The Ron Flatter Racing Pod

From Louisville, the cast of thousands has its annual gathering for the regular Kentucky Derby 2024 episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Fox Sports handicapper Chris Fallica offers his assessment of the Derby as well as the memory of his biggest score from five years ago. Sierra Leone co-owner Brook Smith, Forever Young’s trainer Yoshito Yahagi, West Saratoga’s trainer Larry Demeritte, Domestic Product’s jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and Fierceness’s connections Todd Pletcher, John Velázquez and Mike Repole are featured in quick interviews from the buildup to the Derby. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty describes some of the statistical paradigms he uses to come up with potential winners and board hitters for the Derby. Horse Racing Happy Hour hosts Louie Rabaut and Mike Gandolfo join co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times to discuss the absence of six-time Derby winning trainer Bob Baffert. 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. For information on Saturday’s Kentucky Derby Challenge, go to https://www.xpressbet.com/kyd-3000-5-4-24.

Deep analysis of every horse in Kentucky Derby 2024, even the also-eligibles, 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 1 to 20. Plus 21 and 22, who could add to the four also-eligibles who have shown up in the superfecta since the Derby points era began 11 years ago. How will they play the favorite Fierceness? Will Sierra Leone, Catching Freedom and Forever Young figure prominently on their tickets? Who are the tosses, and who are the value plays? The panel answers all those questions. The group also has a snapshot of Friday’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks and their best strategy for attacking Kentucky Derby 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. This week’s episode is sponsored by Xpressbet. For information on Saturday’s Kentucky Derby Challenge, go to https://www.xpressbet.com/kyd-3000-5-4-24.

With a week to go until America’s biggest racing holiday, Kentucky Derby 2024 and the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks are the focus of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas discusses his Derby horse Just Steel and his Oaks filly Lemon Muffin. He also has some thoughts about how conservative rival trainers are in racing their horses less while he races his more. Sports Illustrated writer Pat Forde discusses Fierceness, Sierra Leone and Forever Young, the big three coming into next Saturday’s Derby. He also has thoughts about the leftover issues from 2023, namely the horse deaths that happened last spring at Churchill Downs and the ongoing ban of trainer Bob Baffert. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch has some early thoughts about the Derby and Oaks, especially the challenge of comparing and contrasting different styles and strengths of prep races as well as the angles he will pursue playing the two features next week. John Cherwa and Ron review the new F/X documentary “Broken Horses,” especially the point of view it takes in addressing what ails horse racing. 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. For information on Saturday’s Santa Anita Park $500 Challenge, go to https://www.xpressbet.com/sap-500-4-27-24.

Some early handicapping tips for Kentucky Derby 2024, an insider’s look at one of the contenders in the race and some handicapping for this weekend’s Preakness 2024 qualifiers are front and center on this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. National Horseplayers Championship winner Mike Gillum checks in from Indianapolis with his five horses whom he counts among the most likely winners of the Derby. Here is a hint. Two of them are not obvious choices. In other words, long shots. Trainer Whit Beckman talks about Honor Marie, his first Derby horse in his name. He also remembers when he was an assistant on the teams that Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown led to past Derby accomplishments as Super Saver’s 2010 win and Good Magic’s 2018 runner-up result. He also discusses who may ride Honor Marie on May 4 at Churchill Downs. Mark Midland is in the handicappers rotation to offer his tips on the Federico Tesio at Laurel Park, a Pick 3 that starts with the Bathhouse Row at Oaklawn and the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne. The three stakes are win-and-you’re-ins for the Preakness. John Cherwa joins Ron to dissect the court ruling in favor of Churchill Downs Inc. in the Zedan Racing Stables’ lawsuit that failed for now to get Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Muth and trainer Bob Baffert into next month’s Kentucky Derby. 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. For information on Sunday’s Illinois Derby day handicapping contest, go to xpressbet.com/tournaments.

