Horse Racing This Weekend: Key Races, Top Horses & Best Bets [Feb 28-March 2]
Aqueduct (Photo by Coglianese Photo)
February 28th, 2025
INDEX: Top Horses and Best Bets | Promotional Bonus Offers | Tournaments | Gotham Stakes | Fountain of Youth Stakes | San Felipe Stakes | 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.
Come back to find more weekly horse races and promotional offers every weekend.
Ashley Anderson has your TwinSpires Weekend Windup with a look at three major @KentuckyDerby 🌹 and Oaks 🌺 prep races at @OaklawnRacing, @GulfstreamPark, and @santaanitapark on Saturday and Sunday. pic.twitter.com/XpVN0OGC7J
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) February 28, 2025
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:
- Gotham
- Fountain of Youth
- San Felipe
- Santa Anita Handicap
- Santa Ysabel Stakes
- Honey Fox Stakes
- Pick 3
- Pick 4
Jason Beem Horse Racing Podcast
Jason welcomes in Kellie Reilly for our weekly International Radar segment to discuss last week's Saudi Cup. Then we look ahead to this weekend's racing from Aqueduct, Gulfstream Park, and Santa Anita.
Best Bets for the 2025 Gotham Stakes
Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2025 Gotham Stakes
A talented field of 10 sophomores are signed on to travel one mile on the dirt at Aqueduct in Saturday’s $300,000 Gotham S. (G3). Place your best bets here at TwinSpires.
Gotham Stakes Wagers
Top Horses for the 2025 Gotham Stakes:
Click on each horse name to add them to your stable. Never miss a race they're a part of again!
#5 SAND DEVIL: Top selection from the always dangerous Linda Rice shedrow had to work hard to bag the Damon Runyon S. last time to move his mark to a sterling 3-for-3, and he gets the nod while making his graded stakes debut. The chestnut son of Violence can win from on, or off of, the pace and was a smashing 12-length victor in his lone prior effort at eight panels, as well. This Chester Broman homebred retains the services of Jose Lezcano.
#4 SACROSANCT: Unbeaten son of Honest Mischief is 3-for-3 on the oval and will be forwardly placed from the opening bell. The three-year-old colt was a game winner in his lone effort at the distance and is an obvious win threat for trainer Brad Cox. The New York-bred bay will have regular pilot Manny Franco on board.
#9 GARAMOND: Juddmonte homebred was a solid debut winner at Tampa Bay Downs while racing a bit greenly and will be a threat with an expected step in the right direction on Saturday. The bay son of Uncle Mo flashed good early foot in his unveiling and has shown fast morning drills since that performance, too. The Chad Brown charge will have Javier Castellano in the silks.
#1 SCORCHING: Canadian invader was a big winner of the Simcoe S. two back prior to being elevated to the win in the Cup and Saucer S. on the Woodbine green most recently. The John Charalambous trainee has never run on the dirt, but if the son of Mo Town takes to the surface, then he will be a major contender in his local bow beneath Eric Cancel.
Dornoch winning the Fountain of Youth Stakes in 2024 (Photo by Coglianese Photos/Nicole Thomas)
Kentucky Derby preps: How productive is the Fountain of Youth?
During the second half of the 20th century, the Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park emerged as a pivotal Kentucky Derby (G1) prep race.
Between 1960 and 1999, 11 out of 40 Kentucky Derby winners (28%) started in the Fountain of Youth. But that momentum has stalled in the 21st century. Since 2000, only two out of 25 Kentucky Derby winners (8%) have prepped in the Fountain of Youth, a 71% decrease in productivity. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!
Best Bets for the 2025 Fountain of Youth Stakes:
Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2025 Fountain of Youth Stakes
An excellent field of eight will travel 1 1/16 miles on the Gulfstream Park dirt in Saturday’s $415,000 Fountain of Youth S. (G2). Check out one of our best bets below!
Fountain of Youth Stakes Wagers
Top Horses for the 2025 Fountain of Youth Stakes:
Click on each horse name to add them to your stable. Never miss a race they're a part of again!
#6 RIVER THAMES: Pletcher trainee has been dominant from two lifetime appearances and the $200,000 yearling purchase could be the one in his initial stakes attempt. The New York-bred son of Maclean’s Music should handle the distance with ease after running one mile in his latest, and the colt will be forwardly placed throughout with John Velazquez riding once again.
