Winning Ponies

John Engelhardt will host three guests this week. Newly appointed Editorial Director at the Daily Racing Form to lead its national editorial operation based in New York, Mark Simon will be our first guest. He will tell us a little about his new responsibilities and what plans he has for the publication. Peviously the founding editor of Thoroughbred Times, he was hired by Dick Broadbent, owner of Bloodstock Research, at the time to start the publication. Under his direction the Thoroughbred Times was published weekly for 27 years, until its demise. Our second guest Marty McGee has been covering the Kentucky and Florida circuits for the Daily Racing Form since 1992. He will give us an inside track on the main contenders for this year's Kentucky Derby and handicap some of this week-end's stakes races - the Spiral and Bourbonette Stakes from Turfway Park and the Sunland Park Derby from Sunland Park. Our third guest will be trainer Jeff Greenhill. He is the hometown hope with multiple stakes winner 'Mac the Man' i

In the first segment previous host of this show and WinningPonies blogger Ed Meyer will join our host and his long time good friend John Engelhardt to discuss his blogs and other current events stories in thoroughbred racing circles. In the second segment Matt O'Neil steps in for Jude Feld and tell us about their site www/myfantasystable.com. In addition Matt will join John in handicapping this week-end important stakes races: From Oaklawn Park, the $600,000 Gr.2 Rebel Stakes and the $150,000 Gr.3 Azeri Stakes; from Santa Anita, the $300,000 Gr.1 Santa Margarita Stakes and the $150,000 Gr.2 Turf San Luis Rey Stakes.

Chantal Sutherland is our first guest. During her 13-year career, Chantal a Toronto native, won 931 races and purses worth more than $47 million. She retired at the top of her game as one of racing’s all-time leading female jockeys. She has just started with TVG and covered Game On Dude winning the Santa Anita Handicap - a race she had won on him in 2011. Handicapper Tom Law has created a new website called thisishorseracing.com with updated columns and blogs on thoroughbred racing. He will tell us about his new endeavor and handicap with John the $300,000 Gr.2 San Felipe Stakes from Santa Anita; the $300,000 Gr.2 Gulfstream Park Handicap from Gulfstream Park; the $350,000 Gr.2 Tampa Bay Derby and the $150,000 Gr.3 Hillsborough Stakes, both from Tampa Bay.

Kenny McPeek is not cut from the same bolt of cloth as many of today's trainers. A graduate of the University of Kentucky with a degree in business administration, McPeek, now 50, interviewed on Wall Street before deciding to make a go of it as a Thoroughbred trainer. Concerned with the sport's flagging popularity, he helped developed an iPhone app, HORSE RACES NOW, which permits fans to watch races without paying a fee. Mr. McPeek has discovered and/or trained such quality racehorses as Kathmanblu, Tejano Run, Harlan’s Holiday, Repent, Leah's Secret, Einstein (BRZ), Sarava and Curlin, among others. In the second segment Dan Illman of the DRF will join the host in analyzing some of the important stakes races for the week-end. This week it will be the $250,000 Gr.3 Gotham Stakes and the #150,000 Gr.2 Top Flight Handicap both from Aqueduct, the $750,000 Gr.1 Santa Anita Handicap from Santa Anita and $150,000 Gr.3 Swale Stakes from Gulfstream Park.

Rick Violette, Jr. has had many achievements in a career that took him from showing hunters and jumpers to becoming the President of the National Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. He will be discussing the growth of the racing program in New York, and stake his opinions on why there should be year-round racing and the organizations' efforts to find second careers for retired thoroughbreds. In the second segment DRF columnist Marcus Hersh will be our handicapper. He concentrates his efforts on the Fair Grounds and Chicago racing scene, and will tell us who's hot, and who's not, pointing out any horses which have impressed him and how the track bias has been playing. He will then join John in handicapping the $400,000 Gr. 2 Risen Star Stakes and $200,000 Gr. 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes from the Fair Grounds and then look at Gulfstream Park's $400,000 Gr. 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes and $225,000 Gr. 2 Davona Dale Stakes. All of these races will have an impact on the KY Oaks and KY Derby.

Gary Stevens, who won 2 stakes this past weekend, has returned to the saddle in January of this year after being away for over seven years. On January 12, 2013, Stevens won the first race of his comeback. He will tell us about his fabulous career as a jockey and everything else which he engaged in until his comeback to the saddle this year. He was a racing commentator for HRTV and NBC Sports. He was an actor and television personality and became a regular cast member on the short lived HBO television series Luck. In the second segment, NTRA Media Director Eric Wing will talk about news of the NTRA and the Handicapping contest, and will join John in handicapping some of this week-end stakes races: the $150,000 Gr. 2 El Camino Real Derby from Golden Gate; the $200,000 Gr. 2 Santa Maria Stakes from Santa Anita; the $150,000 Gr. 2 Barbara Fritchie from Laurel and the $150,000 Gr. 2 Turf Mac Diarmida Stakes from Gulfstream Park.

