The Ron Flatter Racing Pod
Featuring handicapping tips and insight from insiders, the Ron Flatter Racing Pod is posted every Friday morning via HorseRacingNation.com. Check out the interviews with owners, trainers, jockeys, racing journalists, handicappers and celebrities. The pod is hosted by HRN managing editor Ron Flatter, who has been covering horse racing around the world for more than 35 years.
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S8E15: Pegasus, Eclipse, Dasha ... and Rufus
01/24/2025
S8E15: Pegasus, Eclipse, Dasha ... and Rufus
The Pegasus World Cup Invitational and the multimillion-dollar stakes card that supports it Saturday at Gulfstream Park are front and center this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. XBTV racing analyst Zoe Cadman will be in Florida this weekend. She provides snapshots of the Grade 1, $3 million feature, including thoughts about post-time favorite Locked being drawn wide for the 1 1/8-mile race. She also has some ideas about the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) and some value plays who otherwise might get lost in the glare of the bigger races. Saffie Joseph Jr., the leading trainer at Gulfstream Park for going on four years, discusses his Pegasus World Cup horses White Abarrio and Skippylongstocking as well as his other stakes entrants Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Joseph also offers some cautiously optimistic thoughts about the future of the track, which is the subject of state legislation that could decouple its license from the adjacent casino. Horse Racing Nation’s Mark Midland handicaps the trio of Pegasus World Cup races at Gulfstream Park as well as the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3), a Kentucky Derby 2025 points prep Saturday at Oaklawn. Co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times joins to review the results of Thursday night’s Eclipse Awards, which were highlighted by the victory of Thorpedo Anna as horse of the year 2024. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S8E14: Kentucky Derby prep at Fair Grounds + Florida future
01/17/2025
S8E14: Kentucky Derby prep at Fair Grounds + Florida future
The immediate present on the road to Kentucky Derby 2025 and the long-term future of horse racing are front and center this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. FanDuel TV’s Andie Biancone discusses the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes, a next-level points prep for the Derby. She offers her prediction about the pace of the race and her top pick to win. She also gets into the recent trend of Fair Grounds stakes playing a vital role in shaping the results of recent runnings of the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Wayne Catalano gets into specifics about Built, his colt who is favored in the Lecomte despite being drawn wide into post 13. He goes over the first three races in Built’s past performances, including his 6 3/4-length runaway last month in the Gun Runner Stakes over the same track. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch offers analysis and tips for the late Pick 4 on Saturday at Fair Grounds, going over the Silverbulletday, the Colonel E. R. Bradley, the Louisiana (G3) and the Lecomte stakes with thoughts about whether to spread or single each leg. Co-host John Cherwa in Florida helps to go over listener and reader feedback, and he joins in the conversation about the future of Gulfstream Park after this week’s announcement by the Stronach Group that it can guarantee a maximum of three years of racing even if it wins legislative approval to decouple its racing and slot-machine licenses. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S8E13: How to bet Kentucky Derby futures
01/10/2025
S8E13: How to bet Kentucky Derby futures
Inside of four months before Kentucky Derby 2025, what are the dos and don’ts of futures betting on America’s biggest race? A panel with plenty of experience making and taking those wagers is front and center this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Michael Beychok won the 2012 National Horseplayers Championship, and Jody McDonald is a host on Infinity Sports Network, WFAN in New York and WIP in Philadelphia. Both have had their successes and failures with long-range handicapping of the Derby, and they share those tales. Based in Las Vegas, Paul Zilm wrote futures odds for five years on the Kentucky Derby. Now that he has left Circa Sports, he is free to share insights about how the numbers move. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty takes his turn in the handicappers rotation with a focus on weekend races at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. Co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times weighs in during the weekly reading of listener and reader feedback. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S8E12: Kentucky Derby 2025 preps & NOLA reaction
