Winning Ponies

Jay Privman joined Daily Racing Form in 1998, covering the Southern California circuit plus such national events as the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup. After establishing himself as one of the sport’s leading writers, his association with racing will change dramatically as Jay recently announced his retirement with DRF. Normally during Breeders’ Cup season, we would seek him out for a guest appearance in between deadlines or television rehearsals. This year we had to wait until the Padres/Phillies game was over as he was taking in “America’s Pastime” rather than the “Sport of Kings.” We’ll let Jay take us down memory lane, lined with outstanding horses, races and horsemen he got to cover over his decades. Jay is the author of Breeders' Cup: Thoroughbred Racing's Championship Day and a contributor to Champions, and is a six-time winner of the Red Smith Award for best Kentucky Derby story, among numerous other writing honors. Tom LaMarra, a native of New Jersey, has been a racing fan since the mid 1970s. He

Our first guest is Nick Tammaro, who is announcer and morning-line odds maker at Sam Houston Race Park. This season he has added the morning line at Keeneland. Tammaro is very familiar with Keeneland racing, having won a handicapping contest there and placing in its Grade 1 Gamble. In addition to making the line at Sam Houston, Tammaro consulted with BetMakers on setting its fixed odds for Thoroughbred racing in New Jersey. There may be no greater challenge in setting odds than the boutique meets at the historic Lexington track. Overflow fields come from every region of the world to compete for the rich purses in various divisions on turf and dirt. It will be interesting to see how Tammaro approaches such a mind-boggling task. Tammaro, 38, a contributor of handicapping content at TwinSpires, replaces long-time odds-maker Mike Battaglia, who had made the line at Keeneland since 1974. Battaglia is still the morning-line maker at the Churchill Downs Inc. owned Kentucky properties of Turfway Park and Churchill Do

The Record-Setting Keeneland Fall Meet Begins Friday with Fall Stars Weekend and laying out the schedule for us all is Amy Owens longtime veteran as Keeneland Communications Associate. Get out your calendars as Amy will layout the highlights and wagering options for Keeneland’s Fall Meet, which opens Friday for 17 days through Saturday, Oct. 29. The season precedes the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which Keeneland will host Nov. 4-5 for the third time. Get out your E-Z Win Forms because during the Fall Meet, Keeneland will offer 22 stakes worth a record $8.9 million! Big bets are not going to hurt your odds. The season opens with the three-day Fall Stars Weekend, which features 11 stakes, including nine “Win and You’re In” events, with total purses of $5.45 million. Post time for the first race each day of the Fall Meet is 1 p.m. ET. As Keeneland Communications Associate, Amy Owens assists Keeneland’s Communications Department with a variety of projects related to races and sales. Her days start early

Kentucky Derby winning trainer Eric Reed will once again join the show. He’ll tell us about the challenges that Rich Strike has taken on since his triumphant Run for the Roses. “Richie” has left the comfortable confines of Reed’s Mercury Training Center and is bedded down at Churchill Downs to take his game up a notch facing older horses for the first time. Eric will talk about the progress “Richie” has taken since his return to Louisville and the deep field he will be meeting in the Grade 2 Lukas Classic on Saturday that includes the extremely talented Hot Rod Charlie and Happy Saver after their solid efforts in the Whitney. Eric Wing is not only the Communications Director for HorseTourneys.com, but a man who has been known to cash in on a few tourneys himself. We’ll be putting him to the test in our handicapping segment. It looks like a great weekend for tourneys and an excellent time to go for the “Big ‘Uns using the WinningPonies E-Z Win Forms.

Richard Eng covers the Horse Racing industry. Handicapping for Dummies is one of the many handicapping books he wrote. He also is a writer for Las Vegas Review Journal and the Daily Racing Form. Rich will give us a “final edit update” on his revisions of the popular “Betting on Horse Racing for Dummies,” a must-have book he penned for teaching anyone about the basics of the racing game. Rich will join John to review the unbelievable card that Parx will present on Saturday. You'll need your E-Z Win Forms as opportunities abound. The 13-race day kicks off at 12:05 pm and features 10 stakes races! There will be five consecutive graded stakes headed up by star-studded line-ups in the afternoon’s feature races. Cyberknife and Taiba, separated by a head in the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park, head a field of 11 3-year-olds entered Monday for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx. In addition to Cyberknife and Taiba, the field includes two additional Grade 1 winners - Zandon and White Abarrio.

