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Inside Post delivers real-time racing information from Daily Racing Form handicappers and reporters at racetracks across North America.
Steve Andersen is based in Los Angeles and San Diego, reporting on Hollywood Park, Santa Anita, and Del Mar. He joined Daily Racing Form in 1994.
Brad Free is based in Southern California covering Santa Anita, Del Mar, Fairplex, and Hollywood Park. He joined Daily Racing Form in 1992 and is the author of "Handicapping 101: Finding the Right Horses and Making the Right Bets."
Ron Gierkink is based in Toronto and covers Woodbine as a handicapper and reporter. He joined Daily Racing Form in 1988.
David Grening covers the New York Racing Association circuit of Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga plus such national events as the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup. He is a contributing author to "Champions" and joined Daily Racing Form in 1998.
Marcus Hersh is based in Chicago and New Orleans and covers Arlington Park, Hawthorne, and Fair Grounds. He joined Daily Racing Form in 1998.
Byron King is based in Louisville, Ky., and covers Churchill Downs and Keeneland. He provided handicapping commentary for WAVE-3 TV's Eclipse Award-winning Kentucky Derby coverage in 2004 and 2005. He joined Daily Racing Form in 1995.
Dave Litfin is based in Saratoga and Long Island, N.Y., and covers the New York Racing Association circuit of Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga. He is the author of "Dave Litfin's Expert Handicapping" and "Real-Life Handicapping" and contributed chapters to "Champions" and both volumes of "Bet With the Best." He joined Daily Racing Form in 1990.
Marty McGee is based in his hometown of Louisville, Ky., and covers Churchill Downs and Keeneland as well as special events at Turfway, Gulfstream, and Arlington. He joined Daily Racing Form in 1992 after working for seven years as a handicapper, reporter, and columnist for the Baltimore Sun.
Kenny Peck is a New Jersey native who lives in Fair Lawn and covers Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands. He joined Daily Racing Form in 1995 after working as a handicapper at the Racing Times, Figs Form, Delaware Park, Monmouth, and the Meadowlands.
Jay Privman covers the Southern California circuit plus such national events as the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup. He is the author of "Breeders' Cup: Thoroughbred Racing's Championship Day" and a contributor to "Champions," and is a six-time winner of the Red Smith Award for best Kentucky Derby story, among numerous other writing honors. He joined Daily Racing Form in 1998.
Mary Rampellini is based in Hot Springs, Ark., and Grand Prairie, Texas, covering Oaklawn Park and Lone Star Park as well as major stakes at other tracks in Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma. She joined Daily Racing Form in 1996.
Mike Welsch lives in south Florida covering Gulfstream and Calder. He clocks horses for Daily Racing Form leading up to the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup, among other national events. He joined DRF in 1972.
Dave Litfin
- Saratoga
09/07/2009
4:54 PM
The Linda Rice-trained Shot Gun Gal (8th) faded to wind up off the board after pressing Meese Rocks, as Corey's Coming ($7.90) nosed out a fast-closing Hold the Cruiser.
Pletcher's only remaining horses are One Not Samba and Aikenite in the Hopeful. Rice has only Conseated Lady (11th) still to run.
Dave Litfin
- Saratoga
3:52 PM
Billions Boy (6th, $8.80) stretched out off a pair of turf sprints to wire a 2-year-old maiden route for John Kimmel. The Pletcher-trained Eskendereya saved ground into the stretch and finished gamely to get second - the 28th trainer's 28th runner-up finish at the meet.
Grand Piano Man was fractious bhind the gate and delayed the start for several minutes.
Dave Litfin
- Saratoga
3:22 PM
Third-time starter Good to Be Seen (5th), among a slew of newly-blinkered horses from Pletcher's barn recently, raced wide and checked in a well-beaten fifth; that goes along with a 14 3/4-length defeat at even money at Belmont first time out.
Economic Swoon ($16.60), a $200,000 February purchase saddled by Rick Violette, attempted to lug in while moving past Sparkle of Light and an in-tight Henry's Time in midstretch, and got the decision. Pow Wow finished fastest of all to get second.
Pletcher still trails Rice by one, and he is running out of ammo. He'll send out first-time starter Eskendereya in race 6 (currently right at his 6-1 morning-line odds); after that, he's down to the uncoupled entry of One Note Samba and Aikenite in the Hopeful.