01/03/2025
S8E12: Kentucky Derby 2025 preps & NOLA reaction
From Kentucky Derby 2025 points preps to other weekend stakes to Fair Grounds moving forward after the New Orleans terror attack. All these topics are discussed this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. New Orleans-based trainer Neil Pessin discusses the racing community’s reaction to the Bourbon Street tragedy and his thoughts about Fair Grounds proceeding with its New Year’s Day program. Trainer Michael McCarthy talks about two potential Derby horses. His undefeated colt Bullard races Saturday against Bob Baffert’s $3.2 million debut winner Barnes in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita. He also has Journalism, who won last month in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) on the way to being the winter-book favorite in Las Vegas futures for the Derby. Handicapper Ed DeRosa has analysis and picks for the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct and Smarty Jones at Oaklawn, the two Derby points preps scheduled for Saturday. He also looks at the Turfway Prevue Stakes, which itself might produce a would-be runner for the roses. John Cherwa is along to help distill listener and reader feedback and discuss some of the goings-on during the holidays. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S8E11: 2004 racing year in review with Bredar, Cherwa, Paquette
12/27/2024
S8E11: 2004 racing year in review with Bredar, Cherwa, Paquette
From Thorpedo Anna’s charismatic campaign to Mystik Dan’s unlikely Kentucky Derby victory to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s return to Churchill Downs. The racing year 2024 is reviewed by a media panel on this episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Racing analyst Caton Bredar of FanDuel TV, track announcer Jessica Paquette of Parx Racing and turf writer John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times go over the top stories, memories and personalities of the year. The panel has its opinions about the horse of the year between Thorpedo Anna and Fierceness as well as the top 3-year-old male between Fierceness and Sierra Leone. Favorite moments of the year range from the Triple Crown to the Breeders’ Cup, and top contenders for the human Eclipse Awards are in the conversational mix. Off-the-track matters are also discussed, including the end of Baffert’s suspension by Churchill Downs Inc., the decline of racing in California and the growing pains of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S8E10: Hold all presents: a holiday with Collmus, Allen, Nelson
12/20/2024
S8E10: Hold all presents: a holiday with Collmus, Allen, Nelson
The eighth annual holiday episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod celebrates Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and even Festivus with three racetrack announcers. Larry Collmus, the longtime voice of the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup on NBC, checks in on the heels of his assignment as the autumn announcer at Del Mar as well as his year-round appearances as a racing analyst on FanDuel TV. Paul Allen not only discusses his work at Canterbury Park but also some of his experiences as the play-by-play voice of the Minnesota Vikings, a job that won him praise as a “national treasure” from none other than LeBron James. Keith Nelson is familiar to racing fans in the Midwest as the caller at FanDuel Sportsbook and Racing, the track formerly known as Fairmount Park. He talks about his coming up as an announcer and the decades he has known host Ron Flatter going back to their early days in the ’70s in Northern California radio. The stories run the gamut from best calls to strangest announcing experiences and even to favorite movies from which they often recite familiar dialog. John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times offers his perspective on the holiday season, comparing odd tales of what they have witnessed in all their years and miles of flying on commercial airlines. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S8E9: Snake, Eoin, Prince, Bidwell & Waskesiu
12/13/2024
S8E9: Snake, Eoin, Prince, Bidwell & Waskesiu
