Sports

Let‘em Run: Florida & Arkansas Derby Showdowns

Published

2 weeks ago

March 27, 2025

Justify (1), with jockey Mike Smith up, crosses the finish line to win the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race and the Triple Crown, Saturday, June 9, 2018, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Let’em Run: Gulfstream Park (Races 10-14) & The Arkansas Derby

The final Saturday of March delivers an electrifying lineup of stakes races, headlined by the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park and the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park—both crucial stepping stones on the road to the Kentucky Derby. This all-stakes Late Pick 5 at Gulfstream is loaded with talented fields, featuring top-tier turf and dirt runners, promising high-stakes action and lucrative betting opportunities: Let’em Run will be right there.

The Florida Derby, a premier prep race, has historically been a launchpad for some of the sport’s biggest names, and this year’s edition looks just as competitive. Meanwhile, over at Oaklawn Park, the Arkansas Derby offers another highly anticipated showdown, with contenders vying for vital Derby qualification points. With young stars emerging and seasoned runners looking to solidify their status, both races should provide thrilling finishes.

Let’em Run Key Note:

A major storyline heading into these races is the unexpected shake-up in the jockey colony due to injuries sustained by Junior Alvarado and Tyler Gaffalione. Both riders were set to pilot key contenders across multiple stakes, meaning several high-profile mounts will have last-minute rider changes. Keep an eye on the final jockey assignments, as these changes could impact race dynamics and betting strategies.

With championship-caliber fields, high drama, and Kentucky Derby dreams on the line, this weekend’s action is a must-watch for racing fans and bettors alike. Here are the Let’em Run team’s picks, and make sure you check out Let’em Run on X.

Race 10 – 4:06 PM EST

7 ½ Furlongs (Turf) – Sanibel Island Stakes ($165K)

#2 Mrs Worldwide (4-1) – Took to turf beautifully last time, just missing at a mile. Cuts back in distance, and Luis Saez stays aboard for Bryan Lynch.
#8 Bunratty Manor (Ire) (8-1) – Speedy Irish-bred filly nearly stole one last out. Frankie Dettori has been cold, but on turf, leaving him out is risky.
#6 Civetta (9-2) – Class drop should help this stalker. Already a winner at this trip, Irad Ortiz retains the mount for Brendan Walsh.

Race 11 – 4:40 PM EST

7 Furlongs (Dirt) – Army Mule Stakes ($165K)

#4 Knightsbridge (9-5) – Powerful maiden winner at Churchill Downs, romping by 10+ lengths. Race shape favors his style. Jockey update pending, but whoever gets the call—LOOK OUT!
#8 Inveigled (7-2) – Paco Lopez sticks after a solid stalking effort. Lost all chance two back at the break, but working well for this.
#10 Goin Up (30-1) – Tampa invader with a 7-for-14 career record and 2-for-2 on dirt. Randy Allen Jr.’s only ride of the day—could surprise at a price.

Race 12 – 5:15 PM EST

1 1/16 Miles (Turf) – Sand Springs Stakes ($165K)

#12 In Our Time (2-1) – Lone “E8” on Brisnet, drops in class. Post 12 isn’t ideal, but speed kills, and expect an aggressive ride from whoever replaces Gaffalione.
#2 Spinning Colors (30-1) – Javier Castellano will make the most of the inside draw. Has faced top-tier competition.
#6 Breath Away (GB) (4-1) – Would love a pace battle up front. Dylan Davis can work out a perfect trip for Christophe Clement.

Race 13 – 5:57 PM EST

1 Mile (Turf) – Appleton Stakes ($165K)

#6 Abrumar (4-1) – 3-for-3 at Gulfstream Park and 2-for-3 at this trip. Saffie Joseph and Edgar Zayas team up with a horse who relishes these conditions.
#9 Major Dude (7-5) – Todd Pletcher/Irad Ortiz combo, gets class relief. Question is, does shortening to a mile suit him?
#11 Ice Chocolat (Brz) (7-2) – Showed a new front-running gear last time. If Joel Rosario employs the same tactics, he could be tough to catch.

Race 14 – 6:42 PM EST

1 1/8 Miles (Dirt) – Curlin Florida Derby ($1M)

Major jockey changes expected—stay tuned for updates!

