S9E10: A racing Christmas around the world

A holiday celebration turns into a world tour with visits with friends from Japan, England and Australia this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Kate Hunter checks in from her home base in Japan, where Forever Young provided bookended highlights this year with his triumphs in the Group 1 Saudi Cup and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The Nashville native who has been based for 17 years across the Pacific also looks ahead to Kentucky Derby 2026, a race Japan still has on its to-do list.

Senior writer Lee Mottershead of Racing Post offers Europe’s year-end review from England. He highlights Calandagan’s rise to stardom with victories in the King George (G1) and British Champion (G1) before a rare win for international interests last month in the Japan Cup (G1). He also describes the impact of the controversial Great Britain government affordability checks on horseplayers, and he has an update on his cancer diagnosis from this summer.

Steve Moran, a longtime racing journalist in Australia, joins in a conversation from Melbourne. He highlights Jamie Melham’s pioneering victory aboard Half Yours in the Melbourne Cup (G1) marking only the second time a woman has ridden to victory in the race that stops a nation. There also is his check list of three tracks all racing fans must visit in their lifetimes.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson from Fairmount Park talk about their Christmas plans and remember some some off-beat celebrations from years past.

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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S9E9: 3 TV guys & lots of stories

Three people who have been involved with popular sports television shows also have horse racing in common. One more thing. They are on this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

David Israel, the former chairperson of the California Horse Racing Board, takes time for a rare interview. He talks about what he would like to see change with the sport as well as his favorite races and his experience as a young sports writer covering the miracle on ice at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Sportscaster Kenny Mayne and TV producer Matt Doyle return for part 2 of a conversation which began with their stories about covering the ancient Palio di Siena bareback race in Italy. They have more stories about their international travel for Mayne’s Wider World of Sports on ESPN.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson from Fairmount Park talk about some of their sports experiences and what remains atop their to-do lists.

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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S9E8: Lighting last Cigar at Aqueduct

With Belmont Park reopening to nearly year-round racing next fall, the Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap will be run at Aqueduct for the last time this weekend. The day’s top races are previewed on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

NYRABets analyst and Gallop Out podcast co-host Kaylie Shapiro offers her thoughts about the feature race of the fall meet as well as the Remsen Stakes (G2), a points prep for Kentucky Derby 2026.

Crazy Mason challenges the likes of Bishops Bay and Phileas Fogg in the Cigar Mile. His trainer Gregg Sacco offers his assessment of how the race will be run.

Mike Shutty handicaps the outcome of the Cigar Mile and the Remsen through the lens of his Super Screener.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson from Fairmount Park join in the reading of and reacting 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.

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S9E7: Gobble, gobble, Florida and Churchill

The long holiday weekend of stakes action at Churchill Downs and what could be another long winter in the Florida decoupling drama are the main topics this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Former Kentucky state senator Damon Thayer provides his updated point of view from his role in the fight to keep Gulfstream Park from splitting its racing and gaming licenses. He also responds to what the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association said about who was most responsible for defeating a decoupling bill this year in the state legislature.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen discusses Magnitude’s run Friday in the Grade 2 Clark and his 2-year-olds who are going in Saturday stakes at Churchill. He also reflects on the recent achievement of his 11,000th victory, raising his high-water mark among North America trainers.

Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch has tips for the Clark and Mrs. Revere (G2) on Friday and the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) and Golden Rod (G2) on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park offer their thoughts about listener and reader feedback about who should be horse of the year.

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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S9E6: A racing podcast with podcasters

What goes into making a successful podcast for horseplayers and fans? The answers are the subject of a roundtable discussion this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Hosts Pete Fornatale of the In the Money Players Podcast, Ryan Anderson and Jackson Muniz from the Gallop Out Podcast and Tatiana Ryann from the Business-y Podcast compare and contrast notes and strategies about their programs.

Some of the topics include how they present racing content in unique ways, their attempts to find their own voices in a space crowded with listening choices, whether video will push audio aside and, most challenging, how to make podcasts profitable.

The hosts also offer glimpses into their backgrounds and how they see their futures in podcasting playing out in the short and long term.

Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson from Fairmount Park offer their own experiences in finding their paths to success in newspapers and track announcing at a time when businesses are downsizing.

As a bonus, the RFRP auditions a new musical theme that was generated by AI. The reviews are mixed.

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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S9E5: Gone fishin’ with the Reeds

Taking a new turn this week, the Ron Flatter Racing Pod is off on a fishing expedition at a pond in Scott County, Kentucky.

Eric Reed, who trained Rich Strike to an 80-1 upset victory in Kentucky Derby 2022, is joined by his father Herbie Reed, who living with cancer.

While fishing for crappie and bass and shellcrackers from the shore of Lake Tyson, the Reeds reminisce about their lives. Herbie Reed recalls how he and his wife became teenage parents and why he tried to steer Eric away from the horse business that had been his life the generation before.

The Reeds also take a trip back to May 7, 2022, when Rich Strike won the Derby. They remember where they were throughout the experience of a lifetime.

Eric Reed’s first 2022 interview for the RFRP also is replayed, and co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park discuss “American Sportsman” and “Wild Kingdom,” two shows that inspired this episode.

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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S9E4: Breeders’ Cup epilogue, if vets allow it

Forever Young’s victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic will be celebrated by racing fans in Japan for generations to come. It will be reviewed in America one more time on this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

Handicapper and workout analyst Bruno De Julio spent nearly two weeks at Del Mar covering the championships from the first morning workout to the final race last weekend. He offers his assessment of the strategy and quality of the standout performances and the biggest disappointments.

There also is a lively debate about the 13 scratches made by veterinarians to remove horses like Sovereignty and White Abarrio from their races. Are the doctors right to err on the side of safety, or have they gone too far with their power?

Co-host Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park offers his perspective, and John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times interrupts a book project to make a cameo appearance.

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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