A football star-turned-horse owner, a trainer having a renaissance in Kentucky Derby preps, a Pick 5 on Saturday at Gulfstream Park and the botched pronunciation of a horse are topics on the table for this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Former Pro Bowl quarterback Jake Delhomme talks about his love of the game, and that would be Thoroughbred racing. He discusses a little football and his 12 years as a stable owner but also the two horses he has running this weekend on Louisiana Champions day. Touchuponastar and Mangum could be returning with Delhomme to a familiar place for all of them, namely the winner’s circle at Fair Grounds. Trainer Eoin Harty has won Kentucky Derby preps this fall with First Resort in the Grade 1 Kentucky Jockey Club and Poster in the Remsen (G2). He discusses the path to perhaps his first Derby starter in 14 years and how Godolphin has helped him get some 2-year-old standouts in his barn. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch has weekend handicapping for the last five races Saturday at Gulfstream Park along with some thoughts about the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), a Derby points prep the same day. He and Flatter also serve up a creative way to say the name of a horse who Levitch likes. Co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times will offer his highlights and perspective from the Global Symposium on Racing in Tucson, Ariz., and he will help digest a sad chapter this week involving a fire in Flatter’s hometown Chico, Calif. Oh, yes. There will be a word or two about the Kentucky Derby points preps, namely the Remington Springboard Mile in Oklahoma and the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) in California. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S8E8: Light up a robust, flavorful Cigar Mile
12/06/2024
S8E8: Light up a robust, flavorful Cigar Mile
Four Grade 1 winners. Five millionaires. One big race. This weekend’s Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct is punching above the weight of a December race, and it is the feature of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Fox Sports and New York Racing Association racing analyst Richard Migliore will discuss the build-up to the race and how it came up so big. He also will talk about the other graded stakes on Saturday’s card, including the Remsen Stakes (G2), a Kentucky Derby prep that last year produced championship contenders Dornoch and Sierra Leone. Trainer Rodolphe Brisset, who will saddle morning-line favorite Mullikin in the Cigar Mile, will look ahead not only to this weekend’s feature but also to Liam in the Dust’s bid to win the Demoiselle (G2), a points prep for the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Super Screener creator Mike Shutty will handicap the Remsen, the Demoiselle and, of course, the Cigar Mile. Co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times will offer his perspective on the newly filed lawsuit by Churchill Downs Inc. and NYRA against the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. He also will help go through listener and reader feedback. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S8E7: Guess who’s coming to Churchill Downs
11/29/2024
S8E7: Guess who’s coming to Churchill Downs
The long Thanksgiving holiday brings the traditional changing of the Thoroughbred seasons in Kentucky, and that is the focus of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod from Churchill Downs. TV analyst Kaitlin Free provides insight into the Clark Stakes and the Kentucky Jockey Club as well as her overarching thoughts on the fall meet that ends this weekend. She also offers some handicapping thoughts about the Turfway Park synthetic-track season that starts next week. Horse Racing Nation handicapper Mark Midland has tips for the Clark, the Mrs. Revere, the Kentucky Jockey Club and the Golden Rod stakes, including advice for how to play the races as part of multi-race wagers. This episode also features a special segment on Wednesday’s debut of $3.2 million colt Barnes, who won by a head taking his first step toward a possible date back at Churchill Downs on May 3 for Kentucky Derby 2025. Listener and reader feedback also gets the once-over with Los Angeles Times turf writer John Cherwa providing perspective. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S8E6: Oscar Gonzales: From groom to Calif. Horse Racing Board
11/22/2024
S8E6: Oscar Gonzales: From groom to Calif. Horse Racing Board
In the second of two episodes featuring politicians who are friends of racing, California Horse Racing Board vice chairman Oscar Gonzales is the guest this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. As the leading proponent to protect racing in Northern California, Gonzales has helped in the launch of the Golden State Racing meet this fall at Pleasanton, the track that is filling the void after the closing of Golden Gate Fields five months ago. He discusses the challenges the meet faces and why he is optimistic that it and the rest of the state can succeed with concurrent calendars in both halves of California. A former assistant secretary of agriculture under President Joe Biden, Gonzales is a lifelong Democrat who also served on the department’s staff in the Obama administration. His career in politics came after he worked at racetracks and farms around California. “Once a groom,” he said, “always a groom.” Gonzales talks about the horses he has laid his hands on, the ones that grew his love for the game. Last week, retiring Kentucky state senator Damon Thayer, a Republican from Georgetown, was featured. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S8E5: Damon Thayer, the gentleman from Kentucky
