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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S8E31 Taking lessons from Derby to Preakness
05/09/2025
S8E31 Taking lessons from Derby to Preakness
Lessons learned from the Kentucky Derby are applied to Preakness 2025 on this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. A familiar voice in the tri-state area, Mike Francesa talks about his successful exacta play pairing Sovereignty and Journalism last week in the Derby. He also talks about his relationship as a horse owner with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and the decision to leave Sovereignty out of the Preakness. He even has some thoughts about the election of Pope Leo XIV. The nation’s leading workout analyst Bruno De Julio reviews some of the clues he saw in the morning that he applied to the Derby. He certainly had his successes, but he also admits to something he did not see coming. Of course he also weighs in on the scuttling of a Triple Crown opportunity in 2025. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty had a successful Derby, and he already is looking ahead with angles for the Preakness. He also handicaps Saturday’s key stakes in the Belmont at Aqueduct meet, including the Grade 2 Ruffian for older fillies and mares and the Peter Pan (G3), the traditional prep for the Belmont Stakes. Co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times reviews the Derby, looks ahead to the Preakness and offers his reaction to some of the listener and reader feedback about whether the Triple Crown schedule needs to be changed. 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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S8E30: A Kentucky Derby cast of thousands, or 13
05/02/2025
S8E30: A Kentucky Derby cast of thousands, or 13
From Churchill Downs, a big lineup of guests discusses Kentucky Derby 2025 on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. FanDuel TV’s Caton Bredar, who lives in Louisville, Ky., tees up the show with her overarching view of the Derby and some of the horses she is looking at for her tickets. Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners talks about Derby favorite Journalism. He also discusses 4-year-old Locked, who will take on Fierceness on Friday in the Grade 1 Alysheba Stakes. Wayne Lukas trains American Promise, the Virginia Derby winner, for new owners John Bellinger of Texas and Brian Coelho of California. Kate Hunter, the Japan liaison to big U.S. races, talks about Luxor Café and Admire Daytona. Mike Repole, the self-anointed commissioner of racing. He discusses Fierceness against Locked in the Alysheba and lightly raced Grande in the Derby and maybe a word or two about the Florida decoupling proposal that may not get out of the state Senate. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen has Louisiana Derby winner Tiztastic with Joel Rosario riding and the maiden Publisher, the runner-up in the Arkansas Derby who gets jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. Jayson Werth, the former Major League Baseball all-star who won the Belmont Stakes last year with Dornoch, owns long shot Flying Mohawk, the runner-up in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) The Paddock Prince David Levitch will have his angles to discuss and some tips for betting Kentucky Derby 151. Hard-core handicappers Mark Midland and Ed DeRosa of Horse Racing Nation and Johnny Avello of DK Horse will be along with their tips for Friday’s Kentucky Oaks (G1). Co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times has his thoughts since he arrived this week on the Derby scene. 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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S8E29: Pop-up with Kentucky Derby hard-core handicappers
04/27/2025
S8E29: Pop-up with Kentucky Derby hard-core handicappers
Deep analysis of every horse in Kentucky Derby 2025 is ready to hear now with the hard-core handicappers pop-up episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Horse Racing Nation handicappers Ed DeRosa and Mark Midland and DraftKings Sportsbook director Johnny Avello in Las Vegas go through the entire field from the favorite Journalism to the longest of long shots. They evaluate every horse from 1 to 20 plus no. 21 Baeza, who could add to the four also-eligibles who have shown up in the superfecta since the Derby points era began 12 years ago. How will they play the favorite Journalism? Will Sovereign and Sandman figure prominently on their tickets? Who are the tosses, and who are the value plays? The panel answers all those questions The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is posted every Friday with pop-ups like this one for Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup races. It is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
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S8E28: You are listening live to 2 HofF’ers
04/25/2025
S8E28: You are listening live to 2 HofF’ers
Two Hall of Famers and a successful handicapper line up to preview Kentucky Derby 2025 this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Six-time Derby winner Bob Baffert discusses his Grade 2 Wood Memorial winner Rodríguez, 2024 champion juvenile male Citizen Bull and his return to Churchill Downs with a lineup of horses for more than just the Derby. Brent Musburger, who was just announced as the Pete Rozelle Award winner by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, talks about some of his memorable visits to the Derby as well as his handicapping thoughts for next Saturday. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty offers some of the overarching views he has about the run for the roses, especially the anticipated pace of the race and how to grade Japan runners Luxor Café and Admire Daytona. Co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times joins in the 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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S8E27: Kentucky Derby talk with Cox, Hazelton and Midland
