Whitney Week in Saratoga Springs heats up on Thursday with a solid ten-race card that kicks off at 1:10 PM eastern. The day includes a NY-bred stakes event over the main track and a pair of high-quality allowances over the grass. Here are the horses I like most.Race 2:My first play comes in this state-bred MSW event for 2YOs at 1 1/16-miles over the Inner Turf where the field of ten is led by 5-2-ML favorite #5 Al Mowashaah. The pricey Tiz the Law colt debuted at Aqueduct going 5.5-furlongs over the main track in June where he was outrun by all three rivals as the 8-5-public choice. He stretches out to two turns for Brad Cox, tries the grass, and attracts Irad Ortiz Jr., but is likely to get over bet based on connections. So, I will try to beat the chalk with first-time starter #3 Howard’s Hope. The son of Karakontie makes his first start for trainer Horacio De Paz. De Paz has had a strong summer thus far at the Spa winning with 6 of 19 for an ROI of $6.89 and this gelding is bred on both sides to appreciate the surface and distance. Manny Franco is riding well, so him being in the saddle brings confidence along with a favorable inside draw for the Barry Schwartz owned runner.Play: #3 Howard’s Hope (9-2 ML)Picks: 3-7-2Race 8:#2 Starship Titan is halfway through his 5YO season, yet the Michelle Nevin trainee has only raced four times. The son of Not This Time clearly has soundness issues, but has been serious when running over the grass thus far. He broke his maiden via DQ a little over a year to the day over a good turf course before springing the upset at 39-1 in a first-level allowance at Aqueduct last October. Nevin gave Starship Titan lots of time off after the big victory before bringing him back last month in a similar spot at one-mile where he rode the rail throughout in an attempt to run down the lone speed winner. He was unable to get there missing by three-quarters of a length in the end, but it is a great sign he returns quickly. The stretch out to nine-furlongs and favorable inside draw only add to the case of the 5-2-choice on David Aragona’s morning line.Plays: #2 Starship Titan (5-2 ML)Picks: 2-9-1Race 9: John MorrisseyThe featured event for NY-breds traveling seven-furlongs over the main track came up extremely competitive evidenced by the 7-2-ML favorite. I will take a swing here with #5 Buttah. The son of Leofric moved into the Ilkay Kantarmaci barn this spring and rattled off a pair of strong efforts in open company first-level allowance events since. The most recent one came over this surface during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival when he used an inside trip to get to the wire first at odds of 29-1. Now, the 4YO colt moves back into the NY-bred ranks and competes over a racetrack he has won 2 of 4 over thus far. His tactical speed should allow him to find a prominent spot early, but also not force him to go with a couple of runners that probably need the lead to be at their best. Buttah heads into this spot fresh and in the best form of his career. Javier Castellano will hope to make it two upset wins in a row in the saddle.Play: #5 Buttah (12-1 ML)Picks: 5-6-7

Del Mar opens Week 4 of the summer meet Thursday with an 8-race card that includes 4 maiden tilts. Favorites are 10-41 (24%) in maiden races so far this stand with an average winner a shade over 6-1 odds. No reason to stop our pursuit of good, mid-level prices that have been a hallmark of the first 10 days of action. The 57 top picks in this space have returned $164.00 for a juicy $2.88 ROI for every $2 bet and an average winner paying $12.62. First post Thursday is 5 pm ET / 2 pm PT.Each day this summer at Del Mar, I’ll be handicapping the action with my top plays on the card – including full-card selections for a featured program each week (this week’s full-card will be Saturday).Del Mar: Race 2 | 5:30 pm ET#4 Berry Valley (12-1 morning line odds) has the 2-sprints-to-a-route form cycle off the layoff that can produce major improvement and note she was a winner the last time raced around 2 turns. Trainer Librado Barocio has just 3 sprint-to-dirt-mile moves on his ledger at Del Mar the past 5 summer seasons, winning twice (including a $94.40 bomber). Win-place bet #4. Exacta key-box 4 with 1,7,3. Picks 4-1-7.Del Mar: Race 6 | 7:34 pm ET#4 Street Swindler (5-1 morning line odds) looks to keep the Mark Glatt-trained maidens honed-in at this Del Mar meet. They’ve gone 10: 3-2-1 with a 59% flat-bet profit, including 2-for-3 with debuts ($9, $12 while a 