11/15/2024
S8E5: Damon Thayer, the gentleman from Kentucky
Who are some of the movers and shakers in racing whose names might be known to fans and horseplayers, but their work might have been taken for granted? Two politicians who are friends of racing are featured this week and next on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Retiring Kentucky state senate floor majority leader Damon Thayer, a Republican from Georgetown, has been considered on both sides of the aisle a friend and advocate of racing. He has been a guiding prod for tax breaks and other financial incentives to promote breeding and ownership in his home state, the spread of historic horse-racing machines that have stoked race purses as well as the advent of penny-breakage reform that has put money back in the pockets of horseplayers. This episode goes beyond a listing of Thayer’s accomplishments in his 22 years since there is plenty of talk about racing memories that turned him into such a fan of the sport. Next week, California Horse Racing Board member Oscar Gonzales, a Democrat from Rosemead, will be featured. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S8E4: Post-Breeders’ Cup drinking game
11/08/2024
S8E4: Post-Breeders’ Cup drinking game
The annual Breeders’ Cup hangover episode featuring a stream-of-consciousness or unconsciousness review of the 14 championships comes to pass this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times joins Flatter to go over each race in the hours after Breeders’ Cup wrapped up at Del Mar. Of course this is done over a couple glasses of wine, perhaps explaining how many times the two of them use the phrases “good guy” and “great guy.” This episode includes discussions about the likelihood of Thorpedo Anna being horse of the year and a debate over whether $7 million Classic winner Sierra Leone rose to the level of top 3-year-old male of 2024. The usual domination of Europe horses in turf races is fodder for conversation, and so are the disappointing results for Japan horses as well as City Of Troy in the Classic. The emergence of some new faces among the winning trainers brings to mind all the good and great men and women whom Cherwa and Flatter reference, inspiring what could be a whole new drinking game. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S8E3: This Breeders’ Cup episode includes gifts
11/01/2024
S8E3: This Breeders’ Cup episode includes gifts
Not quite a thousand stars, but that is the aim from Del Mar for the latest Breeders’ Cup episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. FanDuel TV’s Mike Joyce leads off to discuss what he has learned this week hosting breakfast shows during training for the 14 Breeders’ Cup races. He offers some analysis of finer points for the championship tests. A cavalcade of trainers comes next with D. Wayne Lukas discussing Seize the Grey in the Dirt Mile, assistant Justin Atkins outlines the reasons dirt stayer Next was aimed for the Classic and not the Turf, Brad Cox looks back on the career of Idiomatic and forward to his four horses who will race Friday and Saturday, and Todd Pletcher gets into specifics about Fierceness in his bid to win the $7 million Classic. Australia sports and entertainment reporter Brad Blanks, who is based in New York, offers his viewpoint as a horseplayer and man about town on this week’s social and racing scene. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch has an emphasis on the Classic and says which two horses he is leaning toward in his betting. Co-host John Cherwa helps distill the feedback on last week’s column about potential future sites for the Breeders’ Cup. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S8E2: Breeders’ Cup hard-core handicappers pop-up
10/29/2024
S8E2: Breeders’ Cup hard-core handicappers pop-up
For the eighth year in a row, the Breeders’ Cup is featured on a hard-core handicappers episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. The show is anchored from the press box at Del Mar, where cool weather is forecast for the championship cards Friday and Saturday. Each of the 14 races will be analyzed in depth by a panel of three expert handicappers. Mark Midland and Ed DeRosa provide their expertise from Horse Racing Nation’s home in Louisville, Ky. DraftKings sportsbook director Johnny Avello offers his tips from the office of DK Horse in Las Vegas. The panel will take turns offering individual views on the five races Friday and nine Saturday with a discussion between them when the debate warrants. They also will have tips on each of the championships as well as a summation of their best bets at the end of the episode. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Google and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S8E1: Breeders’ Cup & was it something I wrote?
10/25/2024
S8E1: Breeders’ Cup & was it something I wrote?
