Xpressbet Show Precludes Sheets but Breeders' Cup Analysis Will Be Available for Both Friday and Saturday

The last two weeks Pope Jude has hosted the Xpress Bet Weekend Stakes Preview on Horse Racing Radio Network. The program, heard on Sirius/XM radio, affiliate stations around the country and via streaming on horseracingradio.net boasts thousands of listeners around the world. Due to his participation, there have been no Pope Jude analysis sheets, since most of his handicapping information was broadcast. 

Friday night's show, with Equibase handicapper Ellis Starr, posted the following results:

Six for 12 with top picks $48 back, $73 and #256 exactas
Second week in a row BOTH best bets won

Stellar Path $13 Athenia Stakes
Cactus Kris $12.20 Ontario Fashion Stakes
Curvy $6.90 E P Taylor BEST BET
Cannock Chase $7.50 Pattison Canadian International
Pretty N Cool $3.80 Matron
Kitten's Point $5 Dowager BEST BET
$256 exacta Bye Bye Bernie/Summation Time - Nearctic Stakes
$73 exacta Curvy/Talmada E P Taylor

There will be no sheets this weekend, but be sure to get our Breeders' Cup analysis for both Friday and Saturday, October 30 & 31.

Hurricane Joaquin Effect

Due to the extreme likelihood of inclement weather, off tracks, soggy turf courses and many late scratches for Keeneland's Fall Stars Weekend and Belmont Park's Breeders' Cup Preview Day, there will be no analysis reports this weekend.

Breeders' Cup Preview Saturday #1 Special $2 Report

Breeders' Cup is near and the next two Saturdays will feature many of the horses pointing to the World Championships at Keeneland. Enjoy this special priced report as we get ready for a major assualt on the windows at the end of October in Lexington.

Top Three-Year-Olds Grace Saturday's Cards

With no straight three-year-old stakes on the Breeders' Cup docket, many track around the nation are featuring sophomores Saturday.

Parx features two $1 million events - the Grade 1 Cotillion for fillies run at a mile and a sixteenth and the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby at a mile and an eighth - both on the dirt.

Laurel Park will run the Grade 2 $400,000 Commonwealth Derby at a mile and an eighth on the grass while  Kentucky Downs presents the $200,000 Dueling Grounds Oaks, also on the sod.

Churchill Downs cards the Grade 3 $100,000 Dogwood at seven panels on the main track and Charles Town the $350,000 Grade 3 CT Oaks at the same distance.

Saturday's Pope Jude analysis will cover all these events and many of the undercard races surrounding them.

LABOR DAY REPORT ONLY $5

To celebrate Labor Day racing and thank our loyalists for a fantastic summer, Monday's report is specially priced at $5. 

The report kicks off at Parx, with a possible upset in the Turf Monster (G3) at 4:31 ET and ends with the 10th at Del Mar at 9:40 ET, with 12 selected races in all. 

Saratoga and Del Mar have four races each with single races from Parx, Ellis Park, Monmouth and Presque Isle Downs.

Let's end the summer with a bang as we roll toward Belmont, Santa Anita, Keeneland and the Breeders' Cup!

SPECIAL FRIDAY NEW YORK-BRED DAY ANALYSIS FOR SARATOGA

We've put together a special analysis sheet for Friday's New York-bred Day thinking some of you will be at #Pharoahtoga by then. It's a special $5 price too. 

Looking forward to Travers Day. It should be an awesome card.

Let's #GetHot and #StayHot this weekend!

ON THE ROAD...

The HRRN racing tour has begun in earnest. The Racing Hall of Fame inductions, the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale, tomorrow is Arlington Million Day and next week we'll be at the Pacific Classic. It's been great fun - especially the unscheduled 25 minutes we spent with Bob Baffert on the air from the sale and the hour "Trainer Talk" show with the Gai Waterhouse, Australia's greatest trainer. Both of those interviews can be heard at horseracingradio.net. 

