S9E38: We will raise The Hammer

Rick Hammerle, a horseplayer and a longtime racing executive who sits on the American Graded Stakes Committee member, is the special guest this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Hammerle talks about topics that range from why there are so many graded stakes to the bigfooted presence of computer-assisted wagering to why racetracks should have newer music played for spectators. In a myth-busting tale he has spun more than a few times in public and private conversations, Hammerle looks back on the 2018 emergence of eventual Triple Crown winner Justify and how he was instrumental in writing the champion colt’s first two races while he was Santa Anita’s racing secretary. He also talks about his current role at Kentucky Downs.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park offer their popular host chat.

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!

S9E37: As many humans as Belmont horses

Anticipating Saturday’s finale to the Triple Crown season, there are as many humans as there are Belmont Stakes 2026 horses on the regular episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Chris Fallica, who is best known as The Bear on Fox Sports’ “Big Noon Kickoff” during football season, leads off the guest list. He also is a seasoned horseplayer who has opinions about how the Belmont will be run.

Andy Serling from Fox Sports and New York Racing Association TV offers his analysis of the Belmont and more high points on a loaded undercard Saturday at Saratoga.

Trainers Todd Pletcher of Renegade and Powershift, Brad Cox of Commandment and Cherie DeVaux of Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo offer their insights to the Belmont.

Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch has tips for the Manhattan-Belmont double on Saturday’s card.

John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park check in with their popular chat segment and throw in their Belmont picks. Sort of.

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!

S9E36: Belmont Stakes hard-core handicappers

Deep analysis of every horse in Belmont Stakes 2026 is ready to hear now from the hard-core handicappers in their latest pop-up episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Horse Racing Nation handicappers Mark Midland and Ed DeRosa are joined by FanDuel TV’s Caton Bredar. They go through the entire field, 1 through 9, including morning-line favorite Renegade and Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo.

How will they play the five horses coming out of the Derby and into this last 1 1/4-mile running of the Belmont at Saratoga? How do they see what looms as an iffy pace picture? Most important, what are their opinions about the pretenders amid the contenders? Where is the value? How will the horses take to the track at Saratoga? The panel answers all those questions.

There also is a bonus discussion about the best plays on the Saturday undercard at Saratoga.

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.

A video version of this episode will be posted to the HRN YouTube page Wednesday morning.

Check out this episode!

S9E35: Counting down to Belmont Stakes

Belmont Stakes 2026 next Saturday concludes the Triple Crown series as well as the race’s three years at Saratoga. It is the focus of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Maggie Wolfendale-Morley of Fox Sports and the New York Racing Association checks in with early angles on some of the top choices in the Belmont, including likely favorite Renegade as well as Kentucky Derby 2026 winner Golden Tempo. She also has a snapshot of the Grade 1 Met Mile, where Nysos and Journalism are expected to start on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

Case Clay of Wathnan Racing talks about Belmont Stakes contender Commandment and multimillionaire Hit Show, who races Saturday on Stephen Foster preview day at Churchill Downs. He also discusses the rapid rise of the Qatar-based operation and his own move from Three Chimneys Farm, which his family used to own. Clay even shares the story of how he tried his hand at comedy with Second City in Chicago.

Super Screener creator Mike Shutty has early angles that he is pursuing for the Belmont Stakes as well as handicapping of two of the graded turf stakes on Saturday’s card at Churchill Downs.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park have their popular chat segment and weigh in on listener and reader feedback from last week’s interview with Brent Musburger and Chuck Todd.

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!

S9E34: Brent Musburger meets Chuck Todd

Broadcasting icons and sports bettors Brent Musburger and Chuck Todd get together to discuss their ideas to cure what ails the Triple Crown in an exclusive conversation on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Musburger’s years at CBS, ABC and VSiN took him to assignments that included the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Todd’s work at NBC did not keep him from having a run at betting on horses. Both accomplished more recently in gambling on other games, they have ideas on how racing can survive in the 21st century.