Breeders’ Cup handicapping, a controversial column and even the presidential election are the topics on this week’s seventh-anniversary episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Steve Kornacki from NBC Sports and NBC News is not only providing analysis from his big board for the championships next week, but he also discusses his day job that has him absorbed in the Nov. 4 election. Battleground states and battleground horse races get the once over, especially his thoughts about Thorpedo Anna vs. Idiomatic in the Distaff. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen offers insights about his five Breeders’ Cup entrants, including Turf Sprint standout Cogburn and how he will do against leading Europe contender Bradsell. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty not only handicaps Saturday’s Mother Goose Stakes at Aqueduct, he has some angles he will be pursuing next Friday and Saturday when the two big days will unfold at Del Mar. Feedback is about the column last Friday calling out over-the-line criticism of jockey Luan Machado’s finish line mistake last week at Keeneland and the idea that it could be the start of a more troublesome trend that has mushroomed in sports gambling. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S7E56: Perfect attendance at Breeders’ Cup + The Everest
10/18/2024
S7E56: Perfect attendance at Breeders’ Cup + The Everest
Breeders’ Cup renewals past and future and the richest turf race in the world are the main topics this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. TV’s Amy Zimmerman and photographer Skip Dickstein are among the very few people who have been to every Breeders’ Cup since the championships began in 1984. They reminisce about the inaugural running at Hollywood Park and some of their experiences since, including how their streaks were not interrupted by COVID in 2020. The Everest, a Group 1 sprint worth US$13 million, will be run late night Friday into Saturday morning U.S. time at Royal Randwick in Sydney. Bella Nipotina is one of the top contenders in the race. She is owned by partners led by her breeder Michael Christian. Also a media personality and Australian-rules football executive, he discusses the race and why it has been able to prosper using the template established by the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1). Horse Racing Nation handicapper Ed DeRosa takes an early snapshot of next month’s Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar and also handicaps weekend graded stakes at Keeneland and Woodbine. Listener and reader feedback is focused on last week’s column about why City Of Troy will not win the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S7E55: Breeders’ Cup and an excused absence
10/11/2024
S7E55: Breeders’ Cup and an excused absence
The Breeders’ Cup is only three weeks away, and it is the focus of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. With City Of Troy, Forever Young, Ushba Tesoro and Derma Sotogake being flown to Del Mar to challenge the top U.S. horses in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, how might they fare? NBC Sports’ Nick Luck checks in from England to offer a scouting report on those horses as well as other international contenders for the other championship races Nov. 1 and 2. She Feels Pretty got to the Breeders’ Cup last year. This weekend she is the morning-line favorite for the Grade 1, $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on the turf at Keeneland. Her trainer Cherie DeVaux offers her thoughts about the race and her possibilities to race at Del Mar next month. With weekend racing in his sights, Horse Racing Nation handicapper Ed DeRosa offers his tips for the QEII Cup as well as the Sands Point (G2) at Belmont at the Big A and the Breeders’ Classic for West Virginia-bred 2-year-old fillies at Charles Town. Listener feedback about Mike Repole’s latest call for racing reform will be sampled with guest co-host Louie Rabaut. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S7E54: Racing’s answer to championship week
10/04/2024
S7E54: Racing’s answer to championship week
The last 15 U.S. qualifiers for the Breeders’ Cup will be run before the weekend is over, and they are the focus this week as the Ron Flatter Racing Pod originates from Keeneland. Track executive and hall-of-fame horseplayer Jim Goodman offers a snapshot of Grade 1 races including the Breeders’ Futurity, the Turf Mile and the Spinster. He also offers an overarching view of the win-and-you’re-in races at Keeneland, Belmont at Aqueduct and Santa Anita. Trainer Gustavo Delgado, who won the Kentucky Derby last year with Mage, discusses Ferocious, the morning-line favorite for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity on Saturday at Keeneland. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch will have tips on part of the big menu this weekend, including three graded stakes at Keeneland and two at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet. John Cherwa joins in to field listener and reader feedback about last week’s small fields for big races. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S7E53: California Crown, and we found an influencer
09/27/2024
S7E53: California Crown, and we found an influencer
The inaugural California Crown day at Santa Anita on Saturday is the focus of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. XBTV’s Zoe Cadman checks in from California to preview the Grade 1, $1 million race, which features Bob Baffert-trained Muth and National Treasure. She also discusses some of the highlights on the undercard as well as some Breeders’ Cup possibilities who will be competing for trophies at Del Mar in just five weeks. Trainer Todd Fincher has Señor Buscador in the California Crown. He talks about the run his horse has had for owner Joe Peacock, including his victory in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) and how he has brought the 6-year-old back from that trip to the Middle East. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty, who is based in California, offers his handicapping insights on the California Crown plus three other stakes at Santa Anita, Belmont at Aqueduct and Churchill Downs. He also clues us in on a social-media influencer in his family. John Cherwa joins in to sample listener and reader feedback on this upcoming stakes weekend as well as last week’s column that praised the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority for its role in exposing the wrongdoing of a testing laboratory at the University of Kentucky. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com. This week’s episode is sponsored by Xpressbet, host of the inaugural California Crown Betting Championship on Saturday. For details on how to enter, go to xpressbet.com/tournaments.