The best racing on the thoroughbred calendar this weekend is north of the border at Woodbine. The 12-race action starts at 1:10 and will feature no less than four graded stakes. Talk about inside information, we will be joined by the Head Clocker, Ernie Perri. The horses going to post on Saturday have mostly been based at the Woodbine ovals where he has had the opportunity to intimately observe their morning routine. Ernie will share his observations and let us know how he settled on his morning line odds for these very contentious races. Ernie has been a horse racing enthusiast and handicapper most of his adult life. So, it was natural that he became a clocker over 15 years ago. He moved on to Head Clocker 10 years ago at Woodbine. He also has been the morning Line odds maker for over 10 years. Currently he is the official Racing Analyst for Woodbine Entertainment. We will again get a visit from one of the real, good guys in the game. After establishing the now landmark farm in Georgetown, Kentucky. Visiti

Our first guest is Robbie Davis' daughter jockey Jackie Davis (need bio which I will write.) Our second guest Southern California Railbird Tweeter Tom Quigley will be giving us the West Coast Update.

They say there is no such thing as a sure thing. One thing we are sure of, is that another historic meet at Saratoga, comes to a conclusion over Labor Day. And with that closing comes the shuttering of the office door at the Saratoga Special and our annual “end of the meet” interview with Tom Law. The President of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters publishes the widely read publication with two other Eclipse Award winners – the Clancy brothers Joe and Sean. Tom will share his reflections on their favorite stories they gleaned from their early morning rounds on the backstretch and winner’s circle jubilations. It was a season that may have crowned a 3-year-old champion and saw Jackie’s Warrior sadly see his named added to the chapter of Saratoga lore titled, “Graveyard of Champions.” The show’s not over yet folks! Great quality racing opportunities abound through Labor Day at the Spa and Tom will join John to go over the top selections of the remaining stakes.

DRF’s Dan Illman will join us for Travers Day coverage. A popular Winningponies guest, Dan is one of the most widely watched handicappers on the internet through his drf.com platform. Almost daily, he matches wits with Mike Beer for interesting angles and observations of the Race of the Day. There is no doubt what the race of the day will be on Saturday as Saratoga presents the 153rd running of the Travers Stakes. Trainer Eric Reed joined us last week and wasn’t surprised that Rich Strike will be a longshot once again. The Kentucky Derby winner at odds of 80-1, Rich Strike drew post 2 and was made the 10-1 sixth choice in the field of eight entered Tuesday for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers at Saratoga, a race where Epicenter, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness runner-up, was made the 7-5 favorite on David Aragona’s morning-line. “That’s fair,” Eric said of his odds. “His running style makes him hard to pick no matter what. He’s got all the speed in the world, but for whatever reason he

Look who just came in town! Just after 2 p.m. on Aug. 14, the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) winner arrived at Saratoga Race Course Rich Strike , the late-running 80-1 winner of the Run for the Roses was quietly taken to his home for the next two weeks, at the barn of trainer Dale Romans. Rich Strike will be running in the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) on Aug. 27. Rich Strike started his trip to the Spa from trainer Eric Reed's Mercury Equine Center in Lexington, Ky., at 12:30 a.m. Aug. 14. He's a good shipper, said Reed, who drove separately and beat Rich Strike to Saratoga by a few hours. He sleeps right in the box stall. Eric has been gracious with his time with Winningponies, before and after the historic Kentucky Derby win, and he will join us again this week. With that Derby on his career resume, “Richie” hopes to add the “Mid-Summer Derby” to his list of accomplishments. Eric will discuss the horse’s training regimen up to this revered jewel and what his plans are for