04/18/2025
S8E27: Kentucky Derby talk with Cox, Hazelton and Midland
From Churchill Downs, Kentucky Derby 2025 talk intensifies on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox discusses Grade 1 Florida Derby winner Tappan Street and Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) victor Final Gambit, his two horses for the Derby. He also talks about undefeated Good Cheer, who will be the favorite in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). FanDuel TV’s Scott Hazelton offers his early thoughts on handicapping the Derby, especially the horses he has watched in the flesh as well as Luxor Café and Admire Daytona, the two colts from Japan who he will be seeing for the first time. He also talks about Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s return to the race that he has won six times and whether he sees a seventh trophy going back to Southern California. Horse Racing Nation’s Mark Midland handicaps two Preakness qualifiers at Oaklawn and Laurel Park as well as the graded stakes Saturday at Keeneland. He also has some early thoughts about the Kentucky Derby. Co-host John Cherwa joins to field listener and reader feedback and throw his $2 worth into the Derby conversation. 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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S8E26: Look who's back: Zipse with Casse, DeRosa and Derby talk
04/11/2025
S8E26: Look who's back: Zipse with Casse, DeRosa and Derby talk
Three weeks before Kentucky Derby 2025, America’s biggest race dominates the discussion on this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Brian Zipse, the longtime co-host of HorseCenter, makes his first appearance since he was sidelined with severe hearing loss. Thanks to technology, he is able to field questions about the Derby, his trip Saturday to see Thorpedo Anna in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn and how he has been doing. U.S. and Canada hall of famer Mark Casse talks about the horses he is training in the Derby and the Kentucky Oaks (G1), namely Arkansas Derby (G1) victor Sandman and Ashland (G1) winner La Cara. He also touches on some of the political issues facing horse racing. Ed DeRosa offers some broad brushstrokes about his betting strategy for the Kentucky Derby and specifics on how he is playing three graded stakes this weekend at Keeneland. Co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times checks in from Florida to hlep field 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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S8E25: Dutrow, Jaime and Shutty & 3 Kentucky Derby preps
04/04/2025
S8E25: Dutrow, Jaime and Shutty & 3 Kentucky Derby preps
With only four weeks left until Kentucky Derby 2025, the last three major qualifying preps have the attention of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Derby-winning trainer Rick Dutrow discusses Captain Cook, one of the top contenders in what is expected to be a wet running Saturday of the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Dutrow talks about whether the weather will benefit his colt and how the race will be run. He also talks about the two years he has been back in racing after his 10-year suspension ended. FanDuel TV analyst Joaquin Jaime looks at the overall Kentucky Derby picture, including the showdown between consensus futures favorite Journalism and Eclipse Award winner Citizen Bull in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on Saturday. There also will be conversation about the Wood and about Tuesday’s Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty zeroes in on each of the three Derby qualifiers, and co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times checks in from California to field 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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S8E24: Fla. & Ark. derbies + a tribute to Bryce Miller
03/28/2025
S8E24: Fla. & Ark. derbies + a tribute to Bryce Miller
Handicapping of Kentucky Derby 2025 qualifiers this weekend and a tribute to the late San Diego columnist Bryce Miller take center stage on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Del Mar president Joe Harper offers a tribute to Miller, whose turf writing took him from the seaside track to Triple Crown races to Breeders’ Cups. Colleagues reminisce about a newspaper career that took Miller from his native Iowa to USA Today to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Former sports editor Jay Posner and podcast co-host and Los Angeles Times contributor John Cherwa share stories about their working with Miller. Highlights of a 2022 interview with Miller will be replayed, including an infamous story about an Iowa man whose embarrassment about something he left in his car led him to a $2.2 million lottery win. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch focuses on the Florida Derby and the Arkansas Derby, this weekend’s Grade 1 races that are automatic qualifiers for Churchill Downs in May. He also has tips for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) preps at Gulfstream Park and Oaklawn. 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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S8E23: Big Kentucky Derby preps and, sigh, Florida