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S7E52: $1 million for Penn Derby & 73 cents for what?
09/20/2024
S7E52: $1 million for Penn Derby & 73 cents for what?
The Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion Stakes are the last Grade 1 chances for 3-year-old dirt routers to compete in their own divisions. With Thorpedo Anna among them, they will race for $1 million in each of those races Saturday at Parx. That is the focus of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Track announcer and sometimes handicapper Jessica Paquette provides local insight into what could be a wide-open running of the Penn Derby featuring red hot Dragoon Guard, Santa Anita Derby (G1) victor Stronghold and Preakness winner Seize the Grey. She also will discuss Thorpedo Anna in the Cotillion and staying phenom Next in the 1 1/2-mile Greenwood Cup (G3). There also may be some talk about human marathons. Trainer Phil D’Amato talks about Stronghold, who was a troubled second to Dragoon Guard last out in the Indiana Derby (G3). He also has an update on his undefeated filly Iscreamuscream. Horse Racing Nation handicapper Mark Midland weighs in with betting advice for four stakes on the Penn Derby card, including the two Grade 1s. John Cherwa discusses the disgraced University of Kentucky testing laboratory and helps distill the feedback about last week’s interview with Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen. One never knows, too, what may play after the closing credits, especially since Cherwa had a hard time believing what costs 73 cents. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com. This week’s episode is sponsored by Xpressbet, host of the inaugural California Crown Betting Championship next Saturday. For details on how to enter, go to xpressbet.com/tournaments.
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S7E51: Exclusive: Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen
09/13/2024
S7E51: Exclusive: Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen
An exclusive interview with Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen is the feature this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Carstanjen provided 45 minutes of his time to answer a wide range of questions at CDI’s corporate headquarters in Louisville, Ky. He discusses long-range plans for the company’s racing properties as well as snapshot of Churchill’s casino and online gaming components. He also talks about the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority with all its nuances, the end of the suspension of trainer Bob Baffert, the successful spread of historic horse-racing machines, the controversial closing of Arlington Park, plans for the continued expansion of the Churchill Downs racetrack and what it is like to be the boss on Kentucky Derby day. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch offers tips on weekend races at Churchill Downs including the Iroquois Stakes (G3), the first points prep for Kentucky Derby 2025. Co-host John Cherwa reacts to the interview with Carstanjen. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S7E50: Couch surfing from Del Mar to Ky. Downs to Colonial
09/06/2024
S7E50: Couch surfing from Del Mar to Ky. Downs to Colonial
Closing weekend at Del Mar, big-money races at Kentucky Downs and the Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs fill a busy weekend that gets the attention of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Getaway Car is the favorite for Sunday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity, a race that has produced seven Kentucky Derby winners. SF Racing managing partner Tom Ryan discusses the process he and trainer Bob Baffert use to identify the best 2-year-olds in hopes they make repeated trips to the winner’s circle. The Virginia Derby caps the summer season at Colonial Downs. It also signals the dawning of a new era at the track, which will host a Kentucky Derby points prep in March. Jill Byrne of the Virginia Equine Alliance checks in with a snapshot of how and why racing in her state is on the rise. Horse Racing Nation handicapper Ed DeRosa offers tips for the Virginia Derby plus stakes at Kentucky Downs and Del Mar. John Cherwa joins Ron to go over the feedback from last week’s interview with jockey Juan Hernández. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S7E49: Girl meets boys 2.0
08/30/2024
S7E49: Girl meets boys 2.0