#9 Tappan Street (5-1) – Luis Saez stays aboard for Brad Cox. Improving with each start—hitting the top two here secures a Kentucky Derby ticket.
#1 Neoequos (10-1) – Might be the speed of the speed from the rail. Saffie & Zayas have been lethal at Gulfstream, and his recent March 16th work was .
#10 Sovereignty (8-5) – Manny Franco replaces Junior Alvarado. First time with a new jockey, but Franco is no slouch. This colt has a nose for the wire.

The Arkansas Derby – Race 13 (7:48 PM EST)

1 1/8 Miles (Dirt) – Arkansas Derby ($1.25M)

#6 Sandman (3-1) – Jose Ortiz hopping aboard could be a sign. Needs a strong finish to lock in a Kentucky Derby spot. Distance is no issue.
#5 Speed King (15-1) – Name says it all. Likely duels early with #9 Cornucopian, but has experience edge. Recent workouts suggest he’s sitting on a big one.
#8 Coal Battle (7-2) – Already secured a Derby spot, but this Lonnie Briley trainee keeps winning. Going for five straight—momentum is real.

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Let’em Run: Near misses at Aqueduct Park on tough afternoon

Published

4 hours ago

April 7, 2025

Austin Reed

Aqueduct race track

Let’em Run: Review of 4/5/25 at Aqueduct & a Look Ahead to Gulfstream Park and the Derby Picture

Last Saturday’s shift to Aqueduct for our Let’em Run picks turned out to be an unpredictable rollercoaster. We were looking to shake things up and get ahead of the curve by focusing on New York racing and the major Kentucky Derby prep races, and while there were bright spots, we found ourselves battling some tough beats.

Ballerina d’Oro Shines at Aqueduct

The highlight of the day came early in Race 9, when Ballerina d’Oro delivered exactly as expected in The Gazelle Stakes (G3). Chad Brown’s filly, piloted by Dylan Davis, proved she’s the real deal, closing strong to secure her spot in the Kentucky Oaks field on May 2nd at Churchill Downs. She paid $3.40 to win, and while it wasn’t a blockbuster payout, it gave us a solid anchor to the day and some momentum heading into the bigger races.

Close Calls and Tough Beats

Unfortunately, as the card went on, we found ourselves mired in a string of close calls. Second- and third-place finishes became the frustrating theme of the afternoon. In The Carter Stakes (G2), and later in The Excelsior, our selections were right there at the wire but just couldn’t get their noses in front. That’s racing.

The biggest disappointment came in The Wood Memorial Stakes (G2). While we had eyes on Passion Rules, hoping to pull off a victory, it was the California invader, Rodriguez, who stole the show and punched his ticket to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. Passion Rules, however, fought hard and managed a third-place finish, rewarding backers with a decent $6.80 to show. Not a bad consolation, but we were hoping for a bigger payoff.

All Eyes on the Blue Grass Stakes

Now, all eyes turn to Keeneland for one of the final major Derby preps — The Blue Grass Stakes, rescheduled to Tuesday night, April 8th, due to weather. It’s a critical race, with Derby dreams hanging in the balance. We’re liking #5 East Avenue as our win bet. The colt’s recent workouts have been sharp, and the addition of blinkers should help sharpen his focus out of the gate. Don’t overlook this one — East Avenue could make a big statement under the lights at Keeneland.

Gulfstream Park on Deck: Late Pick 5 Preview

Looking ahead to next weekend, we’re heading back to familiar territory: Gulfstream Park. The late Pick 5, covering races 6 through 10, will be our focus. Expect a strong mix of turf racing, including three quality grass events that should offer some great betting value. Our analysis will dig deep into pace scenarios, rider changes, and potential weather impacts to give you the best shot at cashing tickets.

As always, don’t miss our One Horse Wonder segment, airing Thursday, April 10th at 8 p.m. EST on Capital Sports Network. We’ll highlight our top single for the sequence, and preview the key storylines heading into the weekend.

Stay tuned, keep your tickets handy, and let’s finish this Derby prep season strong!

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What Are MLB Franchises Really Worth?

Published

5 hours ago

April 7, 2025

Austin Reed

(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

The trade wars could impact franchise values.

