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Top horses and best bets for horse racing this weekend

The key horse races this week include some of the last 100 point Derby preps on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, offering some of our top horses and best bets this week, the Wood Memorial Stakes and the Santa Anita Derby with more great horse racing this weekend. 

Keenland's Blue Grass Stakes will take place on Tuesday instead of Saturday due to severe weather throughout Kentucky. But we'll still provide you with LIVE odds and more surrounding the last 100 point race of the year toward the Kentucky Derby. 

Also, this weekend we have the last pool of the Kentucky Derby Future wagers, which ends at 4:00 PM EST. 

Click to jump to each race listed!

Best Bets for the Wood Memorial Stakes

Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2025 Wood Memorial Stakes

Note: Hill Road has scratched from the Wood Memorial due to a fever.

A well-matched field of 12 sophomores will travel 1 1/8 miles over the Aqueduct dirt in Saturday’s $750,000 Wood Memorial S. (G2). The 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series contest will reward the top five across the wire with qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis. 

Wood Memorial Stakes Wagers (updated)

• $30 win #1 Rodriguez
• $1 trifecta 1 with 2,5 with all

Top Horses for the Wood Memorial Stakes:

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#6 HILL ROAD (SCR): Top pick rallied to be a clear third behind two good ones in his initial 2025 appearance and figures to get a more favorable setup in this one. Trained by Chad Brown, the deep-closing type gives the impression of a colt who will thrive with the added distance. I expect him to move forward the second time off the layoff, as well. The Quality Road colt will have Joel Rosario in the stirrups. 

#1 RODRIGUEZ: West Coast invader has run against some of the best in his division this season and has to be given a chance for Baffert. Talented son of Authentic will race with the blinkers off in this spot, but will still be in the hunt from the break from the inside post slot. Mike Smith comes in to guide the $485,000 yearling purchase.  

#2 CAPTAIN COOK: The first of two for Richard Dutrow and is two-for-two on the surface since joining this barn. He comes off a strong score in the Withers S. (G3) in his latest venture. The bay son of Practical Joke is proven at the distance, and he has trained in very good fashion in advance of this contest, as well. Manny Franco will ride the win threat. 

#5 SAND DEVIL: Gotham S. (G3) runner-up suffered his first setback while making his graded stakes bow last time out, but remains a dangerous commodity on this occasion. The Violence colt is bred to handle the move to nine panels, and he will be fit for the features following a trio of solid morning moves in advance of Saturday, too. Jose Lezcano will be in the silks for conditioner Linda Rice. 

RELATED: Meet the Contenders: 2025 Wood Memorial Stakes

Best Bets for the Santa Anita Derby

Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2025 Santa Anita Derby

A compact, but sensational, field of five three-year-olds will go 1 1/8 miles on the dirt in Saturday’s $500,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1). The 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series contest will reward the quintet with qualifying points towards the Run for the Roses on a 75-37.5-18.75-11.25-7.5 structure, with only a handful of sophomores signed on. Check out these best bets below. 

Santa Anita Derby Wagers

• $30 win #2 Citizen Bull
• $10 exacta 2 with 1,4

Top Horses for the Santa Anita Derby 

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#2 CITIZEN BULL: Champion son of Into Mischief kicked off his three-year-old season with a dominant score in the Robert B. Lewis S. (G3) for Baffert. Ultra-talented bay is fast from the gate, but he doesn’t need the lead to run big, and the colt enters the race with a bullet five-furlong drill on the course, too. The imposing Kentucky-bred will force the action from the break with regular rider Martin Garcia up. 

#1 JOURNALISM: Classy son of Curlin bagged the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) to close his two-year-old season prior to driving home a stylish winner of the San Felipe S. (G2) in his 2025 debut last time out. The Mike McCarthy trainee possesses a robust turn of foot and could easily move forward while making his second run of the year, as well. Kentucky-bred bay will track the tempo from third early on prior to putting in his late run under regular pilot Umberto Rispoli. 

#4 BARNES: Second from the Baffert shedrow, he suffered his first setback from three lifetime races last out when runner-up in the San Felipe (G2), but the colt ran a big one in defeat, nonetheless. The $3.2 million yearling purchase has improved his Brisnet Speed figure with each performance to date and wouldn’t be a surprise on Saturday with another step in the right direction. Juan Hernandez retains the ride. 

RELATED: Meet the Contenders: 2025 Santa Anita Derby

Best Bets for the Blue Grass Stakes

Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2025 Blue Grass Stakes

A strong field of seven sophomores will travel nine panels over the Keeneland dirt in Tuesday’s $1.25 million Blue Grass S. (G1). The 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series tilt will reward the first five across the wire with qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 structure. Use these best bets below to get started!