#2 SOVEREIGNTY: Eye-catching Street Sense S. (G3) winner will make his seasonal debut for conditioner Bill Mott. The Into Mischief homebred has posted some nice morning drills leading up to his return, and the Godolphin color bearer will be a major threat with his best performance under Junior Alvarado.
#3 BURNHAM SQUARE: Holy Bull S. (G3) star has improved his Brisnet Speed number with each career showing and is an obvious contender for trainer Ian Wilkes. The gelded son of Liam’s Map owns a potent turn of foot and has a clear affinity for the strip with a two-for-two local mark. The Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred will be stalking the early pace with Edgard Zayas retaining the ride.
Jason Beem's Racing Podcast
Jason welcomes in New York racing correspondent David Grening to talk about this weekend's Gotham (G3), Fountain of Youth (G2), covering racing and more!
Best Bets for the 2025 San Felipe Stakes:
Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2025 San Felipe Stakes
An exciting group of six talented three-year-olds will go 1 1/16 miles on the Santa Anita main strip in Saturday’s $300,000 San Felipe S. (G2). Place this best bet below!
San Felipe Stakes Wagers
Top Horses San Felipe Stakes:
Click on each horse name to add them to your stable. Never miss a race they're a part of again!
#3 BARNES: Flashy $3.2 million purchase was a game debut winner beneath the Twin Spires, followed by a smashing score of the San Vicente S. (G2) on this course for Baffert. The son of Into Mischief is bred to go two turns and gave every indication that he will take to route racing in his latest outing when drawing off late. Juan Hernandez will pilot the bay and have him prompting the pace from the opening bell.
#2 JOURNALISM: Mike McCarthy trainee endured a fine juvenile campaign from three races led by an impressive victory in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) in December. The bay son of Curlin moved forward in a big way when stretching out in distance as a two-year-old, and the top prospect has been working in steady fashion in anticipation of his seasonal bow. Umberto Rispoli will be in the stirrups.
#4 RODRIGUEZ: The third from the Baffert barn ran second the whole way around the oval behind champion Citizen Bull in the Robert B. Lewis S. (G3) in his stakes debut and will be a major player with improvement off of that showing. Kentucky-bred son of Authentic graduated like a top colt two back on the oval and comes in with a pair of rapid morning drills as of late, as well. Flavien Prat inherits the mount.
Keeneland (Photo courtesy of Keeneland)
Beginner’s guide: How to read horse racing form lines
In Thoroughbred horse racing, analyzing “the form”—the past performances of each horse in a race—is simpler than it appears.
Typically, one line of data is assigned for each race a horse has run. These are called form lines. The most recent race is listed at the top. CLICK HERE TO SEE EXAMPLES AND READ MORE!
The Jury: Expert Picks, Bets, and Fades for Feb. 21-23
Ashley Anderson, James Scully, and Darin Zoccali proclaim their best bets and fades at Aqueduct, Gulfstream Park, and Santa Anita, including their top picks in three Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) prep races — the Gotham (G3), Fountain of Youth (G2), and San Felipe (G2).
Inside the Kentucky Derby:
We’re fully into the Championship Series of races, with key events happening across the globe. This weekend, the focus shifts to three U.S.-based races: the Fountain of Youth, Gotham, and San Felipe. Each race offers valuable points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale, giving contenders a chance to climb the leaderboard. Darren and KK analyze the full race cards, previewing the horses that could impact the standings. They also recap recent Road to the Derby races, including the Rebel, John Battaglia, and Hyacinth.
Best Bets for the Santa Anita H. (G1)
Read the full analysis here: Betting With, and Against, Locked in the Santa Anita Handicap
An excellent field of nine will travel 1 1/4 miles on Saturday in the feature on a huge day of racing in California in the $300,000 Santa Anita H. (G1). Grade 1 winner #7 Locked (3-2), who comes off of a second-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) in his latest endeavor, is the one to beat for conditioner Todd Pletcher.
If your heart isn't quite with the favorite here are some options for your best bet with, and against locked for Saturday.
Locked – With
- $2 trifecta key 7 with 1,2,3,9 ($24)
- $1 superfecta key 7 with 1,2,3,9 ($24)
Locked – Against
- $2 trifecta key 3 with 1,2,7,9 ($24)
- $1 trifecta 1,3 with 1,2,3,7,9 with 1,2,3,7,9 ($24)
Northern Dancer in the winners circle during the 1964 Kentucky Derby. (Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs)
STUDY: How Thoroughbred sire line success rates vary by racing surface
Many of the best Thoroughbred racehorses in North America descend from three dominant stallions of the 20th century: Northern Dancer, Mr. Prospector, and Bold Ruler.