16-1 shot ran fourth in the other). Son of local Pacific Classic winner Candy Ride and note this one’s dam Flash Magic debuted a good second on the local dirt in 2020. She’s from the same female family as Good Magic, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar winner. Looks like they’ve been aiming here for months. Win bet #4. Picks 4-1-8Del Mar: Race 8 | 8:36 pm ET#7 Grievous Angel (6-1 morning line odds) returns from a year layoff and resurfaces with a barn change to Steve Knapp. This filly was live on the tote in her even-running debut last summer and fired a bullet gate work here July 30 to signify sharpness. The Tough Sunday offspring have been wildly successful and profitable over the Del Mar dirt in recent years, and she’ll get her first chance to add to that. Win bet #7. Picks 7-2-9

The Lead:Mountaineer's biggest card of racing takes place Sunday with the Grade 3 $400,000 West Virginia Derby headlining a 9-race twilight card that also includes the $200,000 West Virginia Governor's Stakes. First post will be 5:00 pm ET with horses representing the stables of Steve Asmussen, Kenny McPeek, Saffie Joseph Jr. among the marquee, along with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.Horseplayers at Xpressbet be sure to check out the $500 West Virginia Derby Day Pegasus World Cup Betting Challenge qualifying tournament.​​Field Depth:Grade 3 winner TRENDSETTER has the field's signature score. He and BULL BY THE HORNS have held the top strength of schedule in this field.​Pace:Controlling speed should be from WAYNE'S LAW and J J GREY in some fashion, either capable of leading. Unless a third horse unexpectedly gets into the fray, this should be controlled up front over 9 furlongs.Our Eyes:Here are my horse-by-horse notes.1-NEHALEM: Indiana shipper totally over his head off of claiming efforts and lacks any early foot to even factor in how they race will be run.2-BAYTOWN DREAMER: 1-for-15 performer has finished 11th in his last 2 graded stakes on dirt and is now 0-9 in stakes at all levels. Gets local legend Deshawn Parker and a ground-saving trip, but that’s not enough to get him onto my ticket.3-TRENDSETTER: No doubt fits on class with this group after winning the Lexington at Keeneland and holding solid form through the Peter Pan and Ohio Derby. But he’s lost margin on the back half of his 2-turn races in 3 of 4 attempts and looks to hit a wall at 9 furlongs. Obvious exotics contender, but prefer others for the trophy.4-J J GREY: Iowa Derby winner is 4-for-4 in 2-turn dirt routes and squarely the horse to beat. He’ll pick up 7-8 pounds off his last 2 stakes wins. The Kenny McPeek trainee’s BRIS late pace figures of 98, 100 and 104 in his last 3 wins make him doubly tough if he’s first or second turning for home, which he projects to be in a race without a slew of front-runners.5-ZIHNAL: Connections have shopped this one in stakes all over the country, including a few scratches that don’t show on his past performances. They obviously feel he’s better than a 1-for-4 record may indicate. May have moved too soon in the Indiana Derby when flattening out to fourth and now adds blinkers, which can help rectify such mistakes. Gets in at 118 pounds (6 fewer than the favorites), which doesn’t hurt, nor does the presence of jockey John Velazquez. But the pilot likely puts a dent in the 6-1 morning line price. I’ll make him prove it.6-MAXIMUM EFFORT: We’ve seen maiden Ocelli have success in this 3-year-old crop in further earning minor shares of big-money races, so this is Ocelli Lite, if you will. Winless in 8 starts, he’s been around the fringes in the Texas and Iowa Derbies. Rallying last to third in Iowa is not easy as Prairie Meadows is highly speed-favoring, so the 2-1/2 lengths he needs to make up on J J Grey could be erased with a venue change and an additional sixteenth of a mile. An 8-pound shift in weights in Maximum Effort’s favor also helps the case. Steve Asmussen has won a record 6 editions of the West Virginia Derby, most recently 2023 with Red Route One. No surprise to be the late threat to fear Sunday.7-WAYNE’S LAW: Gulfstream Park-based colt adds blinkers for the first time and has an interesting mix of past performances that haven’t promoted any semblance of consistency. He’s bounced from sprints to routes and tossed in a turf attempt to good. What intrigues me is the 2 best BRIS late pace figures of his career came in his 2-turn dirt routes, 103 in Florida Derby and 99 in the Sam F. Davis when taking on divisional title