Mr. Ned Toffey representing Spendthrift Farm will tell us about which young stallions the farm is investing in and talk about the state of the breeding industry in Kentucky. There is a new program at Spendthrift Farm which now offers incentives to mare owners called Breed Secure, which Mr. Toffey will get a chance to explain. In the second segment J.J. Graci who hosts It's Post Time show from Gulfstream Park is our handicapper. J.J. Graci who has a vast experience in horse racing and broadcasting, will join John in handicapping the following races from Gulfstream Park: the $500,000 (gr. I) Donn Handicap, the $300,000 (gr. IT) Kitten's Joy Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap, the $150,000 (gr. III) Gulfstream Park Sprint, and the $150,000(gr. IIIT) River Stakes.

Shane Sellers will be our first guest and will tell us what he has been doing lately after a successful career of 26 years. He had partnered up with trainer Patrick Huffman working on a farm in Lexington, breaking yearlings and working with horses on lay-ups. In the second segment Ralph Siraco will be our handicapper. He is a former track announcer turned turf writer and currently hosts the racing radio show Race Day Las Vegas, broadcast on KSHP AM 1400 in Las Vegas. He will join John in handicapping Aqueduct's Withers Stakes; Santa Anita's Robert B. Lewis Stakes; Tampa Bay Downs' Sam F. Davis Stakes and Gulfstream Park's Hutcheson Stakes.

In the first segment Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg will tell us a little about his career as a thoroughbred trainer. He will reminisce about the many milestones he has accomplished. A book From Grit to Glory about Jack's lifetime achievements is in the works and should be out this spring. He currently lives in Los Angeles and still maintains a small stable at Hollywood Park. In the second segment Tom LaMarra of the Blood-Horse will review the Eclipse Awards and will join John in analyzing from Gulfstream Park the $400,000 Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes and the $200,000 Grade 2 Forward Gal Stakes; from Fair Grounds the new $75.000 Van Berg Stakes and from Santa Anita the $300.000 Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes.

In the opening segment Kimpton Williams, owner of Fair Winds Farm in Waynesville, Ohio will discuss the revitalization of racing in Ohio now fueled by alternative gaming and the challenges facing horsemen, breeders and owners. Kim is also a board member with the Ohio H.P.B.A. In the second segment Ed Meyer will be our guest handicapper. From Gulfstream Park we will handicap the $400,000 Sunshine Millions Classic and $300,000 Distaff; from the Fair Grounds the Grade 3 LeCompte Stakes and from Santa Anita the Grade 2 Palos Verdes.

In the first segment jockey Rodney Prescott who attained his 3,000th career win this past Thursday will describe his feelings on reaching this milestone in his career. “It feels good,” said Prescott. “Three thousand wins—I don’t know what that means. Not many get to do it, so I’m thankful to have won that many. I’ve had a good career.” Fittingly, the win came for trainer Wayne Mogge, who has called on Prescott since the jockey was an apprentice. In the second segment, a frequent guest on the show Jay Privman will do a Year in Review and his opinions on Eclipse voting. He will also join John in handicapping the $150,000 Gr.2 San Fernando Stakes and the $150,000 Gr.2 San Gabriel Handicap both at Santa Anita, and the $100,000 California Derby at Golden Gate.

Jen Roytz of Three Chimneys Farm will be our first guest. She is involved with numerous charities, the Make A Wish Foundation’s Kentucky chapter, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the Ronald McDonald House of the Bluegrass and The Race For Education. She will talk about her responsibilities at Three Chimneys Farm and how she finds the time to be give her time to all those wonderful causes. Richard Eng is a columnist/handicapper for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and author of Betting on Horse Racing for Dummies & The Guide to U.S. Casinos and Racinos. You can follow him on Twitter @RichEng4ProPick. He will team up with John to handicap the $150,000 Grade 2 San Pasqual Handicap and the $100,000 Grade 3 Sham Stakes both at Santa Anita, the $200,000 Grade 2 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct, and the 100,000 Grade 3 Turf Marshua's River Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

There are no sacred cows in the sport of thoroughbred racing when it comes to the pen of “Indian Charlie.” He has been publishing his humorous and sometimes scathing newsletter since 1994. He works the backstretch, sales rings and press boxes for any and all inside information on the movers and shakers of the sport – and everybody is fair game. As he states on the masthead of his publication –“Never let the truth get in the way of a good story!” He will give us some scoops on what is happening lately in the world of thoroughbred racing. In the second segment of the show, Bob “Railbird” Roberts will join John Engelhardt in handicapping the $100,000 Grade 3 Mr. Prospector Stakes from Gulfstream Park; the $100,000 Dave’s Friend Stakes from Laurel; the $150,000 Grade 2 Robert Frankel Stakes and the $100,000 Grade 3 Daytona Stakes both from Santa Anita.

