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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S9E3: Creeders’ Bup, er, Breeders’ Cup with Biancone, Toffey, Levitch

Breeders’ Cup 2025 brings together 14 divisions of racing into as many races this week at Del Mar. It also becomes common ground for the media, horsemen and handicappers, each of whom is represented on this week’s Friday episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

FanDuel TV’s Andie Biancone provides her perspective not only as an analyst but also a morning exercise rider for the likes of her father, trainer Patrick Biancone. She has snapshot thoughts about both days of championship races.

General manager Ned Toffey discusses Spendthrift Farm’s string of Breeders’ Cup horses, including Kopion’s first try against males in the Sprint, undefeated 2-year-old Tommy Jo in the Juvenile Fillies and the 3-for-3 favorite Ted Noffey in the Juvenile. Toffey even gets a lesson in how spoonerism applies to the colt who is sort of named for him.

Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch analyzes the Distaff and Classic and how the scratch of Sovereignty affects the way he will bet.

John Cherwa from the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park co-host.

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 the Breeders’ Cup hard-core handicappers episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod in video or audio form at the links below.

https://www.horseracingnation.com/news/Flatter_Pod_See_the_Breeders_Cup_hard_core_handicappers_123

https://www.horseracingnation.com/news/Flatter_Pod_Breeders_Cup_hard_core_handicappers_pop_up_2025_10_28_123

 

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S9E2: Breeders’ Cup hard-core handicappers pop-up

Fierceness from New York and Forever Young from Japan stand out among older horses. So does Sierra Leone, who looks for a rare repeat victory. Horse-of-the-year frontrunner Sovereignty was reported to have a fever. They are the storylines going into the $7 million Classic. The race may provide the climax, but it is only part of the Breeders’ Cup.

For the ninth year in a row, the two richest days of U.S. horse racing are featured on a hard-core handicappers episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

All 14 championship races at Del Mar are analyzed in depth by a panel of three expert handicappers. Mark Midland and Ed DeRosa provide their expertise from Horse Racing Nation’s home in Louisville, Ky. FanDuel TV analyst Caton Bredar offers her tips from Del Mar.

The panel takes turns offering individual views on the five races Friday and nine Saturday with discussion and debate throughout. They also will have tips on each of the championship stakes as well as a summation of their best bets at the end of the episode.

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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S9E1: Damn computers

The prevailing thought that computer bettors have become the bane of the average American horseplayer has been burnished with news that the Breeders’ Cup will not carry on Del Mar’s two-minutes-to-post cut-off of batch wagers. It was exacerbated further during the Keeneland fall meet with the big odds changes after races already had started.

With new controversies boiling over, the Ron Flatter Racing Pod focuses on the cry of CAW, computer-assisted wagering, in this week’s episode.

Horse owner, player and economics professor Marshall Gramm from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., joins the podcast for an in-depth discussion of how the two-minute cut-off has impacted California and New York racetracks and how its absence at Keeneland has been noticed. He also reacts to the Breeders’ Cup saying that its pools are so liquid that there has not been an obvious impact from team wagerers.

Super Screener creator Mike Shutty offers his early handicapping angles on next week’s Breeders’ Cup 2025 races at Del Mar as well as tips for Saturday’s running of the Grade 3 Fayette Stakes at Keeneland.

Listener and reader feedback with co-hosts John Cherwa and Keith Nelson focuses on the idea of pushing the Breeders’ Cup to December and returning it to a one-day event, which it was until 2007.

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!