Horse Racing This Weekend: Key Races, Top Horses & Best Bets [March 15-16]
Colonial Downs Horse Racing Scene (Photo courtesy of Colonial Downs)
March 14th, 2025
Jump to each section below for easy access to everything you need for horse racing this weekend!
Get ready for horse racing this weekend
Discover everything you need to know about horse racing this weekend, including top horses, best bets, tournaments, key races, and many great promotional bonus offers you just can't say no to.
Come back to find more weekly horse races and promotional offers every weekend.
.@AshleyAnd502 has the TwinSpires Weekend Windup with that to look for this weekend in racing (starting today)! 🏇⏱️ pic.twitter.com/5VWO9EJEoh
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) March 14, 2025
Top horses and best bets for horse racing this weekend
The key horse races this week include a brand new Derby prep on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, offering some of our top horses and best bets this week, alongside the Boston H. where Book'em Danno will return to the track and more awesome racing.
Click to jump to each race listed!
Jason Beem Horse Racing Podcast
Jason discusses the NHC in Las Vegas and some Colonial Downs races this weekend.
RELATED: Thursday Thoughts with Jason Beem for March 13, 2025
Best Bets for the Virginia Derby
Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2025 Virginia Derby
A total of nine three-year-olds will go 1 1/8 miles on the Colonial Downs main strip in Saturday’s $500,000 Virginia Derby. Check out these best bets before placing yours!
2025 Virginia Derby Wagers
Top Horses for the Tampa Bay Derby Stakes:
Click on each horse name to add them to your stable. Never miss a race they're a part of again!
#6 GETAWAY CAR: Bob Baffert import was a smart winner of the Sunland Park Derby last time out and is clearly a major contender while making his local debut. The $700,000 son of Curlin has ample early speed and he showed a lot of heart after being passed in the lane in his latest venture, too. He will be the one to beat in the stretch.
#4 OMAHA OMAHA: Mike Gorham trainee finished second in the Jerome S. and third in the Withers S. in his last two assignments. The Audible colt is quite consistent, and he did show late life at nine panels in his latest attempt, so he is a logical top-three contender with Raul Mena guiding the Virginia-bred.
#7 RAPTURE: Uncle Mo colt dominated maiden foes at Oaklawn in his second career appearance and could be a nice one going forward. The Kentucky-bred has displayed both tactical speed and a good closing kick, and he will benefit from having Flavien Prat in the silks, as well. The bay will likely track the pace from the second flight in the early going.
Kingsbarns winning the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds (Photo by Hodges Photography/Jamie Newell)
Kentucky Derby preps: How productive is the Louisiana Derby?
The Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds is one of the oldest Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifiers, dating back to 1894. It’s only 19 years younger than the Kentucky Derby (G1) itself.
For decades, the Louisiana Derby had minimal impact on the Kentucky Derby. But that has changed sharply since the 1990s. The race has produced four Kentucky Derby winners since the 1990s—four times as many winners as in the preceding 70 years—and the Louisiana Derby is on track to produce 34 Kentucky Derby starters in the 2020s, which would mark a 143% increase from 14 starters in the 1990s.
Furthermore, the percentage of Louisiana Derby alumni recording top-three finishes in the Kentucky Derby increased from 9% in the 1990s to as high as 24% in the 2010s. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!
The Jury: Expert Picks, Bets, and Fades
From Colonial Downs for Virginia Derby weekend, James Scully and Ashley Anderson convene with guest Nick Tammaro to talk their best bets and fades of the week at Colonial and Gulfstream Park, plus their picks in the Virginia Oaks and Virginia Derby on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks.
Graded stakes winner Getaway Car, for trainer Bob Baffert, is the headliner of the first-ever Kentucky Derby prep race in Virginia, and will clash with recent Brad Cox maiden winner Rapture. In the Virginia Oaks, Kenny McPeek has two entered, including morning-line favorite Gowells Delight, but a few darkhorses could play spoiler in the 50-point prep race.
All Access Colonial Downs Trackside Up-to-Date Coverage
Join our experts as they travel trackside to give you all access Colonial Downs Friday and Saturday up-to-date racing coverage. With behind the scenes action, expert picks, trainer and jockey interviews, breaking news, and more, you'll feel like you're at the track with them!