In the blush of Napoleon Solo’s victory in Preakness 2026, Maryland Jockey Club president and general manager Bill Knauf assesses the week at Laurel Park and the transition back to Pimlico next year. He also talks about the coming partnership with Churchill Downs, which is poised to take over the intellectual-property rights to the Preakness as it may move forward on a different date in 2027.

Handicapper Ed DeRosa offers tips for Memorial Day stakes races, including the big card at Santa Anita on Monday. He also offers advice on how to bet the Keertana Stakes on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park have their popular chat segment and weigh in on listener and reader feedback from Preakness week.

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!

S9E33: A Laurel and hearty Preakness

From Laurel Park in Maryland, this weekend’s Preakness Stakes at its unique 2026 location is the centerpiece of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Two-time Eclipse Award-winning turf writer John Scheinman pays his annual visit by way of an after-dinner interview from his hometown Baltimore. He talks about the changing landscape of Maryland racing as it moves to new caretakers and a reimagined Pimlico next year. He also talks about the past, present and future of the Preakness in addition to offering his tips for Saturday’s race.

Ocelli’s trainer Whit Beckman, Chip Honcho’s trainer Steve Asmussen and undefeated Taj Mahal’s wife-and-husband team of trainer Brittany Russell and jockey Sheldon Russell have the view from the stables as they look forward to the 151st Preakness.

Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch zeroes in on three stakes on the Saturday card at Laurel Park, including the $2 million feature.

Co-hosts John Cherwa and Keith Nelson join Ron in going through feedback about the Cherwa plan to save the Triple Crown, a proposal built around requiring a fit Kentucky Derby-winning horse to race in the Preakness.

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!

S9E32: Hard-core handicappers pop up for Preakness

With a 14-horse field to ponder and study, the hard-core handicappers are back to analyze every horse in Preakness 2026. They are on this special, pop-up episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

FanDuel TV’s Caton Bredar joins Horse Racing Nation handicappers Ed DeRosa and Mark Midland as well as host Ron Flatter from Laurel Park. They consider whether Iron Honor is a worthy 9-2 favorite on the morning line. They also weigh the possibility that the shortest price come post time Saturday could be Incredibolt or Ocelli from the Kentucky Derby or perhaps new shooter Chip Honcho.

The absence of Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo and the largest Preakness field in 15 years contribute to the conversation about overlays and underlays for this 151st edition of the Preakness, which is being run this year at Laurel Park while Pimlico is being rebuilt.

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!

S9E31: What do you mean he’s not going?

Reaction to the decision not to send Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo to Preakness 2026 is the main topic of discussion this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Sports Illustrated writer Pat Forde talks about the choices he had to make in writing his story about Golden Tempo’s victory last week, especially balancing Cherie DeVaux being the first woman to train a Derby winner and the Ortiz brothers riding to a one-two finish. He also weighs in on the long-term future of when the Preakness should be run.

From the National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas in March, the reigning NHC Tour winner Dave Nichols talks about how tournament play has improved his everyday play at racetracks. He gets into handicapping strategies that have been born from his becoming a more aggressive tournament competitor.

Super Screener creator Mike Shutty has early angles on the Preakness, and he handicaps this weekend’s Grade 3 Peter Pan and Take the A Train stakes at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet.

Co-hosts John Cherwa and Keith Nelson join Ron in going through feedback from Horse Racing Nation readers about Golden Tempo skipping the Preakness.

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!

S9E30: Kentucky Derby stars & mystery guest

The final preview of Kentucky Derby 152 brings together the best of TV personalities, trainers and handicappers on this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

NBC’s Steve Kornacki spends some time talking about the field for this year’s Derby and how he will go about dispensing statistical trends that are his specialty on the national telecast.

Trainers Brad Cox, Todd Pletcher and Mark Glatt chat about their contenders in the Derby. Cox discusses Grade 1 Florida Derby winner Commandment and Blue Grass (G1) victor Further Ado. Pletcher explains his outlook for morning-line favorite Renegade, the Arkansas Derby (G1) victor, having to start from the less-than-desired post 1. Glatt offers his thoughts about Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner So Happy as well as the personal challenges he and his family have faced during the winter.

Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch is along to present his tips for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks and the Derby itself.

In the feedback section of the show, a mystery celebrity icon calls in to compare his Derby pick with those of Cherwa, Nelson and Flatter.

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.

HARD-CORE HANDICAPPERS

Caton Bredar, Ed DeRosa and Mark Midland analyze every horse in Kentucky Derby 2026 and offer a snapshot of the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.

https://www.horseracingnation.com/news/Flatter_Pod_Kentucky_Derby_2026_hard_core_handicappers_123

Check out this episode!

S9E29: Kentucky Derby hard-core handicappers

Deep analysis of every horse in Kentucky Derby 2026 from the main draw through the also-eligibles is ready to hear now with the hard-core handicappers pop-up episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Horse Racing Nation handicappers Ed DeRosa and Mark Midland and FanDuel TV’s Caton Bredar go through the entire field from the favorite Renegade to the longest of long shots. They evaluate every horse from 1 to 20 plus the four horses who were entered as also-eligibles.

How do they think the rail draw may affect Renegade? Will the Brad Cox-trained trio of Commandment, Further Ado and Fulleffort figure prominently on their tickets? Do they think Chief Wallabee will give Bill Mott his second consecutive Derby triumph?  Who are the tosses, and who are the value plays? The panel answers all those questions.

There also is a snapshot preview of the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.

The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is posted every Friday with pop-ups like this one for Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup races. It is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.

Check out this episode!

S9E28: ’Twas the week before Derby

The field for Kentucky Derby 2026 will be drawn this weekend, when final breezes will show up on the Churchill Downs work tab. That is the setting for this episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Riley Mott, the son of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, is preparing his first two Derby horses for next Saturday’s big date. He talks about Virginia Derby winner Incredibolt and Grade 2 Wood Memorial victor Albus as well as his relationship with their owner Pin Oak Stable.

In a nod to bettors, National Thoroughbred Racing Association chief operating officer Keith Chamblin discusses the growth of handicapping contests in the blush of the most exciting renewal of the National Horseplayers Championship. He talks about the formats of these competitions as well as his concerns about the future of money-troubled Hawthorne, which has been a breeding ground for NHC winners from Chicagoland.

Super Screener creator Mike Shutty looks at early handicapping angles on the Derby and areas where he may be aiming his money. He also has tips for the Roxelana Stakes on opening day Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park have their popular host chat and offer reaction to listener and reader feedback.

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.

Coming Saturday night: The pop-up episode featuring Kentucky Derby 2026 hard-core handicappers Caton Bredar, Ed DeRosa and Mark Midland.

Check out this episode!

S9E27: Sovereignty vs. Journalism 3.0

A fortnight before Kentucky Derby 2026, a rematch between Sovereignty and Journalism highlights the weekend as well as the discussion this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Godolphin USA bloodstock director Michael Banahan about reigning horse of the year Sovereignty and his third meeting with Journalism, this time in Saturday’s Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap. Sovereignty won both their previous showdowns last year in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes to galvanize his championship case. Banahan discusses the Godolphin homebred colt’s return from a seven-month layoff and his strategy for the six-horse stakes this weekend in Arkansas. He also looks back on the decision to skip the Preakness after winning the Kentucky Derby.

Economics professor and Thoroughbred owner-player Marshall Gramm talks about the course in horse betting that he has been teaching this spring at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn.

Handicapper Ed DeRosa has Saturday tips for the Oaklawn Handicap in Arkansas and the Elkhorn (G2) and Ben Ali (G3) at Keeneland.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park have their popular host chat and take part in a review of listener and reader feedback about the lawsuit filed by White Abarrio’s owners over the controversial vet scratch in the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

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!

