Horse Racing This Weekend: Key Races, Top Horses & Best Bets [Feb 14 - 16]
Racing at Fair Grounds (Photo by Hodges Photography)
February 14th, 2025
INDEX: Top Horses and Best Bets | Promotional Bonus Offers | Tournaments | Risen Star | Sunland Derby | KDFW Picks and Standings | More 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.
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Top horses and best bets for horse racing this weekend
The key horse races this week on the Road to the Kentucky Derby offers some of our top horses and best bets this week, alongside some Kentucky Derby Future Wagers Pool 4 betting, and more awesome racing.
Click to jump to each race listed:
- Risen Star
- Sunland Derby
- Kentucky Derby Future Wagers
- Sunland Park Oaks
- Gulfstream Park Pick 3
- Gulfstream Park Pick 4
Best Bets for the Risen Star
Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2025 Risen Star Stakes
A huge cast of 13 sophomores will travel 1 1/8 miles on the Fair Grounds dirt on Saturday in the $500,000 Risen Star S. (G2). The 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series tilt will reward the first five across the wire with qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 structure as the first race in the Championship Series. Discover your best bet below.
Risen Star Stakes Wagers
Sierra Leone winning the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds (Photo by Hodges Photography/Lou Hodges, Jr.)
Kentucky Derby preps: How productive is the Risen Star?
Once upon a time, the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds was a minor step on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Now it ranks among the most pivotal qualifiers. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!
Top Horses:
Click on each horse name to add them to your stable. Never miss a race they're a part of again!
#2 JONATHAN’S WAY: Iroquois S. (G3) winner concluded 2024 with a clear second in the Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) for Phil Bauer. The son of Vekoma has trained well leading up to this contest, and the colt could sit a dream trip just off the pace to the top of the lane before inching clear. Jose Ortiz inherits the mount.
#4 EAST AVENUE: Grade 1 winner from the barn of Brendan Walsh barn will make his seasonal debut in this spot. The Godolphin homebred was awesome in his first pair of career runs last campaign and is training well for his local bow. This Medaglia d’Oro colt will be forcing the tempo from the opening bell and Tyler Gaffalione retains the mount.
#9 BUILT: Wayne Catalano trainee has run a pair of very good ones in the stakes ranks on the course in succession and looms large with his best showing on this day. The Hard Spun colt has room for improvement in his third run off the shelf and the colt will likely be close throughout with Luis Saez taking the reins.
#7 SEPTARIAN: Exotics contender from the Chad Brown barn was an even third in the Mucho Macho Man S. in his first since moving to this outfit and will have blinkers added for this endeavor. The Protonico colt has been training in good fashion in preparation for this tilt, and the sophomore is bred to thrive going two turns for the initial time, as well. Flavien Prat coming in to ride is a major positive, too.
RELATED: Meet the Contenders: 2025 Risen Star Stakes
Trackside: 2025 Risen Star Weekend at Fair Grounds [VIDEO]
TwinSpires is trackside for an all access weekend of racing for Risen Star weekend at Fair Grounds. Come back all day Friday and Saturday for exclusive interviews, picks, horse racing, and more. Come claim your all access pass to the track! CLICK HERE TO STAY UPDATED!
Jason Beem's Racing Podcast
Jason opens the show discussing news of the day and previews this weekend's racing from Fair Grounds and Sunland Park.
The Jury with your best bets and fades
Darin Zoccali, Nick tammaro & Emily Gullikson go over their best bets and fades at the Fair Grounds including the Risen Star Stakes, a Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) prep. Plus, they look at racing at the Rachel Alexandra Stakes and Turfway Park.
Best Bets:
Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2025 Sunland Park Derby
A solid group of nine three-year-old prospects will run 1 1/16 miles on the Sunland Park strip in Sunday’s $400,000 Sunland Park Derby. The 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series contest will reward the top five finishers of the heat with qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis. Check out these best bets below.
Sunland Park Derby Wagers
Top Horses:
Click on each horse name to add them to your stable. Never miss a race they're a part of again!
#4 GETAWAY CAR (9-5): Bob Baffert trainee was second to a nice one in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) last out and is the one to beat in the feature. This $700,000 son of Curlin has lost four races in succession following two wins to start his career, but he has faced the best in his division and will be dangerous with his top performance on Sunday. Regular pilot Juan Hernandez comes in for the ride.
#9 CALDERA (5-1): D. Wayne Lukas trainee gets the outside draw in the field and comes off a solid maiden win with the addition of blinkers last time at Oaklawn Park. The $500,000 juvenile purchase has improved his Brisnet Speed figure with each career outing and I think he is a fine fit in the field in his local bow. The son of Liam’s Map will be stalking the contested pace early with Rafael Bejarano taking the reins.
#8 TOUCHY (7-2): Win contender from the barn of Wesley Ward rallied for a stakes second at Turfway Park most recently and tries to go a route of ground for the first time on this occasion. This bay son of Nyquist has run well in three of four of his lifetime appearances to date and will be a major factor if the distance suits him with Joel Rosario in the stirrups.
#6 TAKE CHARGE TOM (8-1): Tom’s d’Etat colt is 3-for-3 led by a coup in the Riley Allison S. on the surface most recently. The Kentucky-bred faces better in this endeavor, but he is moving in the right direction and has a top-three chance beneath Orlando Mojica.
