S7E11: Horse of the year will not be unanimous

The end of the year brings the Eclipse Awards. This week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod brings together a panel of Horse Racing Nation writers who will be among the roughly 250 media and racing-industry voters who will have a voice in the 17 championship categories.

Las Vegas correspondent Mike Brunker, division-rankings expert Chip Gehrke and pedigree analyst Laurie Ross offer their opinions on all the major categories, including their varied opinions on who should be the finalists and the winner of the horse-of-the-year award.

Mark Midland takes his turn in the handicappers rotation with an emphasis on a late Pick 4 on Saturday at Gulfstream Park plus some first-time starters who have caught his eye.

John Cherwa discusses opening day at Santa Anita as it was cast against his Los Angeles Times story about the future of horse racing in California.

The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Google and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.

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S7E10: The 2023 racing year in review

Whether it is Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or even Festivus, it is the perfect time to gather friends. That is precisely what happens this week in a special holiday episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times, Lee Mottershead from Racing Post in England and international racing liaison Kate Hunter in Japan review the headlines of the 2023 racing year.

They discuss the memorable performances from the likes of Cody’s Wish and Equinox, the early retirements of U.S. standouts, the unretirement of jockey Frankie Dettori, the breakthrough victory by trainer Jena Antonucci in the Belmont Stakes, the spates of horse deaths at Churchill Downs and Saratoga, a surge in animal-rights protests at racetracks in the U.K. and the specter of affordability checks on gamblers in Europe.

The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Google and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.

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S7E9: Celebrate with the DeVaux and Blasi families

Siblings in racing are in the spotlight on this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Trainer Cherie DeVaux and her assistant and younger sister Adrianne DeVaux talk about their relationship and how it has grown into working together in a stable that is coming into its own with graded-stakes success.

Scott Blasi, the longtime assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen, and his older brother Greg Blasi, an outrider at Churchill Downs, discuss growing up together around horses and how they see their roles today.

Ed DeRosa handicaps the Remington Springboard Mile, the Los Alamitos Futurity and, at Turfway Park, the Prairie Bayou Stakes.

Listener and reader feedback touches on last week’s interview with Mike Repole and on last week’s column about the 2024 Belmont Stakes* and how it has been shortened to 1 1/4 miles.

The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Google and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.

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S7E8: Mike Repole, Bayou breds & symposium elevators

Entrepreneur and horse owner Mike Repole is the featured guest this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Repole discusses his creation of the National Thoroughbred Alliance and why he believes he was right to name himself the commissioner of horse racing. He also answers questions about how likely he is to prevail with his rewriting of the way the sport carries out its business.

Highlights and impressions of the Global Symposium on Racing in Tucson, Ariz., are reviewed.

Super Screener creator Mike Shutty offers handicapping of some of Saturday’s races on Louisiana Champions day at Fair Grounds.

The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Google and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.

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