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A fortnight before Kentucky Derby 2026, a rematch between Sovereignty and Journalism highlights the weekend as well as the discussion this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Godolphin USA bloodstock director Michael Banahan about reigning horse of the year Sovereignty and his third meeting with Journalism, this time in Saturday's Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap. Sovereignty won both their previous showdowns last year in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes to galvanize his championship case. Banahan discusses the Godolphin homebred colt's return from a seven-month layoff and his strategy for the six-horse stakes this weekend in Arkansas. He also looks back on the decision to skip the Preakness after winning the Kentucky Derby. Economics professor and Thoroughbred owner-player Marshall Gramm talks about the course in horse betting that he has been teaching this spring at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. Handicapper Ed DeRosa has Saturday tips for the Oaklawn Handicap in Arkansas and the Elkhorn (G2) and Ben Ali (G3) at Keeneland. Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park have their popular host chat and take part in a review of listener and reader feedback about the lawsuit filed by White Abarrio's owners over the controversial vet scratch in the 2025 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. 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.

The field is penciled into place for Kentucky Derby 2026 in three weeks at Churchill Downs. It also is set for Saturday's Grade 1, $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn. Both races come into focus this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. U.S. and Canada hall-of-fame trainer Mark Casse discusses Eclipse Award winner Nitrogen's bid to win the Apple Blossom. He also has Oaklawn stakes winner Nerazurri in the race. Casse also discusses his Kentucky Derby contender Silent Tactic and Kentucky Oaks (G1) hopes Counting Stars and Search Party. Horseplayers advocate Chris Larmey talks about his book Betting On Horse$ in an interview at the National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch offers some early thoughts about the Derby as well as weekend tips for Oaklawn. Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park have their popular host chat, and feedback offers listener and reader reaction to last week's interview with former FanDuel TV host Todd Schrupp. 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.

For the first time since he left FanDuel TV in February, racing host and analyst Todd Schrupp breaks his silence, and the last of the major preps for Kentucky Derby 2026 are the focus this week of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Not only does he talk about his exit, but Schrupp also discusses last week's announcement that FDTV will go out of existence by the end of next year. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty handicaps weekend stakes at Aqueduct and Keeneland, and he talks about the Blue Grass (G1), the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and the Wood Memorial (G2), the races that will shape the field for the Kentucky Derby. Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park have their popular host chat, and listener and reader feedback zeroes in on the closing of FDTV. 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.

Two Grade 1 points preps for Kentucky Derby 2026 and a long-range view of the Triple Crown are on offer this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. The $1.5 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn and the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park will send their winners and probably their second-place finishers to run for the roses May 2. Gustavo Delgado Jr., a co-owner and assistant trainer of The Puma, talks about his colt's chances in the Florida Derby and his return to the trail that got Mage into the winner's circle three years ago at Churchill Downs. Handicapper David Levitch analyzes this weekend's cards at Gulfstream Park and Oaklawn and offers a snapshot of his Paddock Prince tips. Eddie Olczyk of NBC Sports offers his impressions of the Triple Crown picture as well as whether racing can capture the same sort of international excitement that he covered in the Olympic hockey competition in Italy. Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park have their popular host chat. 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.

The news of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's decision to split his deep stable between two states is a dominant topic this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park discuss the news that Baffert will have a string of horses during the entire spring meet at Churchill Downs. It will have repercussions in California, where Santa Anita scrambles to fill cards three days a week without an auxiliary gambling source of added revenue. Readers' feedback about Baffert also is on this episode. The Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds is one of Saturday's two win-and-you're-in qualifiers for Kentucky Derby 2026. Trainer Cherie DeVaux talks about her colt Golden Tempo, who carries 7-2 odds into the race. Handicapper Mark Midland zeroes in on the Louisiana Derby card as well as Turfway Park, where Saturday's Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) also will send its winner to the Kentucky Derby. Tom Rooney, the president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, gets into issues affecting the sport. The conversation took place last weekend at the National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas. 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.

From the National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas, past winners discuss present issues for the sport on the first live-ish episode since January of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. David Harrison, Mike Gillum and defending victor Dan Piazza, three of the last four NHC winners, gather in a roundtable to talk about the secrets to their successes. They also weigh tournaments against everyday play in racing and the impact of computer-assisted wagering on their handicapping. Back at the track, trainer Will Walden discusses maiden winner High Camp, who tries to extend his one-turn acumen Saturday in the Virginia Derby, a virtual win-and-you're-in qualifying prep for Kentucky Derby 2026. Walden also discusses his conquering of substance abuse and how his stable has reached out to others who have had similar challenges. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty has tips for Saturday races, including the Virginia Derby, the Grade 3 Whitmore Stakes at Oaklawn and the Captiva Island at Gulfstream Park. John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson from Fairmount Park are along with their weekly host chat, including the latest developments in the bankruptcy story at Hawthorne, the rejection of north-state racing in California and the latest defeat of the decoupling of Thoroughbreds and slot machines in Florida. There also is listener and reader feedback to the evergreen episodes of the podcast that ran in the last six weeks. 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.

Two media professionals who have chronicled their love of the Thoroughbred game are featured this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Tommy Smyth with a Y, who has been a longtime sports personality in New York, discusses his ongoing trips to tracks both in the U.S. and his native Ireland. Smyth voices his concerns about computer bettors and how they have impacted his playing. He also advocates for fixed-odds wagering to be lined up alongside pari-mutuels. Alex Evers, one of racing's top photographers, talks about his frequent trips overseas to shoot races, especially in Hong Kong. He shares memories of stars like Romantic Warrior and Golden Sixty and how his close access to top horses might help him bet. John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson from Fairmount Park are along with their weekly host chat. 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.