The Grade 1, $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn and the last Kentucky Derby 2024 points prep at Keeneland are the focus of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Track announcer Matt Dinerman will offer his insight on Saturday’s Apple Blossom as well as his first season calling races in Arkansas and his new assignment this summer as the voice of Monmouth Park. Trainer Joe Orseno, who won the Preakness with Red Bullet in 2000, may be on the verge of a return to the Triple Crown series with Hades, who races Saturday in the Lexington Stakes (G3). Horse Racing Nation’s Ed DeRosa handicaps graded stakes at Oaklawn and Keeneland, a 2007 racetrack interview with the late O.J. Simpson is replayed, and Ron will be joined by John Cherwa to sample 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. This week’s episode is sponsored by Xpressbet. For information on Saturday’s Keeneland Grade 1 Gamble, go to xpressbet.com/tournaments.

The last three major preps of the season will fill the field for Kentucky Derby 2024. This week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod comes from Keeneland, site of this weekend’s Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will discuss Sierra Leone, who is one of the top contenders not only in the Blue Grass but also for the Derby. Stanley Cup champion and horseplayer Eddie Olczyk takes the long view of betting this Derby season as well as his strategy for playing handicapping contests like the National Horseplayers Championship, where we caught up with him last month in Las Vegas. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty offers tips for the Blue Grass, the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and the Santa Anita Derby, the races that will send top finishers to Churchill Downs in just four weeks. He also goes in depth on four stakes that offer the best betting opportunities on the Saturday card at Keeneland. Co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times also weighs in with insight on the Amr Zedan lawsuit seeking to get Bob Baffert back into this year’s Derby and his first-hand impressions of the Florida Derby, where Fierceness won by 13 1/2 lengths to become the prohibitive favorite for the Kentucky Derby. As a bonus, former Horse Racing Nation turf writer Matt Stahl checks in from his current beat, the Alabama Crimson Tide, as he reports from the NCAA Men’s Final Four in Phoenix. 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. For information on Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby Challenge, go to https://www.xpressbet.com/sap-1500-4-6-2024?utm_source=hrn&utm_medium=digital&utm_campaign=saderbychallenge

Kentucky Derby 2024 win-and-you’re-in preps at Gulfstream Park and Oaklawn and the state of the game are the subjects of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Jockey Flavien Prat, who won last week’s Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on Catching Freedom, talks about that ride and his assignment this weekend in the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) on Timberlake. National Thoroughbred Racing Association CEO Tom Rooney answers questions about issues in the sport, including trainer Bob Baffert’s suspension from the Kentucky Derby, the progress and challenges of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and an upcoming documentary that will shed a harsh light on the game. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch analyzes this weekend’s Florida Derby card and the Arkansas Derby. John Cherwa and Ron also go over 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. This week’s episode is sponsored by Xpressbet. For information on Saturday’s Florida Derby Challenge handicapping tournament, go to https://www.xpressbet.com/gsp-1500-3-30-24. Remember the commemorative bourbon for the 150th Kentucky Derby that was mentioned on the pod last month? We promised we would say when it was coming out. Here it is: https://store.darkartswhiskey.com/products/isaac-murphy-kentucky-derby

On the road in New Orleans, the first major preps for Kentucky Derby 2024 are in the spotlight on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. At Fair Grounds, two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox discusses his Derby campaign, including his running of Catching Freedom in Saturday’s Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby. He also discusses Timberlake’s upcoming move into the Arkansas Derby (G1) next weekend. Finally, Cox has morning-line favorite Tarifa going Saturday in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), a points prep for Kentucky Oaks (G1). Fair Grounds track announcer John G. Dooley offer his insights about the trends during the winter meet that will come to a close this weekend. He also has an early preview of the Horseshoe Indianapolis opening day April 8, when a total eclipse of the sun will pass over the track during the program. Handicapper Mark Midland has tips for Saturday’s Bayou-Bluegrass Pick 5, which takes in the Louisiana Derby, Fair Grounds Oaks and New Orleans Classic (G2) at Fair Grounds and the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) and Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park. John Cherwa and Ron discuss the California Horse Racing Board meeting Thursday, when a 26-day north-state meet was approved to help fill the void with the closing of Golden Gate Fields in less than three months. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, Google, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com. This week’s episode is sponsored by Xpressbet. For information on Saturday’s $500 Santa Anita-Xpressbet handicapping tournament, go to xpressbet.com/tournaments.