Best Bets for the 2025 Boston Handicap:
Read the full analysis here: How to bet the Boston Handicap
A total of 11 boys will travel seven furlongs on the dirt at Colonial Downs in Friday’s $150,000 Boston H. Take a look at these best bets before placing yours.
Boston Wagers
- $2 superfecta 6 with 2,9 with 2,9 with all ($32)
- 50-cent superfecta 6 with 2,9 with all with 2,9 ($8)
Subsanador (center) winning the California Crown (G1) at Santa Anita (Photo by Benoit Photo)
How old can a Thoroughbred horse jockey be? Success stories after age 50
How old can a Thoroughbred horse jockey be?
In many sports, youth is an advantage for athletes. That’s not always the case with jockeys in Thoroughbred horse racing. Experience goes a long way in helping jockeys judge pace and guide horses through traffic. And while many top jockeys are in their 20s and 30s, it’s common to see riders in their 40s and 50s achieve success as well.
Which brings us back to our opening question: how old can a jockey be? Horse racing’s treasure trove of historical data can provide us with the answer. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!
Top Horses for the 2025 Boston Handicap:
#6 Book’em Danno (1-1) is the towering figure in the heat, and while the Derek Ryan trainee might not be fully cranked up for his 2025 debut, the gelding gets top billing, nonetheless.
The son of Bucchero was a very good two-year-old and continued to progress as a sophomore, where he proved to be among the better one-turn horses in training. The New Jersey-bred four-year-old bagged the Pasco S. at Tampa Bay Downs by 12 lengths to commence 2024, which preceded a fantastic runner-up showing behind Forever Young in the lucrative Saudi Derby (G3). He earned his top score to date with an impressive Woody Stephens S. (G1) tally at Saratoga in the summer, and the dark bay has trained well in advance of his yearly bow.
Book’em Danno is 2-for-4 with a pair of placings in his lifetime at the seven-eighths trip, and he seems poised to give a nice account of himself in a field that lacks star quality. Paco Lopez will have the favorite moving into contention approaching the turn for home before going clear inside the final furlong.
#9 Power Seeker (6-1), he Virginia-bred son of Distorted Humor registered some very good runs against talented horses in the allowance ranks in the Empire State last campaign, and the lightly raced six-year-old will cut back in distance for his seasonal debut in this spot. A winner in his lone prior effort at seven panels, the versatile sort figures to be forwardly placed to some degree early under Flavien Prat.
#2 Celtic Contender (4-1) comes off a runner-up result in the General George S. at Laurel Park in his seasonal bow and has been first or second in a handful of races in succession leading up to Friday. This Hamilton Smith pupil sports a 6-2-2-2 mark at the distance, and the son of Irish War Cry has the tactical speed to be involved from the break as well. The four-year-old colt will have Victor Carrasco in the stirrups.
Turfway Park Racing (Coady Photo/Turfway Park)
Exotics Plays for the Queen Stakes at Turfway Park
The feature on the 10-race card at Turfway Park on Saturday will see 11 fillies and mares running six furlongs over the Tapeta in the $125,000 Queen S. A well-matched cast has been assembled for the affair, and it seems like a great spot to spread with multiple contenders in the dash.
Queen Exotics Wagers
- $3 exacta key box 3 with 6,7,9,10 ($24)
- 50-cent trifecta 3 with 6,7,9,10 with all ($18)
- 10-cent superfecta box 3,6,7,9,10 ($12)
Inside the Kentucky Derby:
The Virginia Derby is the newest race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The Colonial Downs race is attracting a couple of key performers for the upcoming Championship Series races. Darren and KK analyze the full race card, previewing the horses that could impact the standings. Additionally, they recap performances from the Tampa Bay Derby and touch on the horses in the Virginia Oaks on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.
Best Bets for the Whitmore Stakes
Read the full analysis here: Betting With, and Against, Booth in the Whitmore Stakes
A well-balanced field of nine will jaunt six panels on the Oaklawn Park surface in Saturday’s $250,000 Whitmore S. (G3). The Steve Asmussen-trained #4 Booth (3-1) is the morning-line choice in the dash coming off of a huge score in the Commodore S. on the oval last time out when earning a hefty 105 Brisnet Speed figure. But what if you're heart's not set on the favorite. Here are betting option for and against the favorite. Check out these best bet options below!