Blue Grass Stakes Wagers

• $15 win and place #3 Burnham Square
• $1 superfecta box 1,3,4,6

Top Horses for the Blue Grass Stakes 

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#3 BURNHAM SQUARE: Holy Bull S. (G3) winner from the Ian Wilkes barn ran in spots last time in the Fountain of Youth S. (G2) and I think that he will put it all together in this one beneath Brian Hernandez, Jr. The gelding has displayed major improvement since having blinkers added three back, and the move to nine furlongs will be a benefit to him in his second local appearance, too. 

#4 OWEN ALMIGHTY: Speightstown colt has crossed the wire in first or second in each of his six lifetime showings to date, led by a stylish Tampa Bay Derby (G3) triumph most recently. The $350,000 yearling purchase is a bit of a question mark at 1 1/8 miles, but he was superb at 1 1/16 miles in his latest venture and will be tough to upend with any improvement on Saturday. Jose Ortiz picks up the mount atop the Brian Lynch pupil. 

#1 RIVER THAMES: Pletcher pupil suffered his first career setback when missing by a neck in the Fountain of Youth S. (G2) last time out and is well drawn on the rail for this contest. New York-bred son of Maclean’s Music has trained in swift fashion leading up to his local debut and will be forcing the action from the opening bell with Irad Ortiz, Jr. inheriting the ride. 

#6 CHANCER MCPATRICK: Two-time Grade 1 victor kicked off his 2025 season with a clear second in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) for trainer Chad Brown. The expensive son of fine young sire McKinzie has earned substantial Brisnet Late Pace numbers in each lifetime try to date, and he has a lot of room for improvement, making his second run off the shelf, as well. Regular rider Flavien Prat comes in to retain the mount. 

RELATED: Meet the Contenders: 2025 Blue Grass Stakes

The Jury: Expert Picks, Bets, and Fades

A trio of major qualifiers in the Road to the Kentucky Derby Challenge series, the $1.25 million Blue Grass (G1), $500,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1), and $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2), will be offered at Keeneland, Santa Anita, and Aqueduct, respectively, and the TwinSpires Jury of James Scully, Ashley Anderson, and Darin Zoccali will offer their best bets for each race.

Best Bets for the Gazelle Stakes

Read the full analysis here: Betting with, and against, Ballerina d’Oro in the Gazelle Stakes

A total of eight three-year-old fillies with their eyes on Louisville for the first Friday in May will contest Saturday’s $200,000 Gazelle S. (G3) at Aqueduct. However, if your heart isn't set on favorite Ballerina d'Oro to get those Kentucky Oaks points, here are some options to bet with, and against, the favorite. 

Ballerina d’Oro – With

• $10 Trifecta: 2 with 5 with 4,7 ($20)
• $5 Trifecta: 2 with 4,7 with 5 ($10)
• $1 Superfecta: key 2 with 4,5,7 ($6)

Ballerina d’Oro – Against

• $2 Superfecta: 5 with 2 with 4,7 with all ($20)
• $1 Superfecta: 5 with 4,7 with 2 with all ($10)
• $1 Trifecta: 4,5,7 with 2 with 4,5,7 ($6)

Top Horses for the Gazelle Stakes

#5 Deloraine (8-1) is intriguing at a fair price. Third in the grassy Florida Oaks (G3) in her latest endeavor, the Godolphin homebred has some class to her, and she has also improved her Brisnet Speed figure in each career performance, as well. Candy Ride filly has good tactical speed and will get the jump on the favorite turning for home with Mike Smith coming in to ride. 

#4 Early On (6-1) has shown marked improvement since being moved to route races two back and exits a good runner-up finish in the Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs last time out. Union Rags three-year-old will have to get faster to upset this field, but the bay is trending in the right direction and wouldn’t be a huge surprise with Javier Castellano taking the reins. 

#7 Pure Beauty (9-2) is another with improving form lines and had a solid prep for this when third while wide throughout in an allowance tilt at Gulfstream Park in her latest venture. The $435,000 daughter of Malibu Moon was a smart maiden heroine two back, and I feel like she will prosper with the added ground on Saturday, too. Samuel Marin will pilot the late-running filly.

Racing Roundtable: Kentucky Derby and Oaks preps at Oaklawn and Gulfstream, Pool 6 of the KDFW

In this week’s edition of the Racing Roundtable, Ashley Anderson, James Scully, and Vance review last weekend’s Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) preps at Oaklawn Park and Gulfstream Park, plus look ahead to the sixth and final pool of the 2025 Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

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