contenders like Renegade and Commandment, last week’s 1-2 finishers in the Jim Dandy. The only other speed in the race besides J J GREY and carries 6 fewer pounds. Consider.8-BULL BY THE HORNS: Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has summered this one at Saratoga as part of an extended road trip since the Fountain of Youth. Lack of early speed a problem and adding blinkers last out didn’t help, so they’ve been removed. Out of the money in all 3 career dirt stakes bids, uncompetitive in each. Barn is going well nationally in stakes and did ship here to win the 2022 West Virginia Derby with Skippylongstocking. Needs a career-best to consider.Most Likely Exotics Contender:J J GREY has yet to be beaten around 2 turns and is the best finisher in the race by the metrics.Best Longshot Contender:WAYNE'S LAW is 8-1 morning line and could be in the hunt from the opening bell.​​Sending it in ($100 bankroll):$50 exacta part-wheel J J GREY over WAYNE'S LAW and MAXIMUM EFFORT ($100).

One of Saratoga’s biggest Saturdays of summer will be spotlighted in this week’s Fun in the Sun handicapping contest at Xpressbet. The Grade 1 Whitney could be the race of the year so far in 2026 and goes as the 12th of 14 races on the card Saturday. The final 5 races at Saratoga and first 5 races at Del Mar make up the weekly contest, entering its fourth week of qualifying for the season. Other stakes in the contest mix this week also include the Fourstardave and Saratoga Derby as well as Del Mar's Best Pal.Week 3 featured a runaway victory and season-best bankroll total from Ellis Starr, whose $345 in returns was $111 better than runner-up Dave Nichols at $234. Starr bagged $1,144.50 in prize money, while Nichols earned an extra $476.88 for his efforts. For Nichols, he became the 2026 season’s first 2-time qualifier for the Labor Day Final Table. Other Week 3 qualifiers included Donald Murdock ($184 bankroll, $286.12 in prize money), Greg Knepper ($175.60 bankroll) and Theresa Salerno ($169.50 bankroll).Fun in the Sun contestants play for weekly prize money and a chance to join each week’s top-5 players in the tournament’s Final Table on Labor Day. The FITS progressive jackpot for the Final Table stands at $12,497 after the first 3 qualifying rounds with $10,000-added from Xpressbet.The 9-week Fun in the Sun handicapping contest runs 8 Saturdays from July 18-September 5 and concludes with the Final Table on Labor Day Monday, September 7.Entry is just $25 each qualifying round week and players utilize a $100 live bankroll on the final 5 races from Saratoga and first 5 races from Del Mar ($10 parimutuel win bets in each of the contest races). The top-5 players in accumulated earnings each week qualify for a seat in the final table, where just 40 entries will square off for the grand prize (players can qualify up to 2 entries in the Final Table). Weekly prize pool money will be on the line for the top-3 finishers each Saturday (70% of entry fees paid out weekly, 30% carries over to the Final Table pool).The Final Table format began in 2020 and past champions include Robert Rosen (2020), Wayne Tam (2021), Kevin Saunders (2022), Joe Tambasco (2023), Gordon Maruya (2024) and Andy Muhlada (2025).2026 Tournament DatesSaturday, July 18, 25Saturday, August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29Saturday and Monday, September 5 and 7 (Final Table)Buy-In$125 Buy-In per week, split between $100 Bankroll + $25 Entry FeeHow to PlayTournament consists of the last five (5) races each Saturday at Saratoga and the first five (5) races each Saturday at Del Mar. Players must make a $10 Win bet on one (1) horse in each race via the Contest Wagerpad.Weekly Prize Pool70% of Entry Fees are paid out each week as the Weekly Prize PoolWeekly PrizesTop Five (5) finishers each week automatically qualify for the Final Table1st Place Finisher – 60% of Weekly Prize Pool + Final Table Seat2nd Place Finisher – 25% of Weekly Prize Pool + Final Table Seat3rd Place Finisher – 15% of Weekly Prize Pool + Final Table Seat4th Place Finisher – Final Table Seat5th Place Finisher – Final Table SeatFinal Table Prizes30% of Entry Fees carried over to the Final Table$10,000-added prize pool courtesy of Xpressbet1st Place Finisher: 55% of Final Table Prize Pool2nd Place Finisher: 25% of Final Table Prize Pool3rd Place Finisher: 10% of Final Table Prize Pool4th Place Finisher: 5% of Final Table Prize Pool5th Place Finisher: 5% of Final Table Prize Pool‍For more and to register, visit the Tournaments page.