Rice's firster, Power Blast, is getting no play at 11-1, especially since Dominguez is riding. After that, she's got Shot Gun Gal (8th), a first-time turfer, and Conseated Lady (11th), who caught soft turf when favored for her debut Aug. 24.
Dave Litfin
- Saratoga
2:58 PM
Ramon Dominguez (Spina, $11.00) and Alan Garcia (Hatheer, $3.40) each won races early on the card, and Dominguez clinched the title when Garcia finished off the board with Super Slash in race 4. Garcia has six mounts left but trails by a 45-38 count heading into race 5.
Meanwhile, D'wild Ride (4th, $5.70 to win and $3.30 to place) won her $50,000 starter handicap, and enabled the daily bankroll plays to finish in positive territory. After putting $1,482 through the mythical window, the return for the meet was $1,548.30, so we squeaked out a profit of $66.30.
Coming up on race 5, where Good to Be Seen is odds-on to put Pletcher back into a tie with Rice.
Dave Litfin
- Saratoga
12:49 PM
It's overcast, but any stray showers aren't expected until this evening, so we should be fast and firm for getaway day, with another 11-race card that brings the meet total to a record 365 races - an average of just over 10 per day.
Linda Rice clings to a 20-19 lead over Todd Pletcher for the training title. Rice has horses in four races, Pletcher is in five, including Aikenite in the featured Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes, and they go head to head in the 1st and 6th races.
Ramon Dominguez, who has a virtually insurmountable 44-37 lead over Alan Garcia, rides all 11, including potential pacesetter Astrologie in the Grade 3 Glens Falls and Westover Wildcat in a wide-open Hopeful with a field of 12.
Fittingly, the getaway race is a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for New York-bred maidens.
Dave Litfin
- Saratoga
09/06/2009
1:50 PM
Bad Action (1st, $33.20) and Attractive Ride, the two longest shots on the board, linked for a $456.50 exacta, and Mambo Fever (2nd, $18.00) completed a $320 early double.
In race 2, Kind Words, a full sister to Bernardini and the 3-1 ML choice,, went off as cold as ice at 9-1 and was never close.
Coming up on race 3, where Lowther Street is currently 4-5 to restore order.
Dave Litfin
- Saratoga
12:05 PM
Congratulations to the OTB contest winners who were in on Saturday's $3k pick six play, which can be reviewed at the bottom of the www.otbpick6.com home page.
Among the seven tickets constructed (with the help of the nifty TicketMaker feature on DRF Formulator), ticket #4 ($432) navigated through unscathed as one of eight winners at $15,149; three consos were worth $159.50 each.
Dave Litfin
- Saratoga
11:49 AM
Sunny, low 70s, fast and firm for the penultimate day of the meet.
The 11-race card includes seven turf races, among them the $70,000 Commentator (the recently retired 8-year-old gelding will lead the post parade) and the Grade 3 Saranac.
The headliner is the 118th running of the Spinaway, where Hot Dixie Chick will be odds-on to stretch her speed to seven furlongs. Remarkably, this is the meet's fifth stakes race for 2-year-olds and the fifth time a Steve Asmussen-trained horse has drawn the rail.
With 22 races to go, Linda Rice has a 20-19 lead over Todd Pletcher for the training tltle. After scratches, she has four of the seven that are left in the Commentator.
Dave Litfin
- Saratoga
09/05/2009
6:00 PM
Rachel Alexandra, who unseated Calvin Borel in the post parade, regained her composure and ran her way into the history books, turning back multiple challenges throughout and staving off a final bid from Macho Again by a nose in the 56th running of the $750,000, Grade 1 Woodward Stakes,
Getting eight pounds from her older male rivals, Rachel Alexandra ran the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.29 and paid $2.60.
Macho Again was second by 1 1/2 lengths over Whitney winner Bullsbay, who was 8 1/4 lengths ahead of Asiatic Boy.
Dave Litfin
- Saratoga
5:27 PM
Godolphin Stables remained red hot, improving to 8-3-0 from 14 starters as Pyro (9th, $10.20) rallied from far back, split horses in midstretch under John Velazquez and outfinished 6-5 favorite Kodiak Kowboy by a half-length in the $300,000, Grade 1 Forego Stakes.
Ready's Echo angled to the rail late inside a tiring Riley Tucker, and outfinished My Pal Charlie for third.
Coming up on the Woodward Stakes, and Rachel Alexandra has opened at 1-9.