RELATED: Meet the Contenders: 2025 Sunland Derby
.@AshleyAnd502 has your Weekend Windup from the French Quarter in New Orleans ahead of Saturday's Risen Star card 🌟 at @fairgroundsnola. 🐎
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) February 14, 2025
- Jonathan’s Way has since been announced as a scratch from Risen Star (G2). pic.twitter.com/CEPfB0AX0l
Jason Beem Racing Podcast
Jason looks ahead to Saturday's Risen Star (G2) and welcomes in trainer Cherie DeVaux to talk about her big 2024, the current Fair Grounds meet, training, and much more!
Citizen Bull early individual choice in Pool 4 of KDFW
Champion juvenile colt #6 Citizen Bull, recent winner of the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita, has been installed the early 6-1 individual favorite in Pool 4 of the 2025 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW).
The three-day pool, which features $2 win and exacta wagering, opens Friday at noon ET and closes Sunday at 6 p.m. Fans can place wagers on Pool 4 at racetracks and simulcast outlets across North America and online through TwinSpires.com. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!
Citizen Bull winning the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita (Photo by Benoit Photo)
Scully, Hanson offer selections for KDFW Pool 4
James Scully: #27 Rapture (50-1) opened his racing career with a good second over a one-turn mile at Gulfstream in mid-December and stretched to two turns at Oaklawn Park six weeks later, romping by 6 1/2 lengths. Rapture's Brisnet Speed rating (88) came back light due to the tepid early pace, but the Uncle Mo colt finished up smartly and Rapture looks poised to keep advancing for Brad Cox.
Vance Hanson: Seventeen years after saddling Big Brown to win the Derby off only four career starts (an unusual feat in those days), trainer Rick Dutrow is back on the Derby trail with #4 Captain Cook (20-1). Although the colt's immediate family would suggest he's more likely to best at or around a mile (he's by Practical Joke and out of a mare sired by Indian Charlie), Captain Cook successfully stretched out to 1 1/8 miles to win the Withers S. at Aqueduct and didn't appear to be struggling to do so. And with the right trip, perhaps he could get an extra furlong at Churchill Downs as well. Possible takers will have to demand a price, though, as Captain Cook will be taking a path of lesser resistance on his way to Louisville by running next in the Wood Memorial (G2) in early April. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!
Best Bets:
Read the full analysis here: Betting With, and Against, Maysam in the Sunland Park Oaks
A total of seven sophomore fillies will vie in Sunday’s $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks at Sunland Park. The one-mile affair is led by impressive debut heroine #4 Maysam (9-5) from the barn of Bob Baffert.
Maysam – With
- $20 trifecta key 4 with 1,5 ($40)
Maysam – Against
- $2 superfecta 1,5 with 1,4,5 with 1,4,5 with all ($32)
$.50-cent superfecta 1,5 with 1,4,5 with all with 1,4,5 ($8)
Top Horses: Sunland Park Oaks
#1 Rogue Justice (10-1) could benefit most of all. Trained by Todd Fincher, the Constitution three-year-old is still a maiden but is slowly improving, and I feel that the $120,000 juvenile purchase will run her best race while going long in this one. The Kentucky-bred closed with nice energy to be second behind a good one in the Borderplex S. in her local bow most recently and has drilled a bullet six panels in the interim. She is from a family with a lot of stakes power and could be next in line. Florent Geroux riding adds to her appeal.
#5 Enchanting (7-2), one of two in the field for Steve Asmussen, won with relative ease at Sam Houston in her second lifetime appearance and could be a good prospect with additional seasoning. This Winchell homebred didn’t defeat the deepest field of all time in her maiden coup, but she was visually impressive in doing so and also has room for growth, as well. If the Gun Runner chestnut takes another step forward, then she will surely be in the hunt late with Ramon Vazquez taking the reins.
Racing at Oaklawn Park. (Coady Photography)
Pick 3 of the Week: Oaklawn Park Saturday [Feb 15]
A three-race sequence at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, led by the Dixie Belle S., headlines the Pick 3 of the Week.
Race 7 Wager
- $1 Pick 3: 4,7,8 with 1,2,5,9 with 6,7 ($24)
Knightsbridge winning his debut at Churchill Downs (Photo by Coady Photography)
Pick 4 of the Week: Gulfstream Park Saturday [Feb 15]
The Pick 4 of the Week will comprise the final four races on the Saturday card at Gulfstream Park which includes the feature, the $165,000 Royal Delta S. (G3).
Race 9 Wager
- 50-cent Pick 4: 4,6 with 2,12 with 7,8,9 with 1,2,3,6,7,11 ($36)
Risen Star Day 15% Profit Boost
Opt in to receive a 15% boost on your winning Win, Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta wagers at Fair Grounds for Risen Star Day on Saturday, February 15th.
Derby Future Pool 4 Bet/Get
Opt in and wager at least $50+ during the duration of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4 and receive a 20% bonus, along with an invitation to an exclusive Derby Week Bet/Get Offer.
Oaklawn Park 15% Across The Board Boost
Opt in to receive a 15% odds boost on any winning individual Win, Place, or Show wager or combination of Win, Place, and Show wagers each Friday in February.
Gulfstream Park 2,000,000 Points Late Pick-5 Hit it & Split it
Opt in and play the Late Pick-5 at Gulfstream Park each Sunday in February for a chance to split the 2,000,000 rewards points prize pool each promotional day.
8x Points at Fair Grounds
Opt in and receive 8x reward points on all races, excluding Show wagers, at Fair Grounds each Thursday 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.
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.
