S8E20: 3 Kentucky Derby preps + 1 rant

At least three more spots in the Churchill Downs gate are likely to be decided this weekend with important Kentucky Derby 2025 points races at Gulfstream Park, Aqueduct and Santa Anita. They get the spotlight on this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Racetrack personality Eddie the Hat Wilson checks in from Los Angeles to talk about Barnes’s return to the Derby trail for trainer Bob Baffert in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes. He also discusses the future of racing in California, Baffert’s return to Churchill Downs and an overarching view of the Derby trail.

In Florida, trainer Ian Wilkes discusses Burnham Square, the Holy Bull (G3) winner who comes back this weekend in the Fountain of Youth (G2). He offers a long-range view of plans for the gelding as he campaigns for the Florida and Kentucky derbies.

Ed DeRosa handicaps races he has chosen from this busy weekend, and co-host John Cherwa joins for feedback from listeners and readers.

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

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S8E19: A day late, but still worth a Rebel yell

It may have been postponed a day, but the Grade 2, $1.25 million Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn should be worth the wait. With a full field of 14 horses, the virtual win-and-you’re-in qualifier for Kentucky Derby 2025 is the focus this week of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Trainer Lonnie Briley, who never has had a graded-stakes victory, is on the doorstep of that and his first Derby horse with three-time stakes winner Coal Battle. He talks about the colt’s journey and his own from the oil fields of Louisiana to a career with Thoroughbreds.

Oaklawn announcer Matt Dinerman discusses the challenges of a cold winter in Arkansas as well as his own insights on the Rebel and other stakes on Sunday’s card.

Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch has tips for an all-stakes Pick 4 ticket Sunday at Oaklawn.

Co-host John Cherwa helps to go over listener and reader feedback about the importance of last week’s Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds and jockey Frankie Dettori’s decision to move his tack east from California.

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

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S8E18: Risen Star, East Avenue and Hard Yakka

The first of the virtual win-and-you’re-in qualifiers for Kentucky Derby 2025 arrives Saturday with the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. That is where the spotlight is focused for this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Trainer Brendan Walsh discusses morning-line favorite East Avenue, who carried two open-lengths victories into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. That was where a stumbling start doomed him to finish off the board. Walsh discusses how the 3-year-old Godolphin homebred colt has been doing since his disappointment at Del Mar and how he hopes East Avenue’s Grade 1-winning form will show itself again.

Fair Grounds track announcer John G. Dooley checks out East Avenue and other contenders in the Risen Star as well as undefeated Good Cheer, who will be favored to win the Rachel Alexandra (G2) and the Kentucky Oaks (G1) first-place qualifying points that go with it.

Super Screener creator Mike Shutty offers handicapping tips for the Risen Star and two turf stakes in New Orleans, including the Fair Grounds Stakes presented by Horse Racing Nation (G3) and the Colonel Power sprint.

Listener and reader feedback is focused on the Florida bill that would allow Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs to decouple their Thoroughbred and gaming licenses, opening the door for either track to stop racing while still running their slot machines and poker tables.

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

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S8E17: Kentucky Derby 2025 mock draft

With less than three months before the run for the roses, a mock draft for Kentucky Derby 2025 brings together seven handicapping minds for this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Horse Racing Nation hard-core handicapper and fair-odds author Ed DeRosa will be joined by Chip Gehrke, the Doctor Derby curator of weekly division rankings.

Five other media horseplayers take part, including Sara Elbadwi from Fox Sports and the New York Racing Association, Betting on Horse Racing for Dummies author Richard Eng from Las Vegas, Churchill Downs analyst and Turfway Park host Kaitlin Free, turf writer and publicist Alicia Hughes and sports-gambling host and former NFL quarterback Shaun King.

The draft will last four rounds to determine who will be best positioned to have the winner among their four horses who could be in the May 3 running of the Derby.

Also, co-host John Cherwa discusses the biggest talking points in his Los Angeles Times story this week on the future of horse racing with an emphasis on California.

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

Check out this episode!