Whitney Week at Saratoga gets started on Wednesday afternoon with a ten-race card that kicks off with a Grade 1 steeplechase event followed by nine flats races, including the $200k Johnstone for NY-bred fillies and mares at seven-furlongs over the main track. I will let you seek analysis on the jumps race elsewhere, but here are a few horses I like most on the day.Race 3:My first play of the week comes in this MSW event at one-mile over the main track that was originally carded last Wednesday, but postponed due to torrential rains. #4 Wedelia was made the significant 6-5-ML favorite shipping in from Kentucky for trainer Brad Cox. The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro is a tough read since both of her races came over an off track, but I am concerned with her lack of early speed coming out of the Wilson chute. I will try to beat her with #2 Noble Glow. The Juddmonte homebred debuted at seven-furlongs at Churchill Downs in a full-field 2YO MSW in late November where she was sent from the gate and was caught up in an early tussle on the front end while caught wide throughout. The daughter of Gun Runner has been on the sidelines since, but comes in off a strong series of local drills. The fact she retains Prat and has the early speed the favorite does not adds to the appeal.Play: #2 Noble Glow (9-2 ML)Picks: 2-4-3Race 5:The pace should be honest at the very least in this optional claimer for 3YOs at six-furlongs over the main track, which should set things up for a runner that can settle and finish. Price option #1 Tripp’s Promise fits the profile. The Baron Thoroughbreds colt returned off the freshening in late May at Churchill Downs and put in a solid run to finish second to horse that got a big jump on him when he encountered traffic issues on the turn and into the lane. The son of Promises Fulfulled finished well once he found clear sailing and propelled that strong late run into an off-the-pace victory on June 12 despite racing over the outside part of the track on a day where the inside had a slight edge. I am not overly concerned that Tripp’s Promise failed to hit the board at Ellis Park last month since the speed ran 1-2 around the oval and the race shape should be much more to his liking on Wednesday. The quick return may not be ideal for the colt, but otherwise the son of Promises Fulfilled fits the profile I am looking for. Hopefully, he runs them down late to kick off the Pick 6.Play: #1 Tripp’s Promise (8-1 ML)Picks: 1-4-6Race 9: Johnstone S.There is little doubt that #6 Usha is the deserving 6-5-ML favorite and filly to beat in this seven-furlong dash over the main track. The Tiz the Law filly beat Grade 3 foes at Churchill in late May and is the clear class of the field. That said, she is going to be bet down significantly and has never run over this racetrack. Therefore, I will take a swing with a filly that I thought ran sneaky well last out.#3 Munnings Express is one of two entered for trainer Linda Rice. The 4YO filly made her second start of the form cycle on July 23 after a race over the grass in late June. Her best races have always been when she is able to find favorable forward position early and that was simply not the case a couple of weeks ago when she did not get out of the gates great from her rail draw costing her any real chance. Now, she moves back into the NY-bred ranks and gets hot riding Manny Franco in the saddle. The Rice barn starting heating up with three winners over the weekend. I would not be surprised if it continues this week.Play: #3 Munnings Express (8-1 ML)Picks: 3-6-5