Joe Kristufek is a self-proclaimed horse racing ambassador, and fan development has always been his passion. In addition to serving as the Churchill Downs paddock host, Kristufek is also the host for the Fair Grounds during the winter season. Joe will be making a rare mid-August appearance on Saturday as Churchill Downs is keeping the spirit of tradition alive by hosting the Arlington Million, a race that would have disappeared with the closing of Arlington Park. It will certainly be a rare and unique day as the virgin turf course will play host to the feature races of the day – The Grade1 $500,000 Beverly D. for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 on the greensward and the legend-making Grade 1 $1,000,000 Arlington Million for 3-year-old males at 9 furlongs on the turf. As always, both races have attracted a cast of international competition. Joe will share his thoughts on these races and any other catch his eye on this inaugural edition of the Arlington Million presented by and at Churchill Downs. Terry Meyocks is

Frank Angst is the features editor for the Blood-Horse. He also knows his way around the tracks he covers and the shortest route to a betting window. He’s not afraid to give his opinion on a horse and back it. Frank will join the show to give his analysis of another sensational card that will be presented on Saturday, with no less than five stakes races, four of them graded. The “main event” if there is one, would be the $1,000,000 Whitney for older horses at 1 1/8 miles. The obvious “good thing” would be now-trained Todd Pletcher charge Life Is Good, a freakishly fast son of Into Mischief who sports a near-perfect lifetime record and earnings of $3,551,700. But hold on a second you chalk-searching souls – this is a talented field and we are, after all, at Saratoga. A sizeable field will go on the greensward at 1 3/16ths mile Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational. The top four finishers of the Belmont Derby will enter the starting gate for a rematch. The front end of this all-stakes pick-3 is the Longines Tes

If you have ever glanced at a racing publication, odds are good you have seen some of the work of Barbara D. Livingston. She is the Chief Photographer for the Daily Racing Form, has won six Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Photography and is the author of seven books. As if that doesn’t keep her busy enough, she has taken it upon herself to preserve the historical photo/negative collection of some of racing’s earliest equine photographers. Barbara will join us after a day at her home base of Saratoga. She gets to the track before the sun rises and edits her work long into the evening. We’ll discuss her evolution as a photographer and the great collection of racing’s legends she has assembled. If you do take a trip to Saratoga this meet, visit the National Museum of Racing where Barbara has loaned her collection of the Jim Raftery for display. Raftery photographed many of the greats in thoroughbred racing during his career, including Hall of Fame members such as Bold Ruler, Kelso, Nashua, Swaps, James “Sunny J

Richard Eng is the author of Betting on Horse Racing for Dummies. For 20 years, he was Turf Editor and Handicapper for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Rich is a frequent guest on the show and was very informative over the months about the scene at his home base of Las Vegas. He vividly described the changes the town went through during the pandemic. Things are sunnier there now and the Del Mar summer meeting begins Friday. Del Mar is offering record overnight purses this year, as well as an enhanced bonus program for horses shipped to the state from other circuits. The boutique meet starts with the Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-olds trying the turf and it has drawn a full field. Rich will select his top contenders in this race filled with numerous betting opportunities. Back east it is Haskell Day at Monmouth Park, with a sensational card that features five graded stakes! Rich and John will discuss the Haskell itself that features two young eye-catching colts. The current “Best of the West” – Tiaba ships in to c

Who are we to break with tradition? Tom Law will make his annual rite of summer by appearing on Winning Ponies. It’s opening week of the long-awaited race meet at historic Saratoga! No team does a better job at creating the feel of a day under the ancient elms than Tom and the Clancy brothers – Joe and Sean. And no publication intimately tells stories about the people, their horses, the day’s racing amid the atmosphere of Saratoga than the “Saratoga Special.” Joining us immediately after the opening day of racing, Tom will discuss the on-going production and coverage planned for the meet. Known to make a wager on the speed of a steed, he will join John to look at the fields for the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple; Grade 3 Sanford and Grade 1 Diana Stakes featuring the undefeated Bleeker Street. Ron Flatter will be joining us to recall he life of the legendary broadcaster, gambler and horseplayer Hank “The Hammer” Goldberg I remembered in his special, pop-up episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Guests include form

