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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.

Top horses and best bets for horse racing this weekend

The key horse races this week include Churchill Downs opening night where the draw for the 151st Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks will happen in between races. Other races of interest this weekend occur at Oaklawn Park, Santa Anita, Aqueduct, and more. 

With the Kentucky Derby a week away, it is time to prepare! We offer a one stop shop of everything you need to know about the Kentucky Derby, including pedigree, odds, up-to-date news and notes, education, and much more! You'll find something for everyone! TwinSpires is also currently trackside, giving you all the latest updates on workouts, exclusive trainer interviews and much more. 

We also have our Official EARLY Betting Guide so you can easily get to know the contenders to better prepare those best bets. Keep an eye out for our Offical Handicapping Betting Guide later this week to solidify those best bets. 

Lastly, don't miss our LIVE coverage today of the post position draws as we give live updates from 6:30 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST and, of course, our LIVE coverage later this week of Thurby, the Kentucky Oaks, and Kentucky Derby Day!

Click to jump to each race listed!

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Best Bets for the Roxelana Sakes

Read the full analysis here: Betting With, and Against, Sandy Bottom in the Roxelana Stakes

The opening-night feature at Churchill Downs on Saturday is the $200,000 Roxelana S. Seven fillies and one mare will go postward in the six-furlong heat on the main oval. Stakes vixen #2 Sandy Bottom (5-2) is the logical morning-line choice and one to beat for conditioner Mike McCarthy, and she will also be the one to catch. But if your heart isn't set on the favorite here are some other contenders that could take the win. 

Sandy Bottom – With

• $18 exacta 2 with 5,8 ($36)
• $4 trifecta key 2 with 5,8 ($8)

Sandy Bottom – Against

• $1 trifecta 5,8 with 2,5,8 with all ($24)
• $1 superfecta 5,8 with 2,5,8 with 2,5,8 with all ($20)

Top Horses for the Roxelana Stakes:

#8 Mink’s Palace (4-1) has finished off the board in her two prior stakes tries in advance of this one, but those races were not run at Churchill, where the four-year-old dons a 5-3-1-1 mark. The bay daughter of Palace Malice is a different animal beneath the Twin Spires and will settle off the pace while in the clear every step of the way from the outside post slot. She is the main danger to the favorite, with the in-form Luis Saez taking the reins. 

#5 Miuccia (8-1) has recorded each of her trio of lifetime wins at the six-furlong distance for trainer Gustavo Delgado. The Grade-3 placed daughter of Mitole is unraced since February, but she can be very good on her best day, and she relishes six panels, in general. The bay has the tactical speed to stay in touch with the leader from the start and will be poised to make a run at the top of the lane with Brian Hernandez, Jr. taking the reins. 

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May 1-3 | LIVE coverage of Thurby, Oaks, and Kentucky Derby Day with exclusive up-to-date all-access trackside coverage. LIVE race odds, including Kentucky Derby odds, picks, entries for all the races, and so much more!

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Best Bets for the Royal Heroine Stakes

Read the full analysis here: How to bet the Royal Heroine Stakes

A massive field of 13 fillies and mares will go eight panels on the Santa Anita lawn in Saturday’s $100,000 Royal Heroine S. (G3). The unbeaten #2 Raw Ability (9-2) gets a true class test in her stakes debut against a strong cast, but I feel that the John Sadler trainee will be up to the task. Check out these best bet below. 

Royal Heroine Wagers

• $10 win and place #2 Raw Ability ($20)
• $3 trifecta key 2 with 6,9,13 ($18)
• 50-cent superfecta 2,6 with 2,6 with 9,13 with all ($18)

Top Horses for the Royal Heroine: 

#2 Raw Ability (9-2) gets a true class test in her stakes debut against a strong cast, but I feel that the John Sadler trainee will be up to the task. By Belardo, the Irish-bred was an upset winner on debut in her native land in the summer, and then made a big last-to-first run in an allowance affair at Del Mar in her stateside bow in September. 

#6 Tirupati (2-1) is the one to beat coming off a measured score in the Wilshire S. (G3) on this course in her latest venture. By Mitole, the ascending four-year-old faces a much more difficult task today, but the former claimer continues to move forward for Jonathan Thomas. The filly will be close to the tempo from the opening bell beneath Umberto Rispoli. 

#13 Lunar Impact (20-1) received a horrific post draw and has also been unraced since July, but the chestnut mare has plenty of ability. She could add a lot of value to the exotics in her comeback offering. The Dan Blacker trainee is two-for-three at this distance, has run well while fresh in the past, and the daughter of Zoustar also has the tactical speed to secure a sensible position in the early going of the contest. She is worth including at a nice number with Armando Ayuso riding. 

#9 Eternal Reign (12-1) is the most intriguing of the four D’Amato trainees to me. The Invincible Spirit four-year-old has won or placed in six races in succession, and while she takes a big class rise against this group, the filly surely is talented. She could grab a share with a step forward at a good price beneath Reylu Gutierrez. 

Best Bets for the Natural State Breeders' Stakes:

Read the full analysis here: How to bet the Natural State Breeders’ Stakes

A total of 10 Arkansas-bred fillies and mares will travel one-mile in Sunday’s $150,000 Natural State Breeders’ S. at Oaklawn Park. Check out these best bets below. 

Natural State Wagers

• $5 trifecta 6 with 1,2,4 with 1,2,4 ($30)
• $2 trifecta 1,2,4 with 6 with 1,2,4 ($12)

Top Horses for the Natural State: 

#6 Kantex, one of three in the group for trainer Randy Morse, cruised home late en route to a two-length victory in the race last campaign as the 9-10 choice and might get a fine set up in hopes of defending her title. By Street Strategy, the six-year-old is six-for-nine at Oaklawn in her career and was at her best in 2024 with wins in three of four seasonal outings. The mare had a solid sprint prep in preparation for Sunday and will be doing her best work late under Rafael Bejarano. 

#4 Caliente Star has crushed a trio of fields in succession to begin her career and wouldn’t be a surprise despite facing her elders in the affair. The bay daughter of Tapiture has parlayed a stout closing kick into dominating three fields in succession, led by a convincing score in the Rainbow Miss S. last time out, and she seems poised to handle the move to eight panels in this spot. She gets a weight break from her older counterparts and will have regular pilot Francisco Arrieta in the irons. 

#1 Bennykayandsuzytoo is a wildcard in the field but will be the one to catch early on from the rail. The speedy daughter of Strong Mandate is not in ideal form leading up to this affair, but she was second best in the contest in 2024 and is well drawn to be sent and control things from the opening bell. She has been facing open company for the most part since December and will appreciate the class relief to some extent against this cast. Walter de la Cruz will be in the irons and sending the bay mare from the break. 

#2 Punchy Girl as she has never hit the board at one-mile, but the six-year-old has ability and is not without a chance in the feature. The mare was sharp in her first two outings of 2025, and she will be well placed while close throughout with Keith Asmussen in the stirrups. 

Jason Beem Horse Racing Podcast

Jason is joined by TwinSpires' own Kellie Reilly for this week's International Radar segment. Then we welcome in Joe Kristufek from Churchill Downs to talk Kentucky Derby and Oaks. 

The Jury: Expert Picks, Bets, and Fades

The TwinSpires Jury of Ashley Anderson and guest Nick Tammaro are back to debate their best bets and fades at Churchill Downs for Opening Night of the 43-day spring meet, plus they look at a high-profile matchup at Aqueduct on Sunday.

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