The “Lucky Strides” promotion this March at 1/ST BET and Xpressbet offers a $10 bonus when you bet $100 or more at select tracks each Tuesday and Thursday. Charles Town will be the track spotlighted for this Thursday. Here’s how I’ll approach that card with the help of the Betmix Angler database.Charles Town: Race 2#2 Tidbit (12-1 morning line odds) should be inside speed and gets a 7-pound weight break to the favorite who draws next door. She’s had a propensity to lose steam late, but note the jockey change Thursday. Apprentice jockey Moises Santaella has been on fire during March at Charles Town, winning 30% and hitting the exacta 47% of the time with a $1.16 ROI for every $1 bet. He’s on 2 favorites later on the card for his main man Ronney Brown, so this is the chance to catch Santaella at a price. Win-place bet #2. Exacta box 2-6.Charles Town: Race 7#7 Musical Standard (5-1 morning line odds) has run 2 excellent races in his 2-turn bids at Charles Town for Jill Spangler’s small, but effective barn. He’s proven at the class and trip, whereas morning line favorites Mitote and Malibu Son both won career debuts at the 4-1/2 furlong dash trip. Note horses going from debut dash wins like that to allowance races over this local distance the past 3 years are 2-for-16 with 12 of them out of the money. I’ll see if we can’t skate by both of the chalks. Win bet #7.

Saturday’s international simulcast of the 30th Dubai World Cup will be offered to Xpressbet and 1/ST BET customers in its full-card entirety. Early bird wagering begins Friday on the 9-race program from Meydan, featuring globetrotting superstar Forever Young and defending champ Hit Show in the $12 million main event. First post will be 7:45 am ET with the Dubai World Cup slated for 12:40 pm ET.Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Forever Young drew post 6 of 9 at Wednesday’s ceremony and looks to add to his already world-record bankroll of nearly $30 million. The Japanese stalwart won the Saudi Cup for the second straight year when last seen Feb. 14 and looks to make amends for last year’s third-place finish at Meydan.The Americans are represented in the mile and one-quarter DWC by Hit Show (post 5), the improbable hero last March at Meydan for trainer Brad Cox and repeat rider Florent Geroux. He won the Mineshaft at Fair Grounds in preparation for his defense. Steve Asmussen-trained Magnitude (post 1) may be second choice in the betting off back-to-back wins in the Clark at Churchill and Razorback at Oaklawn a month ago. Heart of Honor (post 4), alum of last year’s Preakness and Belmont, as well as Tumbarumba (post 9), fourth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, represent international connections but will be familiar to US followers.The undercard features Florida-based Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Bentornato in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen; Charles Town Classic winner Banishing in the $1 million Godolphin Mile; international Kentucky Derby qualifying points on the line in the $1 million UAE Derby; and Japan Cup / English Champions winner Calandagan trying to one-up his second-place finish last year in the $6 million Dubai Sheema Classic on turf.//$12 million Dubai World Cup Field1-Forever Young (post 6) | Yoshito Yahagi | Ryusei Sakai2-Magnitude (post 1) | Steve Asmussen | Jose Ortiz3-Hit Show (post 5) | Brad Cox | Florent Geroux4-Meydaan (post 2) | Simon Crisford | William Buick5-Imperial Emperor (post 7) | Bhupat Seemar | Tadhg O’Shea6-Tumbarumba (post 9) | Al Jehani | James Doyle7-Walk of Stars (post 3) | Bhupat Seemar | Mickael Barzlalona8-Heart of Honor (post 4) | Jamie Osborne | Saffie Osborne9-Tap Leader (post 8) | Doug Watson | Pat Dobbs//Saturday’s Meydan Racecourse Racing Schedule7:45 am ET | Race 1 | $1 million | Dubai Kahayla Classic | 1 mile on dirt8:20 am ET | Race 2 | $1 million | Godolphin Mile | 1 mile on dirt8:55 am ET | Race 3 | $1 million | Dubai Gold Cup | 2 miles on turf9:30 am ET | Race 4 | $1 million | UAE Derby | 1-3/16 miles on dirt10:20 am ET | Race 5 | $1.5 million | Al Quoz Sprint | 6 furlongs on turf10:55 am ET | Race 6 | $2 million | Dubai Golden Shaheen | 6 furlongs on dirt11:30 am ET | Race 7 | $5 million | Dubai Turf | 1-1/8 miles on turf12:05 pm ET | Race 8 | $6 million | Dubai Sheema Classic | 1-1/2 miles on turf12:40 pm ET | Race 9 | $12 million | Dubai World Cup | 1-1/4 miles on dirt//World Pool Wagering NotesEarly Pick 4: begins Race 2Pick 6: begins Race 4Pick 5: begins Race 5Late Pick 4: begins Race 6

