Horse Race Betting and Handicapping Articles

2017 Hyacinth Stakes Picks with Betting Odds and Expert Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 2/16/2017

Last year Lani became the first Japanese-based runner in the Kentucky Derby since 1995. He was a long way from good, mind you. He finished an irrelevant ninth in the Derby, was fifth in the Preakness, and then finished third in what was a really bad Belmont. The appearance of the horse in general didn't exactly revolutionize the Triple Crown or have people calling for more Japanese influence in the Kentucky Derby.

2017 Holy Bull Stakes Expert Picks with Odds and Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 2/3/2017

We start off this year's preview of prep races on the road to the Kentucky Derby with a very exciting and abnormally-stacked field for the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. We often see fields like this for the final prep races before the Derby, but for early February this is a treat. We can only hope that this race is both as good as the last race we previewed at Gulfstream and as profitable.

2017 Pegasus World Cup Expert Betting Picks from Top Horse Racing Handicapper
by Trevor Whenham - 1/24/2017

The post positions have only just been drawn for the inaugural $12 million Pegasus World Cup, taking place on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, and already I am frustrated by how the race is being talked about. People complain that the race isn't deep enough, or competitive enough, or somehow good enough. Those people just don't have realistic expectations. We have the two-time Horse of the Year. And the horse that just won the Breeders' Cup Classic, beating that two-time Horse of the Year in a race for the ages.

2017 Kentucky Derby Futures Odds and Predictions by Expert Horse Racing Handicapper
by Trevor Whenham - 1/16/2017

The calendar has turned. While you were nursing your hangover on New Year 's Day, every three year old in the northern hemisphere was celebrating their official birthday. That means that the horses that will run in this year's Kentucky Derby are now all three year olds. And that means that we are close to the race. Close enough that I almost can't contain my excitement.

2016 Breeders' Cup Classic Picks with Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/2/2016

This is it - the biggest, richest race in North America. The one for all the marbles. It's not the deepest field we have seen, but it promises to be a good race nonetheless. You have California Chrome, the elder statesman who is the top dirt horse in the world and who is starting his farewell tour and is looking to go out on top.

2016 Breeders' Cup Betting and Wagering Advice: Live Long Shots
by Trevor Whenham - 11/2/2016

One of my favorite things to do each year leading up to the Breeders' Cup is to look for long shots that have a chance to win and deliver real value. Admittedly, though, I stretch the definition of long shot a bit - I make the cutoff at 12/1 on the morning line and don't typically look for the massive prices out there.

2016 Breeders' Cup Betting Tips: Handicapping the Jockeys
by Trevor Whenham - 11/2/2016

Jockeys are the toughest dudes in all of sports. Running backs in football take crazy abuse, and there are lots of other athletes you could make a case for. No other athlete embraces the danger that these guys do many times a day every single day, though - and all while starving themselves. They are relentless workers who are constantly injured and always one fall away from death, but they just keep climbing on - as calmly as if I was walking into the grocery store. Incredible.

2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Picks with Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/1/2016

The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a big race for one huge and obvious reason - the winner becomes the early Kentucky Derby favorite. Last year Nyquist became the second horse ever - and the second in the last decade - two win both this race and the Derby. So, will we see the birth of another superstar here? Or will we have forgotten about this winner by the time next May rolls around? We won't know either way for months and months, but for Triple Crown addicts like me just the chance that we are witnessing the dawn of true greatness is enough to make this a highlight of every year's Cup card.

2016 Breeders' Cup Distaff Picks with Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/1/2016

The race of the year for this year's Breeders' Cup - at least on paper - is the Distaff. It's not even close. The Cup was designed so that the best of the best could race to see who was really the best, and that's just what we have here. It's a dream field. Songbird is the best three year old in training - of either gender.

2016 Breeders' Cup Sprint Picks with Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/1/2016

The Breeders' Cup Sprint is always one of the tougher races to handicap. It's often wildly unpredictable, and the explosive nature of it means that anything can - and often does -- happen. On paper, though, this race seems more straightforward than most editions. There were only nine horses pre-entered, and of those four are the clear contenders. That's not to say that you can rule out the rest, and we'll look at a couple of them, but the four really stand out. Of course, my relative confidence that things make sense this year likely just means that the longest shot on the board will win in a romp, but at least for once this race isn't making my head hurt as much as it usually does:

2016 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Picks with Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/1/2016

The Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile was a bit of an ugly duckling when it was conceived, but it has evolved, quite usefully, into the race where very good horses go to duck dominating favorites in the Classic. The reasoning goes that it is better to try and get a Breeders' Cup win on the record of a horse than to get a piece of the purse in a race that you likely can't win - even if a piece of the Classic purse could easily be bigger than the winning share in the Dirt Mile. For fans it is a good thing - it makes the Classic a little easier to bet, and it creates another fun race on the Distaff undercard. This year's race is downright compelling. I can't wait for it, in fact. There is a very strong favorite, two top-level challengers, and a few intriguing longer shots:

2016 Breeders' Cup Mile Picks with Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/1/2016

The Mile has a prime position on the Breeders' Cup card, being the final race before the Classic. That means that it gets more eyes than other races as casual fans tune in to get ready for the Classic. The history of this race is rich. In the last decade we have seen the great Goldikova win this three straight years starting in 2008, and then we saw Wise Dan win the race in 2012 and 2013 to clinch Horse of the Year both times.

2016 Breeders' Cup Turf Picks with Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/1/2016

The Breeders' Cup Turf deserves better than it is getting - it doesn't get enough respect. This is the second-richest race on the afternoon, and I would argue that it is the toughest to win. Yet it is not the second last race as it long was, and now it's race nine of 12. It's in the middle ground of the card, and it shouldn't be. This is a major, major race. It's a very long way to run, and these horses are hardened and experienced. The winner of the Turf is a true warrior. This year we have a three-headed battle atop this race that promises to be an epic one - as good as any on the weekend outside of the Classic and Distaff. Behind the top three there are a few intriguing contenders who could move in and make some noise as well. It's a good race

2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Picks with Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/1/2016

I love the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. It doesn't get the attention of the Juvenile, and for good reason - the winner of the Juvenile automatically becomes the very early favorite for next year's Kentucky Derby, so everyone cares about that. The thing is, though, that the Juvenile is crazy because young colts are crazy. They are immature and largely unpredictable. Young fillies, on the other hand, are smarter, calmer and, as a result, often times more predictable. You also often see a much better race with the fillies than the colts because they are less inclined to do stupid things that disrupt how the race sets up.

2016 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Picks with Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/1/2016

I'm mad at Curalina. When pre-entries were submitted, the four-year-old daughter of Curlin was entered both in this, the Filly and Mare Sprint, and in the Distaff. The Distaff has only eight entrants, but it is a brutally-tough race, and she is in tough to win it. She just complicates things there. If she was in this race, though, she would have been a strong favorite, and picking her to win would have been a virtual no-brainer.

2016 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Picks with Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 11/1/2016

The Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint is particularly interesting for two reasons this year. First, because of the unique layout of Santa Anita the start of the race is downhill, and once they reach the bottom of the not insignificant hill they have to cross the dirt to get back onto the turf for the stretch drive, It's quirky, and that quirkiness is always a big factor when the race takes place at Santa Anita. Horses that have done well on the course often have a big edge here, and those that haven't seen it can struggle.

2016 Breeders' Cup Trainers: Handicapping and Betting Advice
by Trevor Whenham - 11/1/2016

The horses are obviously the stars of the Breeders' Cup, but the trainers are a close second. The best trainers on the planet target this race, and they often bring many horses with strong chances to each edition of the Cup. There are so many impressive guys to watch and admire. Top Euros like Aidan O'Brien and Sir Michael Stoute.

2016 Breeders' Cup Pick Six Analysis with Expert Betting Advice
by Trevor Whenham - 10/28/2016

The pick six at the Breeders' Cup is very tempting every year. The betting pools are bloated, and the payoffs can be huge. Last year a $2 winning ticket paid more than $94,000, and that was even with everyone on the planet knowing that American Pharoah was going to win the Classic. Other years the payoff can be many times that. You can make a life-changing score, and all you have to do is pick six winners in a row.

Songbird Breeders' Cup Distaff Profile with Analysis and Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 10/27/2016

Songbird is the best three year old in the country this year, and it's not close. I thought that in January, and nothing I have seen this year has changed that. The Triple Crown this year was a bit of a mess. Arrogate could be special, but he still needs to prove it in more than one meaningful race. It hasn't been a banner year for three year olds, but even in a great year Songbird would be neck and neck with the best of the class.

California Chrome Breeders' Cup Classic Profile with Analysis and Expert Betting Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 10/27/2016

It's time for a mea culpa. I have long taken the stance of opposing California Chrome. Doubting him. Mocking him at times, even. For a long time that has served me pretty well. In 2014 I went to the bank thanks to him repeatedly - first in the Belmont, then in his flop in the Pennsylvania Derby when he returned to action, and then in that year's Classic. The next year went well for me, too - he was second at Santa Anita and fell short at the Dubai World Cup amidst endless hype. Then injuries became an issue and the rest of the year was lost.