The Labor Day holiday brings the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar, opening week at Kentucky Downs and closing weekend at Saratoga. They also are conversation starters this week for the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. FanDuel TV’s Christina Blacker offers local knowledge from Del Mar, including her assessment of the summer season and her thoughts about the mare Adare Manor taking on males Saturday in the Pacific Classic. Adare Manor’s jockey Juan Hernández discusses the race and his success in both Northern and Southern California. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty has weekend handicapping for Del Mar, Kentucky Downs and Saratoga. John Cherwa joins Ron to field listener and reader feedback about last week’s Travers (G1) and trainer Kenny McPeek’s plan to ease Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan back to racing this winter. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S7E48: Stars of Travers, Del Mar & customs
08/23/2024
S7E48: Stars of Travers, Del Mar & customs
Thorpedo Anna’s run against males and The Chosen Vron’s bid for a seventh consecutive victory provide transcontinental topics for this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. At Saratoga, trainer Kenny McPeek discusses Thorpedo Anna’s start Saturday in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes, a race that has not been won by a filly in 109 years. He also provides an update on Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan. At Del Mar, trainer Eric Kruljac talks about The Chosen Vron, who races Saturday in the Pat O’Brien (G2). He also outlines the long-term strategy of how he plans to get the 6-year-old gelding to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint this fall on the same track as this weekend’s race. Horse Racing Nation’s Ed DeRosa handicaps the Travers, the Pat O’Brien and the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1). John Cherwa joins Ron to go through some of the listener and reader feedback from the past week. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S7E47: A retiring trainer & the great Plate north
08/16/2024
S7E47: A retiring trainer & the great Plate north
From a retiring trainer to a classic preview to weekend tips. They are part of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Karl Broberg spent 15 years running his stable and had a run as North America’s winningest trainer. He explains the reasons and challenges that have led him to leave the role. He speaks openly about the problems that drove him to this decision and what he plans to do next to keep his hand in the game. Racing analyst Elissa Blowe and track announcer Robert Geller check in from Woodbine to preview the 165th King’s Plate, Canada’s first Triple Crown race of 2024. They will talk about the full field for Saturday’s race and offer their thoughts on who may win. Horse Racing Nation’s Mark Midland has weekend handicapping as he scans a menu that includes the Grade 1 Alabama card at Saratoga, the King’s Plate and the Del Mar Oaks (G1). Co-host John Cherwa also joins the show to help with feedback from listeners and readers, including their reaction to Colonial Downs adding a Kentucky Derby points prep next year. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S7E46: Arlington Million, Saratoga are podcaster’s dream
08/09/2024
S7E46: Arlington Million, Saratoga are podcaster’s dream
The Grade 1 Arlington Million is Sunday at Colonial Downs. Even though the race and the journey there were pushed back a day because of tropical storm Debby, the Ron Flatter Racing Pod was not. This episode originates from the road to Virginia. Track announcer and podcast host Jason Beem offers his insights into the Million, the Beverly D. (G2) and the Secretariat (G2), the three traditional graded stakes that anchor Sunday’s card. He also has some stories about the odd places he has recorded podcasts and called races. Trainer Graham Motion discusses the decision process for his horses who are cross-entered at Colonial Downs, Saratoga and Woodbine. They include Trikari, Mission of Joy and Highland Chief. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch has tips for the Million, the Fourstardave (G1), the Saratoga Derby (G1) and the Saratoga Special (G2). John Cherwa and Ron go over feedback from the past week, including reaction to Bob Baffert’s thought that Adare Manor could go against males this month in the Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar, and there is something completely different at the beginning and end of this episode. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com
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S7E45: Whitney, Hirsch, Hambo & the overrated
08/02/2024
S7E45: Whitney, Hirsch, Hambo & the overrated