NOTABLE CARRYOVERSMandatory Payout Pick 5 | $276,356 | Parx | begins Race 6 | 2:55 pm ETJackpot Pick 6 | $109,475 | Turfway | begins Race 5 | 7:55 pm ETLONGSHOT RACE ALERT FROM BETMIXParx | Race 6 | 2:55 pm ETTampa Bay Downs | Race 7 | 3:25 pm ETTurfway Park | Race 5 | 7:55 pm ETTRAINERS TO WATCHJamie Ness | Parx | all 7 entrants 5-1 or less oddsDID YOU SEE?Today | Dubai World Cup | field of 9, led by Forever Young and Magnitude, drawn for SaturdayPUT US ON YOUR HANDICAPPING TEAMJeremy Plonk: Parx $276K Carryover / Mandatory Payout Pick 5 Key PlaysFrank Carulli & Brian W. Spencer best bets today in Xpressbet.com member’s section

Parx offers a mandatory payout on its Philly Big 5 wager today, boasting a $276,356 carryover on that late pick 5 pool. It gets underway in Race 6 at approximately 2:55 pm ET. Here’s how I’ll focus on the keys to the sequence with the help of the Betmix Angler database.Parx: Race 7#2 Sams After Party (5-2 morning line) could be a viable single – despite a penchant for underneath placings – as trainer Hugo Padilla has gone 16: 7-4-0 during the month of March at Parx, including a very good runner-up by this one last time out. Class-dropping #7 Nantucket (4-1 morning line) may be the best alternative.Parx: Race 8#6 Lasso (3-1 morning line) was a claim-back for trainer Louis Linder in February, which is always a positive that a barn wants a horse in their lineup. But what I like is he ran protected in an entry level allowance last out, showed he fits at the level, and comes back protected in a similar spot. Linder has hit at 23% during March and shown a flat-bet profit on ROI for more than 30 starters, nearly half (14) in the exacta.Parx: Race 9#3 Respighi (5-1 morning line odds) dominated state-bred maidens last out as part of the aforementioned Hugo Padilla barn’s massive March run (16: 7-4-0). It was a big improvement in the second start with the barn and could make him useful with a few other of the very logical contenders in this deep allowance race.