Saturday's sheet will cover selected Saratoga races, all the Arlington stakes and a few from Del Mar.

Best of luck!

SATURDAY @ SARATOGA $5 DEAL

To honor Horse racing Radio Network's "Saturday's at Saratoga" series of shows, we're offering this Saturday's analysis at half-price. 

By popular demand, we'll have a full card analysis for William Hill Haskell Day on Sunday.

What have you done for me lately?

We ran a two-buck special on our Fourth of July sheet, hoping some occasional fans might have a little fun and a few winners on Independence Day. It certainly worked. 

Bigger Picture ($15.60), Ready for Rye ($7.50) and the $79 exacta with Barrel of Love, the $220 exacta with Force the Pass and Canndal and the cold Private Zone-Clearly Now exacta to end the card.  

Awesome day.

ROYAL ASCOT - SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2015

Granted it is a short one, but Royal Ascot is the fastest week of the year.

#3 POSTPONED is right there every time trainer Luca Cumani sends him to the post. The Hardwicke Stakes (G2), Saturday's 3rd Race, is not an easy spot but the son of Dubawi is reliable for a top try and has the talent to take the top prize. #1 EAGLE TOP will need to improve his final furlong to score here, but the John Gosden trainee may have been a tad short for his first start of 2015 at Sandown and should be much fitter this afternoon. 

With a sharp second-place finish at Longchamp in his last start, #6 ROBERT LE DIABLE is a live longshot for an "each way" wager. He has been running well all year and should be a square price on the board.

"IF GRAHAM MOTION TELLS YOU IT'S EASTER...PAINT YOUR EGGS."

The American contingent was outdone at Royal Ascot Friday, but what a run by Miss Temple City. Off at 21-1 on TVG, the Graham Motion trainee was upwards of 90-1 in Great Britain.

We are not rooters as a rule. Too many races, too many days in the press box, too many winners and many more losers - we are there to observe, to make note, to be objective. Yet we begged the filly to find more. We implored Johnny Velazquez to help her. We were so loud the rest in the Brickwall Tavern became silent, as they watched us beg and plead for triumph and at the very end, at least a placing.

Then condolences - from those that don't know it's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. And oh, what a game Miss Temple City played. 

 

ROYAL ASCOT - FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015

Today's Royal Ascot card is all about the U.S.A., trainer Wesley Ward and my brother Bob.

The Albany Stakes (G3), featuring two-year-old fillies, is the 1st Race of the day. Trainer Wesley Ward sends out a pair. #11 LAXFIELD ROAD is by Quality Road. She broke her maiden by 11 lengths at Keeneland, widening her margin all the way. Jockey Frankie Dettori takes the reins today, as Joel Rosario, who rode her to that maiden score, opts for #3 BACK AT THE RANCH. That one has run twice with a first and a second, both with Rosario in the irons. A daughter of Artie Schiller, she doesn't own the early speed of her stablemate but her late kick is impressive.

#7 HOOTENANY won the Breeders'Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) in his final race of 2014. Back to racing at Keeneland on April 18, the Wesley Ward-trained son of Quality Road won an allowance race by six lengths. He owns a win at Royal Ascot, capturing the Windsor Castle Stakes last year and he'll be ridden by the great Ryan Moore. Cagey trainer George Weaver shipped his undefeated sprinter #3 CYCLOGENISIS across the pond for this difficult spot. The son of Stormy Atlantic has been breathtaking in all three of his starts. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez takes the mount this afternoon in what shapes up to be a great edition of the Commonwealth Cup (G1), the 3rd Race of the day.

The Coronation Stakes (G1) goes as the 4th Race. The story of #7 MISS TEMPLE CITY reads like a Hollywood script. Bred by my brother Bob, trainer H. Graham Motion has developed her into one of the the best animals in his yard. He holds her in the highest esteem and has been pointing to this race for quite a while. It is no easy spot, as there are at least five other fillies with more accomplished race records to contend with. Still, if Graham Motion tells you it's Easter, paint your eggs.