S9E26: Talking Kentucky Derby & Apple Blossom

The field is penciled into place for Kentucky Derby 2026 in three weeks at Churchill Downs. It also is set for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn. Both races come into focus this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

U.S. and Canada hall-of-fame trainer Mark Casse discusses Eclipse Award winner Nitrogen’s bid to win the Apple Blossom. He also has Oaklawn stakes winner Nerazurri in the race. Casse also discusses his Kentucky Derby contender Silent Tactic and Kentucky Oaks (G1) hopes Counting Stars and Search Party.

Horseplayers advocate Chris Larmey talks about his book Betting On Horse$ in an interview at the National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas.

Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch offers some early thoughts about the Derby as well as weekend tips for Oaklawn.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park have their popular host chat, and feedback offers listener and reader reaction to last week’s interview with former FanDuel TV host Todd Schrupp.

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!

S9E25: Schrupp speaks

For the first time since he left FanDuel TV in February, racing host and analyst Todd Schrupp breaks his silence, and the last of the major preps for Kentucky Derby 2026 are the focus this week of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Not only does he talk about his exit, but Schrupp also discusses last week’s announcement that FDTV will go out of existence by the end of next year.

Super Screener creator Mike Shutty handicaps weekend stakes at Aqueduct and Keeneland, and he talks about the Blue Grass (G1), the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and the Wood Memorial (G2), the races that will shape the field for the Kentucky Derby.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park have their popular host chat, and listener and reader feedback zeroes in on the closing of FDTV.

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!

S9E24: Long and short of Triple Crown

Two Grade 1 points preps for Kentucky Derby 2026 and a long-range view of the Triple Crown are on offer this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

The $1.5 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn and the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park will send their winners and probably their second-place finishers to run for the roses May 2. Gustavo Delgado Jr., a co-owner and assistant trainer of The Puma, talks about his colt’s chances in the Florida Derby and his return to the trail that got Mage into the winner’s circle three years ago at Churchill Downs.

Handicapper David Levitch analyzes this weekend’s cards at Gulfstream Park and Oaklawn and offers a snapshot of his Paddock Prince tips.

Eddie Olczyk of NBC Sports offers his impressions of the Triple Crown picture as well as whether racing can capture the same sort of international excitement that he covered in the Olympic hockey competition in Italy.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park have their popular host chat.

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!

S9E23: Baffert splits, DeVaux preps

The news of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s decision to split his deep stable between two states is a dominant topic this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park discuss the news that Baffert will have a string of horses during the entire spring meet at Churchill Downs. It will have repercussions in California, where Santa Anita scrambles to fill cards three days a week without an auxiliary gambling source of added revenue. Readers’ feedback about Baffert also is on this episode.

The Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds is one of Saturday’s two win-and-you’re-in qualifiers for Kentucky Derby 2026. Trainer Cherie DeVaux talks about her colt Golden Tempo, who carries 7-2 odds into the race.

Handicapper Mark Midland zeroes in on the Louisiana Derby card as well as Turfway Park, where Saturday’s Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) also will send its winner to the Kentucky Derby.

Tom Rooney, the president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, gets into issues affecting the sport. The conversation took place last weekend at the National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas.

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!

S9E22: Live again, sort of, from Las Vegas

From the National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas, past winners discuss present issues for the sport on the first live-ish episode since January of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

David Harrison, Mike Gillum and defending victor Dan Piazza, three of the last four NHC winners, gather in a roundtable to talk about the secrets to their successes. They also weigh tournaments against everyday play in racing and the impact of computer-assisted wagering on their handicapping.

Back at the track, trainer Will Walden discusses maiden winner High Camp, who tries to extend his one-turn acumen Saturday in the Virginia Derby, a virtual win-and-you’re-in qualifying prep for Kentucky Derby 2026. Walden also discusses his conquering of substance abuse and how his stable has reached out to others who have had similar challenges.

Super Screener creator Mike Shutty has tips for Saturday races, including the Virginia Derby, the Grade 3 Whitmore Stakes at Oaklawn and the Captiva Island at Gulfstream Park.