Three big race days at three big tracks share the focus this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. The Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes featuring Pegasus World Cup (G1) and Met Mile (G1) winner National Treasure is one of the Saratoga races discussed by New York Racing Association TV analyst Acacia Clément. She also will touch on the Test (G1), the Saratoga Derby (G1) and Cogburn in the Troy (G2). The Clement L. Hirsch (G1) at Del Mar could be the race of the weekend featuring Adare Manor and Eclipse Award winner Pretty Mischievous, who is trained by Brendan Walsh. He will talk about the difference between last year and this year for his champion filly and what she needs to do to win this weekend. The $1 million Hambletonian, U.S. harness racing’s biggest event, gets the attention of Horse Racing Nation handicapper Ed DeRosa. He also has tips for the Hirsch, the Whitney and the Test. John Cherwa and Ron go over feedback that is dominated by responses to Kenny McPeek’s decision to send division-leading filly Thorpedo Anna against the boys this month in the Travers (G1). John also reveals his candidate for the most overrated horse in training. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S7E44: Lighting cauldron in New York & Paris
07/26/2024
S7E44: Lighting cauldron in New York & Paris
Covering someone racing at Saratoga and someone who covers horse racing from the site of the Paris Olympics. They are part of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Jockey Jaime Torres talks about his ride Saturday on Preakness winner Seize the Grey in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga. He talks about having to go against Sierra Leone and Fierceness in a race that could shape next month’s Travers (G1). He also tells the story of a personal rivalry with a long shot in the Jim Dandy field as well as the ambitions that could have had him in France right now. Turf writer Scott Burton of Racing Post has been based for 17 years in Paris, where he will get to treat the Olympics as a home game. He talks about some of the experiences he already has had dealing with the games being in his back yard. He also has some tips for the King George (G1) on Saturday at Ascot, England. Horse Racing Nation handicapper Mark Midland will handicap weekend races, and John Cherwa helps Ron sift through feedback about last week’s interview with Mike Repole and the end of Bob Baffert’s three-year suspension by Churchill Downs. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S7E43: Repole and the Del Mar singers
07/19/2024
S7E43: Repole and the Del Mar singers
Opening day at Del Mar and the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park are the focus of this week’s episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Mike Repole, who owns the favorite Mindframe and Eclipse Award winner Fierceness, discusses his thinking into whether to send both horses to the post Saturday for the Haskell. He also talks about having that race and the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) next weekend at Saratoga so close together. He also has some candid thoughts about some of the first steps racing can take to turn the sport in the right direction. Workout analyst Bruno De Julio checks in from his trackside clocking work to provide his perspective on the West Coast’s most popular meet, including storylines that horseplayers may want to pursue this summer. He also talks about undefeated Medoro’s bid to win the San Clemente (G2), the opening-day feature at Del Mar Super Screener creator Mike Shutty is back to offer tips for the Haskell, the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga and undercard stakes Saturday at both tracks. Co-host John Cherwa joins Ron to go through the past week’s listener and reader feedback, and there may be a surprise or two from some unlikely singers of Del Mar’s signature song. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S7E42: They’re off at Saratoga
07/12/2024
S7E42: They’re off at Saratoga
The opening at Saratoga 2024 and Saturday’s Grade 1 Diana Stakes are front and center on this week’s episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. TV analyst Maggie Wolfendale Morley of Fox Sports and the New York Racing Association discusses some of the most-anticipated races this summer, including next month’s Travers (G1) as well as the early highlights of the meet. Trainer Ignacio Correas IV talks about his mare Didia, a recent Grade 1 winner who faces nine rivals including five from the Chad Brown barn this weekend in the Diana. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch returns to offer tips for Saratoga as well as his look ahead to the rest of the Saratoga summer. Co-host John Cherwa joins Ron to go through the past week’s listener and reader feedback. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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