03/21/2025
S8E23: Big Kentucky Derby preps and, sigh, Florida
On the track, off the track and at the window. They are the three stages for this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. The biggest preps for Kentucky Derby 2025 begin Saturday. Reigning champion jockey Flavien Prat has the ride on John Hancock, the undefeated colt who is the morning-line favorite for the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. Prat discusses that race and his assignment on Eclipse Award winner Sierra Leone in the New Orleans Classic (G2). This week’s vote in a legislative committee to advance the potential decoupling of Gulfstream Park’s racing and slot-machine licenses is discussed by National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association CEO Eric Hamelback. He explains why every horse-racing state should be concerned about what happens in Florida. Handicapper Ed DeRosa offers tips for this weekend’s Louisiana Derby and Muniz Memorial Classic presented by Horse Racing Nation (G2) at Fair Grounds and the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), Turfway Park’s win-and-you’re-in qualifier for the Kentucky Derby. Co-host John Cherwa joins in the analysis of listener and reader feedback on the Florida decoupling controversy. 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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S8E22: Yes, Virginia, there is a Kentucky Derby prep
03/14/2025
S8E22: Yes, Virginia, there is a Kentucky Derby prep
A new Kentucky Derby 2025 prep, how racing is reacting to tariffs and decoupling and the National Horseplayers Championship are the subjects in the spotlight on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Colonial Downs hosts this weekend’s $500,000 Virginia Derby, a qualifier for the run for the roses May 3. Churchill Downs Inc. vice president of racing Gary Palmisano Jr. talks about the race, the ongoing rise of the sport in Virginia and his family legacy that continues to drive him. From federal tariffs to the proposed decoupling of racing and slot machines at Gulfstream Park, National Thoroughbred Racing Association CEO Tom Rooney provides an update. He also previews this weekend’s 26th annual NHC in Las Vegas, where an $800,000 first prize and an Eclipse Award will go to the winner. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty handicaps the Virginia Derby and the Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs and the Grade 3 Whitmore Stakes at Oaklawn. John Cherwa joins in the conversation generated by listener and reader feedback from the past week, including reaction to the retirement of Del Mar announcer Trevor Denman. 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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S8E21: Proposal for world racing event + Ky. Derby prep
03/07/2025
S8E21: Proposal for world racing event + Ky. Derby prep
Seizing on the momentum of eye-catching events the Grade 1 Saudi Cup and the Four Nations hockey tournament, is the timing right for the World Riding Championship of Thoroughbred Racing? The concept catches the spotlight this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Leon Nichols and Calvin Davis, the founders of the Project to Preserve African-American Turf History, return to the podcast in their roles with Bet the World Entertainment. The proposal to bring together an international cast of horses, trainers and riders has received endorsements at the same time as it faces obstacles. Nichols and Davis discuss these matters in depth. California Horse Racing Board vice chair Oscar Gonzales also joins the panel to discuss the proposal for what is envisioned as a global event. Mark Midland handicaps weekend races including the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby, a virtual win-and-you’re-in qualifier for Kentucky Derby 2025. Listener and reader feedback is focused on last week’s column calling for a more balanced scheduling of Kentucky Derby points preps. To keep up with developments with the World Riding Championship, go to the ppaath.net. 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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S8E20: 3 Kentucky Derby preps + 1 rant
02/28/2025
S8E20: 3 Kentucky Derby preps + 1 rant
At least three more spots in the Churchill Downs gate are likely to be decided this weekend with important Kentucky Derby 2025 points races at Gulfstream Park, Aqueduct and Santa Anita. They get the spotlight on this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Racetrack personality Eddie the Hat Wilson checks in from Los Angeles to talk about Barnes’s return to the Derby trail for trainer Bob Baffert in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes. He also discusses the future of racing in California, Baffert’s return to Churchill Downs and an overarching view of the Derby trail. In Florida, trainer Ian Wilkes discusses Burnham Square, the Holy Bull (G3) winner who comes back this weekend in the Fountain of Youth (G2). He offers a long-range view of plans for the gelding as he campaigns for the Florida and Kentucky derbies. Ed DeRosa handicaps races he has chosen from this busy weekend, and co-host John Cherwa joins for feedback from listeners and readers. 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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S8E19: A day late, but still worth a Rebel yell