Just what are Major League Baseball franchises really worth? The answer is what someone is willing to pay for a franchise. Before the start of the trade wars on April 2^nd, Forbes put out a list of its MLB franchise valuations. Forbes may have to do some reassessment with all the world’s stock markets values falling rapidly. That is going to have an impact on sports across the world. If the United States does enter a recession and if unemployment spikes, there will be less customers going to games and that too could impact MLB’s Canada franchise in Toronto. A U. S. trade war with certain countries could mean the cost of building materials will rise and that could impact Athletics’ owner John Fisher in his quest to find money to build a ballpark in Las Vegas. Tampa Bay Rays’ ownership wants to build a stadium somewhere in the Tampa Bay market and that could be on hold because of cost uncertainty.

For what it is worth, Forbes had the New York Yankees franchise worth $8.2 billion dollars while the Los Angeles Dodgers business came in second at $6.8 billion. MLB has not changed much since 1957 when Walter O’Malley took his Brooklyn Dodgers business to Los Angeles. The two franchises that were the most valuable in 1957, the Yankees at the top followed by O’Malley’s Dodgers business. The Boston Red Sox franchise has a value of $4.8 billion. The Chicago Cubs franchise is the fourth most valuable at $4.6 billion. In the fifth spot is the San Francisco Giants franchise at $4 billion. The bottom five include the Pittsburgh Pirates ball club at $1.35 billion. The Cincinnati Reds business at $1.325 billion. The Kansas City Royals franchise at $1.3 billion. The Tampa Bay Rays business at $1.25 billion and the Miami Marlins franchise at $1.05 billion.

Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191

Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com

Los Angeles ownership continues to spend big money for players.

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Wayne Gretzky has been helping Alex Ovechkin long before he broke his record.

Published

22 hours ago

April 7, 2025

Austin Reed

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sunday Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record, the “Great One” enjoyed watching Ovi’s breaking his record. But this story started long ago.

Gretzky was in hot pursuit of Gordie Howe’s record in the spring of 1994. Howe was there when Gretzky tied and passed him. His father, Walter Gretzky, told him to be there, be supportive and be proud if anyone approached the record again.

Heeding his father’s advice, Gretzky made his first in-person appearance for Ovechkin in time to see the Washington Capitals captain score his 893rd and 894th goals to tie his mark. But Gretzky has been helping Ovechkin along the way to this point far before Friday night.

It was December 2022, and Ovechkin stalled out just short of passing Howe for second on the all-time list, going four whole games without a goal.

“I called him and I said, ‘Hey, you’ve got to relax out there,’” Gretzky recalled. “And he’s like, ‘You know, I’m pressing.’ And I said, ‘For most people, that’s 20 games without a goal.’”

Gretzky told Ovechkin he would be at 900 goals before he knows it. Not so fast, though Ovechkin gets his first opportunity at No. 895 and sole possession of one of hockey’s biggest records on Sunday at the New York Islanders.

Of course, Gretzky will be there. Ovechkin wouldn’t have it any other way.

Sitting beside him, Ovechkin turned and said: “Thank you, Wayne, for your support, for your kindness. It’s great.”

“I’m very happy to be in this spot,” Ovechkin said. “I’m always gonna be grateful for it and thanks to Wayne, how he supports me, how he always gives me advice to be patient, don’t put yourself in a stress position. I’m happy right now.”

The happiness was like a wave throughout the night, from a pregame ceremony honoring teammates Ovechkin won the Stanley Cup with in 2018 through his two goals and a video montage of the path to 894.

After the game was over, Ovechkin and Gretzky shared a moment inside the Capitals locker room, a hug and some words before taking pictures to celebrate the occasion.

“You could tell he was genuinely happy for ‘O,’” longtime teammate Tom Wilson said. “To see those two guys standing together and embracing, giving each other a hug and a congratulations, I don’t think 10-year-old Tom would have thought he would ever be in that room to see that happen. Just an incredible moment between the two best goal scorers of all time.”

At some point, whether it’s Sunday, Thursday at home against Carolina or next weekend in either half of a back to back against Columbus, Ovechkin should surpass Gretzky.

Asked what he might tell Ovechkin when that happens, Gretzky quipped, “Why’d you do it?”

In reality, Gretzky will likely have a smile on his face like Howe did on March 31, 1994, because he knows what this chase means for the sport.

“It’s really been a wonderful journey for everyone,” Gretzky said. “It’s great for hockey. I’m so happy for the league. I’m so proud of Alex. … Great for the people in Washington and hockey fans all over the world.”