The $1.5 million Arkansas Derby is America’s richest 3-year-old prep on the Triple Crown trail and has springboarded some of the biggest names in the sport. American Pharoah stormed through Oaklawn en route to the 2015 Triple Crown, as did legends like Curlin and Smarty Jones. Two years ago, Mystik Dan delivered the roses in Louisville taking this path.Horseplayers with 1/ST BET and Xpressbet take advantage of up to a $10 money-back special promo on Triple Crown prep race win bets, featuring Saturday’s Florida Derby at Gulfstream, the UAE Derby at Meydan and the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn. Get up to $10 back if your win bet finishes second or third when you bet with 1/ST BET and Xpressbet. Also play Saturday's 2 Million 1/ST Rewards Points Late Pick 4 Hit & Split promo for Oaklawn Races 11-14.Let’s meet the contenders for the Arkansas Derby (Race 13):#1-REDLAND REBELS: Cross-entered in the Florida Derby at home at Gulfstream, but will scratch from that spot to make the road trip to Oaklawn. Gelded son of Uncle Chuck exits a fourth-place run in the Tampa Bay Derby and will have just 21 days between starts. That’s the same spacing between his debut and the lone victory on his resume, a Gulfstream turf mile last August. Patrick Biancone trains and Keith Asmussen – set to become his son-in-law in August – will ride.#2-SILENT TACTIC: Only horse to compete in all 4 legs of the Arkansas Derby series this year, he won the Southwest while finishing second in the Smarty Jones and Rebel. Trainer Mark Casse won last year’s edition of this race with Sandman. The colt by Tacitus has been first or second in all 5 starts while employing a come-from-behind style. Regular rider Cristian Torres will be in the saddle for this Tacitus colt who has not been favored in a race to date.#3-BLACKOUT TIME: Second sophomore start is on deck for this Kenny McPeek trainee as he and Brian Hernandez Jr. seek their follow-up to Mystik Dan’s 2024 Kentucky Derby success. Not The Time colt has won 1 of 4 starts, which include a second-place Breeders’ Futurity effort at Keeneland and a last-out fourth in the Rebel. He fired a bullet workout 13 days post-Rebel over the Oaklawn surface and has remained local after wintering at Fair Grounds.#4-BRICKLIN: Cross-entered in Thursday’s local Hot Springs Stakes but will scratch from that race in favor of the Arkansas Derby. This Jan. 3 Oaklawn allowance winner returns to the scene following a third-place road effort in the Sunland Derby. That performance looks better after seeing Sunland Derby winner Pavlovian outrun expectations with a nose runner-up in the Louisiana Derby last Saturday. Jaime Torres rides this son of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist for trainer Rodolphe Brisset.#5-TAPTASTIC: The most lightly raced member of the Arkansas Derby cast debuted a winner March 8 at Oaklawn and wheels back 3 weeks later on the class hike. Trainer Steve Asmussen owns 4 Arkansas Derby crowns and has won Triple Crown events out of this path with the likes of Creator and Curlin. A fifth win would match the race’s all-time record. Half-brother to 2024 Preakness fourth-place finisher Tuscan Gold, who ran third in Louisiana Derby that spring while making just his third lifetime start. Home-bred Tapit colt for Stonestreet Stables and Winchell Thoroughbreds will be ridden by Erik Asmussen.#6-RENEGADE: Five-time Arkansas Derby-winning trainer Todd Pletcher brings the morning line favorite from his Florida winter base. Renegade stormed home to win the Sam F. Davis at Tampa on February 7, a race flattered by third-place finisher The Puma upon a winning return in the Tampa Bay Derby. Renegade was runner-up last fall in the Remsen over the Arkansas Derby distance of 1-1/8 miles, a race won by eventual Risen Star victor Paladin, one of this year’s Kentucky Derby Future Wager favorites. Irad Ortiz Jr. opts to ride Renegade over Florida Derby contender Commandment, winner of the Fountain of Youth Stakes, which appears a significant vote of confidence for this Into Mischief colt.#7-NAPLOLEON SOLO: Last-minute Arkansas Derby entrant reportedly will scratch in favor of running in next week’s Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.#8-EXOSOME: Feb. 28 Oaklawn allowance winner with the addition of blinkers, the Lecomte Stakes sixth-place finisher gets another chance on the trail. Trainer Kelsey Danner returned this colt to his Kentucky homebase between starts and changes riders to Adam Beschizza, who piloted Exosome to his maiden win Oct. 19 at Keeneland. Francisco Arrieta rode last out but jumps to pilot Litmus Test on Saturday. Son of Candy Ride, who sired last week’s Louisiana Derby winner Emerging Market.#9-LITMUS TEST: Set the pace and tired to third as the favorite in the Rebel Stakes for 5-time Arkansas Derby winner Bob Baffert. Blinkers come off for the first time on Saturday for the Los Al Futurity winner. Remained at Oaklawn between the Rebel and Arkansas Derby, working twice over the track. Local rider Francisco Arrieta takes the call as Flavien Prat – who will ride for Baffert Thursday and Friday in OP stakes – departs for a Florida Derby date at Gulfstream with Commandment for Brad Cox.