In the first segment jockey Shane Sellers will tell us about his 26 years career as a jockey and will update us about his new venture in thoroughbred racing. He will tell us about his most memorable moments in the saddle and talk about how he got into horse racing in the first place. In the second segment Daily Racing Form's writer/handicapper Byron King will handicap with our host Fair Grounds' the $75,000 Blushing K.D. Handicap and the $75,000 Bonapaw Stakes; Gulfstream Park's $75,000 El Prado Stakes and Laurel's $100,000 Thirty-Eight Go Go Stakes.

Tom Law is the Managing Editor of ST Publishing, Inc., the award-winning publishing company that produces The Saratoga Special and Steeplechase Times. Law is expected to play a role in the Fair Hill, Maryland-based company’s expansion and will assist in marketing, sales, and editorial efforts at a satellite office in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. in early 2013. He will share with us the challenges of his new job. Ed Meyer prior host of this show will join John in handicapping the following races: Hollywood Park - Gr. 1 $750,000 Cash Call Futurity and Gr.2 $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup; Gulfstream Park - Gr. 3 $100,000 Dania Beach Stakes; Aqueduct - $75,000 Gravesend Handicap.

Republican Sen. Damon Thayer floor leader of the Ky Senate, supported a measure in a bi-partisan effort with Gov. Steve Beshear earlier this year that would have put the issue of expanded gaming on the 2012 ballot allowing the people of Kentucky to vote on the issue. Thayer works as a marketing consultant in the horse industry and has previously held positions with the Breeders' Cup and Turfway Park. He will discuss the merits of that expanded gaming legislation. A favorite guest on this show, Daily Racing Form John McDulin returns to make selections in four races from three different tracks that will take place on Saturday - from Hollywood Park the Grade 1 $500,000 Hollywood Starlet and Grade 2 $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes; at Gulfstream Park the Grade 3 $100,000 Sugar Swirl and at the Fair Grounds the $100,000 Louisiana Champions.

Our first guest is Milton Toby - since interviewing him months ago, the book we reviewed Dancer’s Image: The Forgotten Story of the 1968 Kentucky Derby, which was published in 2011 is an Award winner. Since Joe Nevills was last on our show, he is no longer with the Thoroughbred Times but is now a staff writer for the Daily Racing Form’s breeding and sales wing, DRF Breeding. He will be our guest handicapper as we look at the Claiming Crown hosted by Gulfstream Park this Saturday.

Billy and Gary Johnson two brothers who got attracted to the sport of kings at an early age, got involved in different capacities, had their professional lives intersect midway and strode to find their individual calling in the game. They both achieved a great measure of success in their fields and will tell us how they got started and where they are today. Gary will discuss his approach to handicapping and give us his selections for the $1,000,000 Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot; Aqueduct's Grade 3 Discovery Handicap; and Churchill Downs' Grade 2 Ms. Revere Stakes and Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf.

Brian B.J. Hernandez the jockey who piloted Fort Larned to victory in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic will be our first guest. He will tell us about his exceptional ride in that race and the exhalirating feeling as he held off Mucho Macho Man to win it. In the second segment, News Editor of the Blood-Horse Tom LaMarra, who was at the Breeders' Cup will report on all that action and handicap the main stakes races to be run this week-end: the $100,000 Grade 3 Cardinal Handicap at Churchill Downs, the $150,000 Grade 3 Long Island Handicap at Aqueduct, the $150,000 Carl G. Rose Handicap at Calder, and the $150,000 Grade 2 Autumn Stakes at Woodbine.

Again it is this time of the year and the 2012 Breeders' Cup is with us. So the call goes out to Ms. Jennie Rees, a multiple award winning writer with the Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky to cover for us who looks good, and what is going on behind the scenes of the 2012 Breeders' Cup. We will also have Marty McGee who covers the Kentucky and Florida circuits for the Daily Racing Form, weigh in with his predictions in this year's Breeders Cup two days extravaganza to be run at Santa Anita on Friday & Saturday, Nov. 2nd & 3rd.