J. Keeler Johnson is a writer, handicapper, and horse racing historian who counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite racehorse. He is an avid collector of horse racing books and writes regularly for Bloodhorse.com, TwinSpires, Horse Racing Nation, and America's Best Racing. He will be our first guest. Brien Bouyea is the Hall of Fame and Communications Director at the National Museum of Racing, a position he has held since 2010. Prior to joining the Museum, Bouyea spent 10 years working as a sports writer and editor at the Troy Record and The Saratogian, where he won numerous national and state writing awards. He is the author of two books: “Bare Knuckles and Saratoga Racing: The Remarkable Life of John Morrissey” and co-author of “The Travers: 150 Years of Saratoga’s Greatest Race,” along with Michael Veitch. “The Travers” was a finalist for the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award. Bouyea is also the sports editor for Saratoga Living magazine, writing mostly about horse racing and Capital Region sports. He has also don

Kevin Kilroy is currently anchored in Louisville at Churchill Downs, where they will provide the on-track fireworks this Holiday weekend. The two-time National Horseplayers Championship qualifier will join John to analyze three stakes on Saturday. In the Grade 2 Stephen Foster, official 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun will return to the site of his greatest victory where he hopes to bounce back from a disappointing ninth-place effort in the rich Saudi Cup. Two of the most consistent distaffers racing today, will square off in the Grade 2 Fleur De Lis. The headstrong Shedaresthedevil ($2,513,458) will perform her “dare you to run with me” style, against the likes of Pauline’s Pearl ($1,504,200) who has already recorded a Grade 1 win at Churchill this year. With 15 graded stakes scheduled for the 4th of July weekend, we thought we’d bring in our favorite handicapper, Ed Meyer who monitors racing from the harness tracks of the Netherlands to the match races at Cajun Downs in Louisiana. Perhaps the marquee

Our good friend Jennie Rees made the following observation about our first guest on winningponies, “Dave Basler sees betting on table tennis in Asia and envisions it being replaced with horse racing in America's burgeoning sports books.” “We can fill that void a lot of times during the day so that they don't have to play table tennis from China or cricket from Australia–things that people have no idea about,” Basler, the executive director of the Ohio HBPA, said in March during a session of the National HBPA Conference at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. “That's not just attractive to sports books, that's attractive to horsemen and racetracks for the opportunity to increase our revenue.” “Pari-mutuel wagering is not going to be in the sports books,” Basler said. “Fixed-odds wagering will be. So we need to take advantage of that ability to bring in customers and get our product in front of millions and millions of potential new fans.” Basler said fixed odds could make “an unbettable race now a bettable race.” “Th

Our first batter will be Handicapper Eric Wing. We will discuss the eventful Triple Crown season. Now that the Triple Crown is over, Mark Gill, Dean of School of Business, Equine and Sport Management will be our second guest. His discussion with John will center around Midway U., historical connection to the Equine Industry and the new career program that Mark Gill offers.

It is a stellar Saturday at Belmont Park. There will be eight Grade 1 races with “The Test of the Champion,” the 1 ½ mile Belmont Stakes, serving as the headliner. Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike is becoming the Rodney Dangerfield of the 3-year-olds. He’s getting no respect from the majority of the East Coast media and was installed at odds of 7-2 morning line and may go higher at post time. We are bringing on an integral part of the story and the observations of a national handicapper to weigh in on the $1.5 million Classic. Eric Reed, trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, was on “The Regular Guy Radio Show” on winningponies.com before and after the Kentucky Derby. A man of his word, Eric has returned to tell us about the rapid development of his muscular chestnut colt. After Eric’s post-Derby decision to rest his classic winner and point to the Belmont, Rich Strike has returned to training with vigor. We’ll get an up-to-the-minute report - straight from the horse trainer's mouth. We’ve engaged th