John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson from Fairmount Park are along with their weekly host chat, including the latest developments in the bankruptcy story at Hawthorne, the rejection of north-state racing in California and the latest defeat of the decoupling of Thoroughbreds and slot machines in Florida.

There also is listener and reader feedback to the evergreen episodes of the podcast that ran in the last six weeks.

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!

S9E21: With a Y and an f-stop

Two media professionals who have chronicled their love of the Thoroughbred game are featured this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Tommy Smyth with a Y, who has been a longtime sports personality in New York, discusses his ongoing trips to tracks both in the U.S. and his native Ireland. Smyth voices his concerns about computer bettors and how they have impacted his playing. He also advocates for fixed-odds wagering to be lined up alongside pari-mutuels.

Alex Evers, one of racing’s top photographers, talks about his frequent trips overseas to shoot races, especially in Hong Kong. He shares memories of stars like Romantic Warrior and Golden Sixty and how his close access to top horses might help him bet.

John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson from Fairmount Park are along with their weekly host chat.

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!

S9E20: Legendary turf writer Andrew Beyer

Andrew Beyer is the most important pioneer of analytics in horse racing. The legendary turf writer and the creator of Beyer Speed Figures is the featured guest this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Beyer talks about why he made the decision to take his closely guarded formulas and figures that gave him a player’s advantage and sell them for public use. He also discusses how his speed figures are best used and perhaps misapplied in modern-day racing.

The conversation also turns to how his figures have changed over the years, how they have inspired more analytics and the impact of computer-assisted wager on the game today.

John Cherwa from the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park join in with their weekly host chat.

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!

S9E19: Buglers’ call to post

They are as much a part of racing as the horses and the bettors. Buglers have been a track tradition for more than 140 years. Four of the best-known convene for an episode full of stories and laughs on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Retired New York Racing Association bugler Sam Grossman, Santa Anita’s Jay Cohen, Kentucky’s Steve Buttleman and former Arlington Park fixture Monica Benson compare notes about their craft, their other gigs and even some stories of betting on horses.

Their challenges of playing in bad weather and trying conditions are combined in this episode with the celebrities they have met and the odd interactions they have had with racegoers and connections behind the scenes.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park also offer their anecdotes.

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!

S9E18: Racing celebrates Black History Month

Former NBA player and coach Avery Johnson has been a horse owner and continues to be a racing ambassador. Terry West was a trail-blazing jockey who holds a seat on the Maryland Racing Commission. In celebration of Black History Month, both Johnson and West are featured this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Johnson talks about growing up in New Orleans and what he learned from his father on their weekend trips to Fair Grounds. He also discusses his role as an ambassador for the Breeders’ Cup and racing’s need for central leadership.

West recounts her lifelong love of horses and how she became a standout jumps rider who has continued to compete for more than a half-century. She also details the challenges she faced being one of the first Black women to compete in Thoroughbred races.

Both Johnson and West expound on the goal of greater minority participation in all phases of horse racing.

There also is a tribute to the late trainers King Leatherbury and John Shirreffs, both of whom died this week.

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!

S9E17: Reunion of racing media alumni

Familiar names one day are gone the next. It long has been a reality of the ever-transient nature of media work. Four people who had memorable horse-racing chapters in their careers are reunited this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Former TV analysts Candice Hare, Joanne Jones, Rich Perloff and Jason Portuondo exchange stories of their days covering racing, including highlights they would put on their sizzle reels and those unintended moments in live reporting that turn into funny memories.

They also talk about where they are now and how they got there. Hare is a TV news reporter at WKYC in Cleveland, Jones started a family in Los Angeles and is returning to the sport, Perloff is also in Los Angeles and has returned to his theater roots, and Portuondo is a steward based in suburban Toronto.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park discuss the big sports events this month, including their predictions for Super Bowl LX.

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!