 

ROYAL ASCOT - THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015

The Norfolk Stakes (G2) is today's 1st Race. #6 LOG OUT ISLAND beat four-time winner Buratino by five and a half lengths on April 29, his first trip to the post. That's extremely impressive. #5 KING OF ROOKS has won his previous two starts by open lengths and beat a next-out winner in his last trip to the gate. The Coolmore crew sends out #11 WATERLOO BRIDGE, who has been raced into shape by trainer Aiden O'Brien. He's faced good Irish company and takes blinkers off here. 

Juddmonte Farms will be represented by Dubawi's son #13 TIME TEST in the Tercentenary Stakes (G3), the 2nd Race on the card. He's never been worse than second in four runs and gets the services of the great Frankie Dettori for this event. Trainer Richard Hannon will saddle a son of Paco Boy, #11 PEACOCK, for The Queen. He sports two wins in three starts this year and could very easily add another to his record with a top performance. 

One of the world's great races is the Ascot Gold Cup (G1), today's 4th Race. #1 BATHYRHON owns the best marathon figure and exits an open-lengths score in a Group 2 event, his second race of the year. #7 TAC DE BOISTRON has raced in top form for two years. The eight-year-old has been cleverly managed by trainer Marco Botti, who must have had this race on his radar for a while. The great trainer John Gosden sends out #8 FOREVER NOW. The son of Galileo has been progressing nicely in his races this season and should be set for his best effort with the whole world watching.  #14 WINDSHEAR is a stayer. He doesn't win many but he'll be a good price and might spice up the exotics. 

The 5th Race is the Britannia Stakes. #5 MUTARAKEZ has been perfect in 2015 and will try to make his trainer, Brian Meehan, forget the bad luck with Spark Plug yesterday. We'll take him each way and let the vertical wagers go.

Top trainer Sir Michael Stoute sends out #4 DISSOLUTION for the King George V Stakes, Thursday's 6th Race. He just ran second to stablemate Time Test (in today's second race) and that makes him a major player in this easier spot. #7 BELGRADE is in good form and should have a say in the outcome. He is reunited with jockey Richard Hughes this afternoon and that enhances his chances. #17 YORKKIDDING takes on the boys. She is in good form, can get the trip and will be a massive price.

 

WEDNESDAY ROYAL ASCOT REVISITED

Opening day at Royal Ascot was a very good wagering day. 

Today may have been the craziest wagering day we have ever encountered. 

Ivawood was hammered down to 3-2 in the first, causing us to pass. Which was actually the best move of the day.

An each way on Rah Rah in the second event ended in disappointment.

Key wager, Euro Charline failed to load in a timely manner for the third and was scratched. Unbelievable! Refund.

Then, Spark Plug puts Jimmy Fortune on his ass in the fifth.

The law of averages says Thursday must be better. 

 

 

 

 

ROYAL ASCOT - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2015

The 1st Race on Wednesday's card is the Jersey Stakes (G3). #1 IVAWOOD drops into a much easier spot after chasing Group 1 company in his last two starts. Logical exacta partners are the Godolphin entrants #12 TOSCANINI and #15 DEVONSHIRE but neither one would spur a large payoff. 

If you have ever seen Lonhro, You would want to bet on any of his babies. William Buick dons the Godolphin blue to ride #17 RAH RAH in the 2nd Race of the day, the Queen Mary Stakes (G2). She's put in two game performances in two starts and looks like the filly to beat in a very competitive event. #9 DELIZIA and #10 EASTON ANGEL are both by Dark Angel. They are both two-for-two in their careers and have excellent connections. We'll see who the fans ignore. 

#5 EURO CHARLINE faced some of the best colts in the world when fourth in the Dubai Turf (G1) at Meydan, her first race since winning the Beverly D. (G1) at Arlington Park last summer. She gets five pounds from #1 INTEGRAL in the 3rd Race, the Duke of Cambridge Stakes (G2), due to the allowance conditions. That is an edge that is hard to pass up, especially with the amazing Frankie Dettori in the saddle. The latter is a fine mare and retains the services of her regular rider Ryan Moore. Her prep at Newbury was solid and should have tightened her up for this race.  #8 RIZEENA is a perfect three-for-three at Ascot. She figures right there once again.