TOURNAMENT TIME$100 Saratoga Feeder | details$40 Mountaineer Feeder | detailsNOTABLE CARRYOVERSJackpot Pick 6 | Thistledown | $127,454 | begins Race 3 | 1:50 pm ETKEY RACESSaratoga | Race 1 | 1:10 pm ET | Smithwick Memorial Stakes (Steeplechase)Saratoga | Race 9 | 5:46 pm ET | Johnstone StakesLONGSHOT RACE ALERT FROM BETMIXHorseshoe Indianapolis | Race 5 | 4:14 pm ETSaratoga | Race 10 | 6:20 pm ETMountaineer | Race 2 | 7:25 pm ETTRAINERS TO WATCHMiguel Clement | Saratoga | all 7 entrants 9-2 or less oddsDID YOU SEE?Yesterday | Horseshoe Indianapolis | favorites went 2 for 10 on the cardPUT US ON YOUR HANDICAPPING TEAMScott Shapiro: Saratoga Spot Plays for WednesdayFrank Carulli & Brian W. Spencer best bets today in Xpressbet.com member’s section

Throughout August, Tuesdays and Thursdays stay hot at 1/ST BET and Xpressbet with our Midsummer Money promotion. Bet $100, Get $10 on select tracks this month. Next up Tuesday will be Mountaineer as West Virginia Derby Week rolls on. Here’s how I’ll approach the card in West Virginia with an assist from the Betmix Angler database.Mountaineer Race 3 | 7:50 pm ET#1 Amour de La Vie (3-1 morning line odds) locked up in a 3-way duel last time, winning the battle vs. the other speed, but losing the war as the even-money favorite ran her down in the final yards. That was against the boys and the filly takes them on again with every chance to finish the deal from the rail in a 5-furlong dash with surprisingly little early speed on paper. Win bet #1. Exacta 1-5 bigger and 5-1 smaller. Picks: 1-5-8Mountaineer Race 5 | 8:40 pm ET#4 Denali Rae (8-1 morning line odds) fits the conditions of this claimer beautifully, winning twice last July right before the August 4, 2025 cut-off date for eligibility. No threat against slightly tougher in the local debut at a shorter trip, but got involved a bit more late and the extra ground helps. Speedy #10 Girl Bye also fits conditions to a T but failed last out at 6-5 and prefer the price on her rival. Win-place bet #4. Exacta box 4-10. Picks: 4-10-1The August Midsummer Money lineup includes:• Tuesday, August 4 // Mountaineer• Thursday, August 6 // Canterbury Park• Tuesday, August 11 // Finger Lakes• Thursday, August 13 // Charles Town• Tuesday, August 18 // Thistledown• Thursday, August 20 // Colonial Downs• Tuesday, August 25 // Horseshoe Indianapolis• Thursday, August 27 // Penn National

EXTRA INCENTIVESBet $100, Get $10 | Mountaineer | tonight’s racesTOURNAMENT TIME$40 Mountaineer Feeder | detailsNOTABLE CARRYOVERSJackpot Pick 6 | Thistledown | $114,756 | begins Race 3 | 1:50 pm ETSuper Hi 5 | Assiniboia Downs | $16,657 (CAN) | Race 7 | 11:05 pm ETKEY RACESAssiniboia Downs | Race 2 | 8:30 pm ET | Debutante StakesAssiniboia Downs | Race 3 | 9:00 pm ET | Manitoba OaksLONGSHOT RACE ALERT FROM BETMIXFairmount Park | Race 7 | 5:00 pm ETHorseshoe Indianapolis | Race 7 | 5:16 pm ETMountaineer | Race 8 | 9:55 pm ETTRAINERS TO WATCHEdward Essenpreis | Fairmount Park | 4 of 5 entrants 5-1 or less oddsDID YOU SEE?Yesterday | Finger Lakes | favorites won 6 of 8 races on the cardPUT US ON YOUR HANDICAPPING TEAMJeremy Plonk: Mountaineer Bet $100, Get $10 Picks Frank Carulli & Brian W. Spencer best bets today in Xpressbet.com member’s section