Penn National Race Course this Friday, May 29. That’s good news for horseplayers, who will have four turf route races -- including the $400,000 Grade 3 Penn Mile – to navigate for an All-Stakes Pick 4 in the middle of the 10-race card.PEN 3rd Race (6:04 p.m. EST) -- MODAROSA is a deserving favorite and the horse to beat in the $75,000 Lyphard Stakes at 1-1/16 miles on the lawn. She was squeezed at the start in a 6F sprint at Aqueduct last out, cruised to the lead on her own courage, dug in through the stretch to win and galloped out powerfully. She won an allowance race at this distance on the Gulfstream Park lawn under a “mild drive” but gave way on the lead in a follow-up grass route against three $500k earners, including multiple Grade 2 winner Hang The Moon and Grade 1-placed Vixen. She will carry the hopes of our Pick 4 ticket as a solo play.PEN 4th Race (6:37 p.m. EST) -- Local star FIERCE AND STRONG arrives for his title defense in the $75,000 Alphabet Soup Handicap with the same ultra-consistent and versatile form that led to a 6-for-9 record on the Penn National lawn. He sprinted to a commanding lead through middle fractions of :45.26 and 1:09.21 on a yielding course last year and desperately held on to win. SHARP TONES benefited from the fast pace and rallied to finish 2-1/4 lengths behind FIERCE AND STRONG. He hasn’t raced on turf since then, but he won a $40,000 optional claiming race on the main track last out and, more importantly, had a rough trip in his seasonal debut against next-out Pimlico Special (G-3) runner-up Maclean’s Rook and $760k earner Lure Him In. He “lost early position” in that race, checked in traffic at the half-mile pole and finished well while 5-wide. He’s worth using on the Pick 4 ticket at 12-1. EFF THIRTY FIVE, the beaten 2-to-5 favorite in last year’s Lyphard, makes his seasonal debut. He usually rallies from the clouds but might be a bit closer in here off a 5F bullet workout in 1:00.80. His late kick is enhanced with the added presence of rail-sitter BARTLETT, who went wire-to-wire in 6 of his last 11 starts at various venues. If a projected fast pace completely falls apart and UNCLE HEAVY adapts to turf, he poses a late-running upset chance.PEN 5th Race (7:12 p.m. EST) -- VEKOMA VIEW lost a couple lengths on the final turn behind a back-pedaling rival, but she regained rail momentum, finished 2-1/4 lengths behind repeat winner Tam Tam – who just missed in the Grade 2 Edgewood Stakes next out – and led past the wire. Trainer George Weaver is 15-for-63 the last three years with turf horses off 2-plus months. FINAL ACCORD, the lone stakes winner in the $150,000 Penn Oaks, returned from ankle surgery but ran into trouble in the 5-1/2F Mamzelle Stakes. She steadied into the turn and hit a stretch traffic jam, losing all chance to challenge Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Cy Fair and Grade 3 winner Slay The Day.PEN 6th race (7:51 p.m. EST) -- Seven 3-year-olds will be looking for their first graded stakes win in the $400,000 Penn Mile. HONEY DUTCH tries to upstage six consecutive in-the-money finishes since his maiden win at Kentucky Downs. He earned the field’s best 92 Beyer in the Grade 1 American Turf last out, building a commanding lead into the final turn before the two deep-closing favorites passed by. The one-mile distance suits him well. TEDDY’S ROCKET was a debut winner at Saratoga and got beat 1-1/2 lengths in a Grade 1 follow-up as a 2-year-old, but he was dull in a slow-paced seasonal debut after he nearly unseated jockey Manny Franco at the start. Trainer Miguel Clement reiterated to Daily Racing Form writer Patrick Moquin that TEDDY’S ROCKET “is one of my most talented horses this year.” ALPYLAND finished 2-1/2 lengths behind HONEY DUTCH but he won 4 of his 5 previous starts, spanning three different tracks and winning three times at today’s distance. Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse seeks his record fourth Penn Mile victory. IMMORTALISED starts fresh off a three-race winning streak, beating next-out winners in all of them. Hall of Fame jockey John Velzaquez will be aboard. CLASSIC NOFTY beat a very weak field to win a one-mile allowance in his first try on turf, but he looked good doing it. He split rivals at the top of the stretch and was full of run pulling away to an easy victory.Suggested 50-Cent Pick 4 TicketPN 3rd Race: 5PN 4th Race: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8PN 5th Race: 1, 5PN 6th Race: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7Cost: $25