They could run up to 30 in the Royal Hunt Cup, the 5th Race on the card. We might be a tad prejudiced because we're big Brian Meehan fans at popejude.com. He trains #6 SPARK PLUG who has run very well in both starts this year. The son of Dylan Thomas had a very rough trip in his only other Ascot start, but was beaten just 3 1/2 lengths. #10 GABRIAL has been raced into shape by trainer Richard Fahey and he is finally there. The six-year-old gelding has enjoyed a nice career and looks competitive in this field at a decent price. #3 MONDIALISTE has been in the money in all three of his 2015 outings without winning. He has not shown a killer instinct in the shadow of the wire but he has ability and could be part of the payoffs, as "place" is paid on the first four finishers.

 

ROYAL ASCOT - TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2015

World power, Godolphin Stable, has a pair of sharp two-year-olds in the Coventry Stakes (G2), the 2nd Race on opening day. #14 ROUND TWO is progressive and sharp. Trainer Jim Bolger has him poised for a top effort. #5 BURATINO owns the most experience in the field. The son of Exceed and Excel has three wins to his credit - an amazing feat for a European juvenile in June.

The King's Stand (G1), the 3rd Race on the card, is always a tough one to gauge.  #8 MUTHMIR meets all the important handicapping requirements and should be a square price, making an "each way" bet a possibility.

Ascot's 5th Race is a turf marathon. #11 LYCIDAS owns the best figure and is a very consistent sort. Trainer Charlie Fellowes adds blinkers to his equipment, so it must be "all systems go." #3 FUN MAC doesn't rate far behind. He comes off an 11-length romp in a similar race at Salisbury. He's never run this far, but he has a large margin to play with. 

Two-year-olds are again featured in the 6th Race, the final event of the day. #21 WASHINGTON DC will probably be the favorite with his Coolmore connections and excellent record. #4 AREEN broke his maiden impressively, but acted a little squirrely in his next start. Jockey Jamie Spencer takes the son of Kodiak back, so he must feel a reverting to his previous good form is possible. With the field, you get American trainer Wesley Ward's #26F RUBY NOTION. He's already met the Queen, so it is safe to say that he didn't ship a filly who broke her maiden in a claiming race, across the pond just for fun.  

 

Pope Jude Fans' Big Preakness Weekend

Pope Jude followers crushed Black-Eyed Susan Day, with seven winners on the sheet in the nine races handicapped. Other highlights included the Irish Jaspar - Huasca exacta in the Miss Preakness ($37.80), Galiana ($12.40), the only filly listed for the 12th race, and the $78 trifecta in the lucky 13th!

Preakness Day picked up where we left off, with seven winners on the sheet in 13 races handicapped. When My Team paid $27.20 in the third race, it was destined to be a profitable day. 

American Pharoah heads to the Belmont on a roll and so does Pope Jude. 

Busiest Two Weeks in Thoroughbred Racing

First of all, we'd like to thank everyone who ponied-up for a Pope Jude analysis sheet for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby. As usual, Oaks Day was great and the Derby card was tough, but we manged to save Saturday with the Kentucky Derby exacta and trifecta. 

Also a shout out to the Pope Jude fans who took advantage of our $2 "Jersey Joe Bravo" promotion on Saturday. Joe didn't reach is milestone 5000th victory, but we all had a nifty day at Belmont Park and held our own at Monmouth. 

There will be a Black-Eyed Susan Day sheet Friday with a special $5 price for "The Ultimate Girls Day Out," as Pimlico is advertising it. It will be available Thursday afternoon.

Preakness Day quite often offers great wagering opportunities and of course Pope Jude will have you covered with the best plays.