S9E16: Kentucky Derby 2026 mock draft

With a little more than three months before the run for the roses, a mock draft for Kentucky Derby 2026 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 who won last year’s draft by picking Sovereignty in the second round.

Five others take part, including Churchill Downs analyst and Turfway Park host Kaitlin Benson, 2012 National Horseplayers Championship winner Michael Beychok, Betting on Horse Racing for Dummies author Richard Eng from Las Vegas, sports-gambling host and former NFL quarterback Shaun King and Fox Sports and New York Racing Association TV analyst Maggie Wolfendale-Morley.

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. This episode was recorded Monday, before Ted Noffey came off the Triple Crown trail because of bone bruising.

A video version of the draft is available on the Horse Racing Nation YouTube page.

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

Check out this episode!

S9E15 Pegasus flies again

The Pegasus World Cup Invitational has evolved from a bold experiment to a decade-long fixture on the South Florida racing scene. The 10th running Saturday is the focus of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

FanDuel TV’s Christina Blacker checks in from Gulfstream Park to set the scene for the Grade 1, $3 million race that serves as both a punctuation mark on the preceding season and a springboard to the coming year.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velázquez rides Captain Cook in the Pegasus from post 9. He talks about the statistical perception that it is difficult to win a 1 1/8-mile race from an outside draw on Gulfstream’s main track.

Handicapper Mark Midland has tips for the Pegasus card as he offers his best bets for this weekend.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park join in the weekly host chat, and there will be a recap of the 2025 Eclipse Awards presented this week at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla.

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!

S9E14: Old school meets new school

The creator of a new-media source for racing news and an old-school horseplayer who created a counterintuitive way of betting are featured this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Carlos Morales, the creator of Agentes 305, talks about the growth of his social-media platform and how it has become a go-to place for behind-the-scenes interviews in English and Spanish. He discusses his start as a radio personality in his native Venezuela and his move to the United States to advance his career in horse racing.

Matt Miller, the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, wrote the book A Bettor Way of Thinking. He talks about his strategies for betting on races and in handicapping tournaments. One step he takes is avoiding past performances. He also discusses why he and his fellow Chicagoland players have been so successful in high-profile tournaments.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park share anecdotes about what is trending on social media, an e-game that might be all too real and the perils of waking up at odd hours in the winter.

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!

S9E13: The best horse-racing movies

From “A Day at the Races” to “Let It Ride” to “Seabiscuit,” racing movies have had an important corner of the film world. The best of them and some bad ones are the subject of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Allen Johnson, who has been the film writer for 25 years at the San Francisco Chronicle, and Richard Migliore, the New York Racing Association TV analyst and lifelong movie buff, compare their thoughts and criticisms.

Eleven movies were selected for their review, including:

“A Day at the Races”

“Boots Malone”

“Casey’s Shadow”

“Easy Money”

“Let It Ride”

“National Velvet”

“Phar Lap”

“Racetrack”

“Saratoga”

“Seabiscuit”

“Secretariat”

Some films get more attention than others, and where they disagree may be a surprise. They also discuss some movies not provided on the list.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park also weigh in with their thoughts about racing films. 

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!

S9E12: Hot and other takes on Eclipse Awards

Discussion and debate about the 2025 Eclipse Awards are featured on the first 2026 episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Sara Elbadwi of Fox Sports and the New York Racing Association, Steve Kornacki of NBC News and Sports, Jessica Paquette from Parx and two-time Eclipse Award-winning writer John Scheinman from Baltimore get together in a panel discussion going in-depth on every championship category.

Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty may be the leading candidate for horse of the year, but did Breeders’ Cup Classic victor Forever Young do enough in his one U.S. appearance to change voters’ minds? The panel talks about that possibility and the potential backlash against connections for holding Sovereignty out of the Preakness Stakes.

There are plenty of clashing opinions and even a discussion about contentious abstentions from the votes for the steeplechase horse and apprentice jockey.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park also weigh in with their overarching views of the Eclipse Awards, including ideas on how they ought to be changed. 

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!