The Lead:Churchill Downs hosts its Stephen Foster Preview Day card with 7 stakes races crammed into an 11-race lineup. The Blame Stakes will feature Stephen Foster prospects awaiting next month's potential clash of titans on June 17 and be part of a 2 Million 1/ST Rewards Late Pick 4 Hit & Split promo. Meanwhile, the Race 7 Mint Julep caught my eye as the most attractive race of the stakes menu Saturday. The 1-1/16 miles turf test brings together a cast of 9 distaffers, including last year's 1-2 finishers PIN UP BETTY and CHARLENE'S DREAM.​​Field Depth:CHARLENE'S DREAM has won at the Grade 2 level, while Grade 3 winners here include PIN UP BETTY and MEDORO, the latter Grade 1-placed. Stakes winners include PROCTOR STREET (who is Grade 2-placed) and STYLISH SUE. That group is very well matched on class while the others will need to raise their games.​Pace:CHARLENE'S DREAM has rail speed while STYLISH SUE on the far outside also has early interest (but she's cross-entered in Woodbine's Belle Mahone Stakes on Saturday; check updates). It doesn't look like a fast pace, but speed in the extreme posts can often turn up the tempo more than expected. A runner capable of staying in touch early in a midflight position could get a good trip in this race shape.​Our Eyes:Here are my horse-by-horse notes.1-CHARLENE'S DREAM: Nearly wired this cast a year ago at 7-1 odds and stands a chance on the return. I like the sprint-to-route move second start of the form cycle like this, and note her last 2 times going sprint-to-route produced wins in 2023 and 2024. Disappointed me in the Giant's Causeway when I picked her, thinking she'd do more fresh in that turf sprint. Expect Florent Geroux to put her on the lead.2-FAVORITE MEMORY: British export makes first start for Cherie DeVaux while coming off a November layoff. Modest overseas form with a long series of Keeneland workouts for this. Drawn well under John Velazquez and might fit, but don't have enough feel for this one.3-PIN UP BETTY: Churchill turf horse-for-course is 4-8 on the surface and defending champ in the Mint Julep (compared to 0-14 in all other setttings/surfaces). Decent efforts in the Jenny Wiley and Distaff Turf Mile in her last 2 starts and now gets money rider Flavien Prat for Mike Maker. Legitimate contender should be finishing from the back half of the field.4-MEDORO: West coast transplant has shifted game successfully to midwest, holding form at Fair Grounds and Keeneland. Grade 1 Jenny Wiley wasn't up to its usual quality this year, so that third-place effort might get slightly overbet Saturday. Appreciate the consistency and another with a big chance under Jose Ortiz.5-PROCTOR STREET: Rated the Modesty, despite being a Grade 3, a tougher field than the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley, so her recent third over this course may be better than it looks. She's relished 1-1/16 miles (4-6 lifetime) and simply ran out of steam in her last 2 over 1-1/8 miles. Times up the move better this time at a shorter trip with designated targets in front under Tyler Gaffalione. Her 104 BRIS late pace figure last time zips her past them late if near-repeated.6-VINA ARANA: Irish export has won 2 of 6 since coming stateside to Jack Sisterson, but has not been a threat in either stakes bid to date. Some excuses last time in the Distaff Turf Mile, but that was over her best trip and this one extends her. Prefer others.7-IN THE STARS: Regally bred Into Mischief-Stellar Wind filly posted a '26 return victory at Keeneland in allowance company and should be poised for the stakes re-rise. Graded-stakes win would do wonders for her value in the breeding shed, though she's done her best turf work on other courses than this one and has run poorly twice without Lasix.8-SWEET TREASURE: Impressive Keeneland allowance winner while getting zero pace help and doing so from post 11 of 11 on April 15. The Brad Cox trainee couldn't match up with Medoro twice at Fair Grounds this winter but has been strong on the Kentucky lawn. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the return mount on a live threat on a class rise.​9-STYLISH SUE: Cross-entered in Woodbine's Belle Mahone Stakes on Saturday. If here, expected to prompt the pace from the outside and should appreciate the cutback in trip from the 1-1/8 miles Modesty. Joe Sharp trainer has been a need-the-lead type over the years and benefits if Charlene's Dream is not aggressively ridden from the rail. Not impossible to hold for a share, but her last 4 losses have seen her finish off the board -- so might be an all-or-nothing candidate.Most Likely Exotics Contender:PROCTOR STREET has been outstanding at 1-1/16 miles (5-6 in the exacta) and hasn't missed the trifecta in 3 local starts on the CD lawn.Best Longshot Contender:CHARLENE'S DREAM at 12-1 morning line has been on the board in this race before and the pace scenario doesn't look brutal for her front-end style.​Sending it in ($100 bankroll):$80 win PROCTOR STREET. $10 exacta part-wheel PROCTOR STREET over PIN UP BETTY and CHARLENE'S DREAM ($20).