We are approaching the end of March and it is fair to say no horses have totally separated from the pack with less than 40 days until they break from the gate for the Kentucky Derby. The Jeff Ruby (G3) and Louisiana Derby (G2) are in the rearview mirror with a massive weekend of Triple Crown preps over the next two weeks. Let’s dive into this week’s edition of “Prep School.”Horse That Impressed Most Last Weekend: Emerging MarketFulleffort’s victory as the 9-5-public choice in the Jeff Ruby was impressive over the all-weather, but it would be unfair not to reward this to Louisiana Derby winner Emerging Market. The Chad Brown trainee earned a graded stakes victory going 1 3/16-miles after just one prior start. On the surface it is difficult not to be impressed with that. However, the question is how impressive was it and how does it stack up to his possible competition on the first Saturday in May.It was nice to know after two starts that Emerging Market is able and willing to come out ahead in a battle to the wire, but other than that I was largely underwhelmed by his narrow score in New Orleans. His main rival on paper Chip Honcho put in a dud and the horse he was all out to beat finished a well-beaten third two-back in the Cal Cup Derby. One can argue that the Reddam Racing homebred is on the come based on his last two races, but he seemingly still has a long way to go to get to the top of this crop. Emerging Market is obviously a talented colt with a bright future, but is likely to be an underlay in the first leg of the Triple Crown.My Top Tier of Derby Contenders Less than 40 Days Out (no order):For the first time this year, I tried to lay out a Top 5 or Top 10 like I have done in years’ past. Largely, that endeavor always seemed at least somewhat forced. This year, I struggled to not only come up with the bottom of that list in late March, but also separating the four horses I give the biggest shot at winning the 2026 Run for the Roses. Chief Wallabee is the colt that appears most talented, but trainer Bill Mott is asking a lot of him over a short period of time. That said, I love the way this horse moves. He is super serious. Commandment is the more proven commodity and beat Chief Wallabee on the square in the Fountain of Youth (G2). I trust him most at this point to hit the board. Renegade is a horse I have been high on for months. He did nothing to change my mind in the Sam F. Davis, but needs to run well in Hot Springs on Saturday to even get in the field. Reagan’s Honor has 0 points since he has yet to compete in a points race, but his last win at Fair Grounds was eye-popping. If he runs first or second in the Blue Grass (G1), he not only will find his spot in the starting gate, but also be a serious player. These are the four Derby prospects I am highest on come May 2 heading into the final few weekends of preps. Horse With Most to Prove This Weekend: NearlyTodd Pletcher could hold a strong hand in another Derby, especially if he gets a big effort on Saturday from Nearly. The son of Not This Time has rattled off three consecutive victories for Pletcher since arriving in Florida after his debut in late October. His wins have been easy ones, but against softer competition than he encounters in the Florida Derby (G1). Plus, his victory going two-turns for the first time in the Holy Bull (G3) came with a favorable trip over the right part of the Gulfstream main track. The Centennial Farms runner once again draws outside his main competition, but still has plenty to prove despite the winning streak in the Sunshine State. I am not in love with his chances against Commandment and Chief Wallabee, but have been proven wrong plenty of times. We will soon see if Nearly belongs in that top tier above.

EXTRA INCENTIVESBet $100, Get $10 | Turf Paradise | today’s racesNOTABLE CARRYOVERSJackpot Pick 5 | $243,828 | Parx | begins Race 1 | 12:40 pm ET--Parx has a mandatory payout scheduled WednesdayLONGSHOT RACE ALERT FROM BETMIXParx | Race 10 | 4:43 pm ETWill Rogers Downs | Race 7 | 5:02 pm ETTurf Paradise | Race 7 | 7:10 pm ETTRAINERS TO WATCHNestor Rivera | Mahoning Valley | all 4 entrants 5-1 or less oddsDID YOU SEE?Yesterday | Parx | jockey Kendry Rivera | 2 wins ($46, $7) from 4 mountsPUT US ON YOUR HANDICAPPING TEAMJeremy Plonk: Turf Paradise Bet $100, Get $10 Picks for TuesdayFrank Carulli & Brian W. Spencer best bets today in Xpressbet.com member’s section

The “Lucky Strides” promotion this March at 1/ST BET and Xpressbet offers a $10 bonus when you bet $100 or more at select tracks each Tuesday and Thursday. Turf Paradise will be the track spotlighted for this Tuesday. Here’s how I’ll approach that card with the help of the Betmix Angler database.Turf Paradise: Race 3#6 Vekoma Kid (3-1 morning line odds) makes his Turf Paradise debut and first start since September with a flashy workout tab for high-percentage trainer Justin Evans. Geovanni Franco has been riding lights-out since returning to action, winning 6 of 14 overall and 3 of 6 on turf with a runner-up. He’s been a superior turf rider throughout his career in small-field turf races at Tup (26% wins with a + ROI). Win bet #6.Turf Paradise: Race 8#7 Just a Hunch (8-1 morning line odds) has flashed speed at Del Mar and in her Turf Paradise debut last out before tiring badly. She makes a significant class drop for trainer Robertino Diodoro, whose local March stats are off the charts (28 starts, 13 wins, 4 seconds). Win-place bet #7.