Northern Dancer, Mr. Prospector, and Bold Ruler sired many sons who became successful sires in their own right, and this pattern has repeated down through generations, producing uninterrupted streaks of male-line descendants known as sire lines. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!
Top Horses for the 2025 Santa Anita H. against favorite Locked
#3 Hit Show (5-2) had a great prep for this contest with a rallying win in the Louisiana S. (G3) at Fair Grounds while running 1 1/16 miles in his 2025 debut. The Brad Cox pupil has won four of five coming into this event, all of the graded variety, and his running style seems ideal for handling 10 furlongs. The five-year-old son of Candy Ride has the positional speed to stay in touch early before unleashing his late kick under Flavien Prat.
#1 Express Train (10-1) has lost a step or two since his peak in 2022 when he won this race, but I give the John Shirreffs a top-three chance, nonetheless. The eight-year-old son of Union Rags is a three-time graded stakes winner on the oval who is making a third run off the shelf, and the Kentucky-bred bay is also well-drawn on the rail for this encounter, as well. He exits a solid second-place run in the San Pasqual S. (G2) and will have Hector Berrios in the irons.
#9 Tarantino (12-1) has turned out to be an excellent claim by trainer Peter Eurton, and the bay son of Pioneerof the Nile has some things going for him in the race as a longshot contender. The seven-year-old gelding is bred to run the distance, he has very good current form, and the bay also has a good slot on the outside to let Edwin Maldonado see how the pace plays out to his inside. He was too close to a heated early tempo most recently when third in the San Pasqual (G2) and will be dangerous with a more sensible voyage in this one.
#2 New King (8-1), I’m not sure what to make of after he registered a massive 114 Brisnet Late Pace number in a recent allowance win, but if he repeats that at 1 1/4 miles, then the Into Mischief colt could be a factor at a price in his stakes debut beneath Mike Smith.
Santa Anita (Photo by © Breeders' Cup/Todd Buchanan)
A compact field of six three-year-old fillies will travel 1 1/16 miles on the Santa Anita dirt in Saturday’s $100,000 Santa Ysabel S. (G3). Conditioner Bob Baffert has three of the contenders in the group and I feel that the race will go through one of his trio of fillies.
Santa Ysabel Wagers
Gulfstream Park Scenic Turf Gate (Photo by Coglianese Photos)
A full field of fillies and mares will jaunt one mile on the Gulfstream Park lawn in Saturday’s $165,000 Honey Fox S. (G3). Trainer Christophe Clement has a dangerous duo entered in the affair and will key both on top in the ultra-competitive turf tilt.
Honey Fox Exotics
- 50-cent trifecta 2,6 with 1,2,3,4,6,7,8 with 1,2,3,4,6,7,8 ($30)
- 10-cent superfecta key 2,6 with 1,2,3,4,6,7,8 ($24)
Dapper Moon wins at Saratoga (Photo by Coglianese Photos)
A total of five black-type races will highlight a fine day of racing at Fair Grounds on Saturday. The Pick 3 of the Week will be an all-stakes play starting in Race 7.
Race 7 Wager
$1 Pick 3: 1,11 with 2,4,6 with 1,2,6,7 ($24)
Speak Easy (Photo by Coglianese Photography)
A total of four Pick 4 wagers are offered on the massive, 14-race card at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. I’ll take aim at the earliest of the options in hopes of padding my bankroll for later in the afternoon.
Race 2 Wager
- 50-cent Pick 4: 3,4,5,7 with 3,5,7 with 5,6 with 3,11 ($24)
Super Saturday 15% Profit Boost
Opt in to receive a 15% boost on your winning Win, Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta wagers at Aqueduct, Gulfstream Park, and Santa Anita on Saturday, March 1st.
8x Points at Fair Grounds
Opt in and receive 8x reward points on all races, excluding Show wagers, at Fair Grounds each racing day from Saturday, March 1st through Sunday, March 9th.
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 March for a chance to split the 2,000,000 rewards points prize pool each promotional day.
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.
Road to the Kentucky Derby $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 every Oaks and Derby Prep race in March.
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.
8x Points at The Meadowlands
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.
