Churchill Downs runs the Kentucky Oaks on Friday and the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. Saratoga also has graded stakes action this week. Check out information on this week’s top graded stakes races! Check out top plays and Horse Racing Odds for the Top Stakes Races of the Week from Wednesday, September 2 to Sunday, September 5. You can also visit our Online Racebook to place your bets on active racetracks.
Horse Racing Odds & Picks for Top Stakes Races of the Week
Top Horse Racing Stakes Races of the Week
- When: Wednesday, Sep. 2 – Saturday, Sep. 5
Wednesday, September 2
Saratoga Racecourse
- Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes – 1 1/16 Miles Turf – $100,000
The With Anticipation should be an excellent betting race. Just six contender have signed on but none of the entries offers odds of more than 8/1.
Thursday, September 3
Churchill Downs
- Grade 3 Pocahontas Stakes – 1 Mile Dirt – $100,000
Undefeated Crazy Beautiful is the 2/1 morning line chalk. She looks tough in this. Inject, though, could be all that and a bag of chips. The Stanley Hough trained runner blasted maidens by 6 lengths in her debut.
Friday, September 4
Churchill Downs
- Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes – 1 1/16 Miles Dirt – $400,000
- Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes – 1 1/16 Miles Dirt – $500,000
- Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks – 1 1/18 Miles Dirt – $1,250,000
The Alysheba projects as a 3-horse race among Bob Baffert trained McKinzie, Brad Cox trained Owendale, and William Calhoun trained By My Standards. Steve Asmussen will enter Title Ready, who won his last race. If he’s finally put things together, Title Ready rates as a possible longshot winner.
Champion Monomoy Girl returns to the races in the Grade 1 La Troinne. Expect 1-to-2 odds on Monomoy. From 11 races, she has 9 wins and 2 second-place finishes. Vexatious, who upset Midnight Bisou in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign in her last, will get some play.
Art Collector, a top Kentucky Derby contender, beat likely Oaks second-choice Swiss Skydiver in the Grade 2 Blue Grass. Since then, Skydiver dominated in the Grade 1 Alabama. Bob Baffert trained Gamine is undefeated and would go off the Kentucky Derby second or third choice if Baffert had decided to run her on Saturday.
Saturday, September 5
Saratoga Racecourse
- Grade 1 Woodward – 1 ¼ Miles Dirt – $500,000
Global Campaign and Tacitus will garner the most betting attention in the Grade 1 Woodward at The Spa on Saturday. Todd Pletcher trained Moretti has won 3 of his last 4. He’ll garner action.
Churchill Downs
- Grade 1 Derby City Distaff – 7 Furlongs Dirt – $500,000
The Derby City Distaff under the Twin Spires is a rematch between Grade 1 Ballerina winner Serengeti Empress and second-place finisher Bellafina. Expect one of those runners to win this event.
- Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic – 1 1/8 Miles Turf – $1,000,000
Top grass trainer Chad Brown has two runners in this, Digital Age and Sacred Life. Can Bowie’s Hero or Somelikeithotbrown beat Chad’s horses?
- Grade 1 Kentucky Derby – 1 ¼ Miles Dirt – $3,000,000
Tiz the Law could go off at 4/5 to win the Run for the Roses. The Barclay Tagg runner appears to have gotten better with every race. Art Collector, Honor A.P., Authentic, and Thousand Words are the leading contenders.
Betting and watching the Kentucky Derby is an American tradition. Don’t buck tradition.
Have a great week!