Andrew Beyer is the most important pioneer of analytics in horse racing. The legendary turf writer and the creator of Beyer Speed Figures is the featured guest this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Beyer talks about why he made the decision to take his closely guarded formulas and figures that gave him a player's advantage and sell them for public use. He also discusses how his speed figures are best used and perhaps misapplied in modern-day racing. The conversation also turns to how his figures have changed over the years, how they have inspired more analytics and the impact of computer-assisted wager on the game today. John Cherwa from the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park join in with their weekly host chat. 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.

They are as much a part of racing as the horses and the bettors. Buglers have been a track tradition for more than 140 years. Four of the best-known convene for an episode full of stories and laughs on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Retired New York Racing Association bugler Sam Grossman, Santa Anita's Jay Cohen, Kentucky's Steve Buttleman and former Arlington Park fixture Monica Benson compare notes about their craft, their other gigs and even some stories of betting on horses. Their challenges of playing in bad weather and trying conditions are combined in this episode with the celebrities they have met and the odd interactions they have had with racegoers and connections behind the scenes. Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park also offer their anecdotes. 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.

Former NBA player and coach Avery Johnson has been a horse owner and continues to be a racing ambassador. Terry West was a trail-blazing jockey who holds a seat on the Maryland Racing Commission. In celebration of Black History Month, both Johnson and West are featured this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Johnson talks about growing up in New Orleans and what he learned from his father on their weekend trips to Fair Grounds. He also discusses his role as an ambassador for the Breeders' Cup and racing's need for central leadership. West recounts her lifelong love of horses and how she became a standout jumps rider who has continued to compete for more than a half-century. She also details the challenges she faced being one of the first Black women to compete in Thoroughbred races. Both Johnson and West expound on the goal of greater minority participation in all phases of horse racing. There also is a tribute to the late trainers King Leatherbury and John Shirreffs, both of whom died this 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.

Familiar names one day are gone the next. It long has been a reality of the ever-transient nature of media work. Four people who had memorable horse-racing chapters in their careers are reunited this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Former TV analysts Candice Hare, Joanne Jones, Rich Perloff and Jason Portuondo exchange stories of their days covering racing, including highlights they would put on their sizzle reels and those unintended moments in live reporting that turn into funny memories. They also talk about where they are now and how they got there. Hare is a TV news reporter at WKYC in Cleveland, Jones started a family in Los Angeles and is returning to the sport, Perloff is also in Los Angeles and has returned to his theater roots, and Portuondo is a steward based in suburban Toronto. Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park discuss the big sports events this month, including their predictions for Super Bowl LX. 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.

With a little more than three months before the run for the roses, a mock draft for Kentucky Derby 2026 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 who won last year's draft by picking Sovereignty in the second round. Five others take part, including Churchill Downs analyst and Turfway Park host Kaitlin Benson, 2012 National Horseplayers Championship winner Michael Beychok, Betting on Horse Racing for Dummies author Richard Eng from Las Vegas, sports-gambling host and former NFL quarterback Shaun King and Fox Sports and New York Racing Association TV analyst Maggie Wolfendale-Morley. 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. This episode was recorded Monday, before Ted Noffey came off the Triple Crown trail because of bone bruising. A video version of the draft is available on the Horse Racing Nation YouTube page. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation posts every Friday and is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.

The Pegasus World Cup Invitational has evolved from a bold experiment to a decade-long fixture on the South Florida racing scene. The 10th running Saturday is the focus of this week's Ron Flatter Racing Pod. FanDuel TV's Christina Blacker checks in from Gulfstream Park to set the scene for the Grade 1, $3 million race that serves as both a punctuation mark on the preceding season and a springboard to the coming year. Hall of Fame jockey John Velázquez rides Captain Cook in the Pegasus from post 9. He talks about the statistical perception that it is difficult to win a 1 1/8-mile race from an outside draw on Gulfstream's main track. Handicapper Mark Midland has tips for the Pegasus card as he offers his best bets for this weekend. Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park join in the weekly host chat, and there will be a recap of the 2025 Eclipse Awards presented this week at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. 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.

The creator of a new-media source for racing news and an old-school horseplayer who created a counterintuitive way of betting are featured this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Carlos Morales, the creator of Agentes 305, talks about the growth of his social-media platform and how it has become a go-to place for behind-the-scenes interviews in English and Spanish. He discusses his start as a radio personality in his native Venezuela and his move to the United States to advance his career in horse racing. Matt Miller, the 2021 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge, wrote the book A Bettor Way of Thinking. He talks about his strategies for betting on races and in handicapping tournaments. One step he takes is avoiding past performances. He also discusses why he and his fellow Chicagoland players have been so successful in high-profile tournaments. Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park share anecdotes about what is trending on social media, an e-game that might be all too real and the perils of waking up at odd hours in the 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.

From "A Day at the Races" to "Let It Ride" to "Seabiscuit," racing movies have had an important corner of the film world. The best of them and some bad ones are the subject of this week's Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Allen Johnson, who has been the film writer for 25 years at the San Francisco Chronicle, and Richard Migliore, the New York Racing Association TV analyst and lifelong movie buff, compare their thoughts and criticisms. Eleven movies were selected for their review, including: "A Day at the Races" "Boots Malone" "Casey's Shadow" "Easy Money" "Let It Ride" "National Velvet" "Phar Lap" "Racetrack" "Saratoga" "Seabiscuit" "Secretariat" Some films get more attention than others, and where they disagree may be a surprise. They also discuss some movies not provided on the list. Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park also weigh in with their thoughts about racing films.  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.