Booth – With
- $4 trifecta 4 with 1,8 with 1,2,3,7,8 ($32)
- 20-cent superfecta key 4 with 1,2,3,7,8 ($12)
Booth – Against
Top Horses against Thorpedo Anna in the Azeri
#8 Closethegame Sugar (9-2) didn’t fire his best shot at Churchill Downs to conclude his excellent 2024 campaign, but the Adam Rice trainee is more than capable of running well off the bench and is a prime player while making his local debut. The multiple stakes winner finished second in the Bing Crosby S. (G1) at Del Mar in his penultimate try last season, and the son of Girvin has an advantageous post today with all of the pace drawn to his inside. I expect Julein Leparoux to have the lightly raced sort poised to strike at the top of the lane.
#1 Tejano Twist (7-2) is a consistently good late runner who has compiled a healthy 10-4-5-1 mark at Oaklawn in his career. Trained by Chris Hartman, the six-year-old son of Practical Joke missed by a nose when second in the contest in 2024 and can surely win the race with his best performance. The chestnut bagged the King Cotton S. here in his 2025 unveiling and will be making one run in the lane beneath Tyler Bacon.
Ghostly Gal wins the Tiara-Claiming Crown at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)
Pick 3 of the Week: Fair Grounds Saturday [Mar 15]
An appealing three-race sequence during the middle of the Saturday card at Fair Grounds will be the focus of the Pick 3 of the Week.
Race 6 Wager:
- $1 Pick 3: 5,6,8 with 1,3 with 2,3,5,6,7,8 ($36)
Colonial Downs racing (Coady Photo)
Pick 4 of the Week: Colonial Downs Saturday
A trio of Pick 4 wagers will be offered on the big card at Colonial Downs on Saturday, and it’s the four-race sequence in the middle that I will take aim at for the Pick 4 of the Week.
Race 4 Wager
- 50-cent Pick 4: All with 1,4,7 with 4 with 1,2,5,8 ($36)
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Opt in to receive a 15% boost on your winning Win, Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta wagers at Colonial Downs for Virginia Derby Day on Saturday, March 15th.
Cheltenham $10 Money Back
Opt in to receive up to $10 back on your first single horse Win bet if your horse runs 2nd or 3rd in all eligible races at Cheltenham Racecourse from Tuesday, March 11th - Friday, March 14th.
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Opt in to join the leaderboard competition for a chance to win a seat in the KDBC, and a portion of the $1,000 prize pool each week, during the Sydney Racing Carnival.
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8x Points at Colonial Downs
Opt in and receive 8x reward points on all races, excluding Show wagers, at Colonial Downs on Thursday, March 13th and Friday, March 14th.
Derby Future Pool 5 Bet/Get
Opt in and wager at least $50+ during the duration of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 5 and receive a 20% bonus, along with an invitation to an exclusive Derby Week Bet/Get Offer.
Cheltenham $10 Money Back
Opt in to receive up to $10 back on your first single horse Win bet if your horse runs 2nd or 3rd in all eligible races at Cheltenham Racecourse from Tuesday, March 11th - Friday, March 14th.
Turfway Park Selected Races $10 Money Back
Opt in to receive up to $10 back on your first single horse bet if your horse runs second in select races at Turfway Park each Thursday and Friday in February.
5X Points on Harness Racing
Opt in and receive 5x rewards points on all races at harness tracks, excluding Show wagers, each Monday through Wednesday from Monday, February 17th through Wednesday, March 26th.
Winning Wednesday
Opt in to receive a 25% bonus on your winning single horse Win wagers at Selected tracks every Wednesday in March.
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Opt in and receive 10x reward points on all races, excluding Show wagers, at Fraser Downs each Friday, starting March 8th.
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Opt in and receive 8x points on all races, excluding Show wagers, at The Meadowlands each racing day from Friday, February 21st through Saturday, March 29th.
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Opt in to receive up to $10 back on your first single horse Win bet if your horse runs 2nd in races 3, 4, and 5 at Fraser Downs each Thursday, starting March 6th.