They are back at it in Louisville for the start of a new racing week at Churchill Downs. Saturday’s stakes-laden card headlines the late May action, but as always, the Twilight Thursday slate offers horseplayers several quality wagering opportunities. Here are a few horses I like on the card that kicks off at 5PM eastern.Race 3:This MSW event for 2YO fillies is led by a pair of debut runners from both the Mark Casse and Steve Asmussen barns. Casse has the two ML favorites with #2 Exile and #4 Ez Miss Sassy, but I like #5 Lead by Example most. The daughter of Jackie’s Warrior is out of a Malibu Moon mare that won her first three starts over the all-weather in Southern California and has been productive as a broodmare as well. Winding Way not only produced underachieving Skinner, but Essential Coffee as well. That dominant first out winner for these same human connections won by over 8 lengths almost a year to the day (May 30, 2025). His younger sister comes in off a steady series of drills for Asmussen, who calls on Jose Ortiz. Hopefully, the daughter of one Asmussen’s best sprinters is ready to fire at first asking.Play: #5 Lead by Example (5-1 ML)Race 4:This maiden claimer at two-turns over the grass is a challenging one, but has appeal since I am against 5-2-ML favorite #7 Prince of Light. The Dixiana Farms homebred has had 9 chances already, including back-to-back starts in New Orleans where he was set off at even money or less. He is a colt that is likely to be good enough to earn yet another minor share, but is impossible to trust on top. I will take a swing against him with #1 Captain Mercury. The son of Tapiture debuted earlier this month in a 6-furlong race over the dirt where he was beaten out of the gate and chased while wide before finishing an underwhelming sixth. Trainer Rohan Crichton turns to Luis Saez, moves this gelding to the grass, and stretches him out to a route of ground three weeks later. I expect Saez to get him out of the gate and into the race right away instead of being caught in chase mode immediately. The price should be right to gamble on the $30k October ’24 purchase.Play: #1 Captain Mercury (8-1 ML)Race 5:My final play on the final Thursday of May comes in this starter allowance at 1 1/8-miles where there is likely to be a contentious early pace. With a number of runners likely to flash some sort of early speed, this race should set up for a runner from off the pace. #9 Carolo Rapido is the one I like most. The son of Curlin was claimed for $62,500 two weeks ago by Norm Casse and Aj Suited Racing Stable. Casse opts to wheel him back quickly and stretch him back out to a distance he has won 2 of 9 at during his career. The affinity for the surface only strengthens the case for this 5YO gelding.Play: #9 Carolo Rapido (9-2 ML)

NOTABLE CARRYOVERSJackpot Pick 5 | $288,787 | Parx | begins Race 1 | 12:40 pm ETJackpot Pick 6 | $78,770 | Thistledown | begins Race 3 | 1:50 pm ETPick 5 | $91,575 | Northfield Park (harness) | begins Race 6 | 7:50 pm ETJackpot Pick 5 | $48,061 | Assiniboia Downs | begins Race 3 | 9:25 pm ETLONGSHOT RACE ALERT FROM BETMIXDelaware Park | Race 4 | 1:56 pm ETFinger Lakes | Race 5 | 2:51 pm ETHorseshoe Indianapolis | Race 6 | 4:45 pm ETTRAINERS TO WATCHJamie Ness | Parx, Delaware Park | all 8 entrants 5-1 or less oddsDID YOU SEE?Yesterday | Horseshoe Indianapolis | Race 6 | nation’s highest-paying exacta ($396), trifecta ($2870) and superfecta ($19,584)PUT US ON YOUR HANDICAPPING TEAMFrank Carulli & Brian W. Spencer best bets today in Xpressbet.com member’s section