02/21/2025
S8E19: A day late, but still worth a Rebel yell
It may have been postponed a day, but the Grade 2, $1.25 million Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn should be worth the wait. With a full field of 14 horses, the virtual win-and-you’re-in qualifier for Kentucky Derby 2025 is the focus this week of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Trainer Lonnie Briley, who never has had a graded-stakes victory, is on the doorstep of that and his first Derby horse with three-time stakes winner Coal Battle. He talks about the colt’s journey and his own from the oil fields of Louisiana to a career with Thoroughbreds. Oaklawn announcer Matt Dinerman discusses the challenges of a cold winter in Arkansas as well as his own insights on the Rebel and other stakes on Sunday’s card. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch has tips for an all-stakes Pick 4 ticket Sunday at Oaklawn. Co-host John Cherwa helps to go over listener and reader feedback about the importance of last week’s Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds and jockey Frankie Dettori’s decision to move his tack east from 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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S8E18: Risen Star, East Avenue and Hard Yakka
02/14/2025
S8E18: Risen Star, East Avenue and Hard Yakka
The first of the virtual win-and-you’re-in qualifiers for Kentucky Derby 2025 arrives Saturday with the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. That is where the spotlight is focused for this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Trainer Brendan Walsh discusses morning-line favorite East Avenue, who carried two open-lengths victories into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. That was where a stumbling start doomed him to finish off the board. Walsh discusses how the 3-year-old Godolphin homebred colt has been doing since his disappointment at Del Mar and how he hopes East Avenue’s Grade 1-winning form will show itself again. Fair Grounds track announcer John G. Dooley checks out East Avenue and other contenders in the Risen Star as well as undefeated Good Cheer, who will be favored to win the Rachel Alexandra (G2) and the Kentucky Oaks (G1) first-place qualifying points that go with it. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty offers handicapping tips for the Risen Star and two turf stakes in New Orleans, including the Fair Grounds Stakes presented by Horse Racing Nation (G3) and the Colonel Power sprint. Listener and reader feedback is focused on the Florida bill that would allow Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs to decouple their Thoroughbred and gaming licenses, opening the door for either track to stop racing while still running their slot machines and poker tables. 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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S8E17: Kentucky Derby 2025 mock draft
02/07/2025
S8E17: Kentucky Derby 2025 mock draft
With less than three months before the run for the roses, a mock draft for Kentucky Derby 2025 brings together seven handicapping minds for this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Horse Racing Nation hard-core handicapper and fair-odds author Ed DeRosa will be joined by Chip Gehrke, the Doctor Derby curator of weekly division rankings. Five other media horseplayers take part, including Sara Elbadwi from Fox Sports and the New York Racing Association, Betting on Horse Racing for Dummies author Richard Eng from Las Vegas, Churchill Downs analyst and Turfway Park host Kaitlin Free, turf writer and publicist Alicia Hughes and sports-gambling host and former NFL quarterback Shaun King. The draft will last four rounds to determine who will be best positioned to have the winner among their four horses who could be in the May 3 running of the Derby. Also, co-host John Cherwa discusses the biggest talking points in his Los Angeles Times story this week on the future of horse racing with an emphasis on 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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S8E16: Issues, answers, Derby preps & Von Guapo
01/31/2025
S8E16: Issues, answers, Derby preps & Von Guapo
Kentucky Derby 2025 points preps at Aqueduct, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita have the floor this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. From California, longtime horse owner and public handicapper Jon Lindo offers his thoughts about north-state racing coming to an end, decoupling proposals in Florida and Virginia and small fields for stakes this weekend at Santa Anita. He also previews the Robert B. Lewis, one of Saturday’s Derby points preps. Co-owner Ramiro Restrepo, who won the Kentucky Derby two years ago with Mage, is back with Ferocious, the favorite to win the Grade 3 Holy Bull, the latest Gulfstream Park stop on the road to Louisville. Ed DeRosa handicaps weekend races, including the Bob Lewis, the Holy Bull and the Withers at Aqueduct. Each will be worth 20 Derby qualifying points to the winner. Co-host John Cherwa helps to go over listener and reader feedback, much of which is about the future of Gulfstream Park, the apparent death of Northern California racing and reaction to the Eclipse Awards last week in Florida. 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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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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