The annual visit to Las Vegas for the National Horseplayers Championship is on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Two-time NHC Tour winner Kevin Costello, former NHC champions Scott Harrison and Paul Matties and economics professor and horse owner Marshall Gramm take part in the annual horseplayers roundtable. They discuss last weekend’s tote breakdown that impacted the Tampa Bay Derby, the latest trends and concerns with computer-assisted wagering and why it is that Chicago players have done so well in the NHC. Horse Racing Nation handicapper Ed DeRosa is taking part in his first NHC as a competitor. He not only discusses that, he also has tips for the Grade 3 Whitmore at Oaklawn and two other Saturday stakes at Laurel Park and Turfway Park. Listener and reader feedback is focused on last week’s column about the rebuilding of Belmont Park. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, Google, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com. This week’s episode is sponsored by 1/ST Bet and Xpressbet. For information on Saturday’s Exacta-Thon at Tampa Bay Downs and to get a free entry, go to the Promos page at either 1st.com/bet or xpressbet.com. Accommodations for Horse Racing Nation coverage of the National Horseplayers Championship were provided and paid for by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

From Super Tuesday to top 10 sports events to Tampa Bay Downs. Less than two months until Kentucky Derby 2024, the Ron Flatter Racing Pod covers a lot of ground this week. MSNBC political analyst and NBC Sports racing handicapper Steve Kornacki talks about similarities between covering this week’s primary elections and the Derby trail. He also has some thoughts about Saturday’s Tampa Bay Derby (G2). Can Adare Manor be toppled in the Beholder Mile (G1) at Santa Anita? Trainer Phil D’Amato talks about his two challengers Desert Dawn and Turnerloose. He also offers updates on a few more horses in his stable, including Kentucky Derby candidate Stronghold. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty handicaps the Tampa Bay Derby as well as two other Saturday stakes races at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita. Co-host John Cherwa joins Ron to talk about the top 10 sports events each has covered or attended, and they have tributes to the late Larry Lederman and Chris Mortensen. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, Google, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com. This week’s episode is sponsored by 1/ST Bet and Xpressbet. For information on and to register for Saturday’s ExactaThon, use one of these links and click Promos: www.1st.com/bet www.xpressbet.com

This weekend brings four Kentucky Derby 2024 points preps, including the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, the Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct, the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park, all Saturday, and the San Felipe (G2) on Sunday at Santa Anita. They are the focus of this week’s episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Fox Sports and New York Racing Association TV analyst Andy Serling discusses the Derby trail in general and the Gotham in particular. Trainer Danny Gargan talks about his colt Dornoch, the highly regarded winner of the Remsen Stakes (G2), who will race in the Fountain of Youth. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch has tips for all four Derby preps plus a bonus race on Saturday’s Gulfstream Park undercard. John Cherwa and Ron go over some of the feedback in the past week from listeners and readers reacting ton Ron’s column calling for stewards’ hearings to be streamed live. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, Google, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com. This week’s episode is sponsored by the Ultimate Betting Challenge via Xpressbet. For information on and to register for Saturday’s Ultimate Betting Challenge: www.xpressbet.com/tournaments

The next Kentucky Derby 2024 points prep and Black History Month are the focus of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Jennifer Hoyt, who spent more than 13 years working at Oaklawn, offers her thoughts about this weekend’s Grade 2, $1.25 million Rebel Stakes, which will ticket the winner for the Kentucky Derby. She also talks about her move from the racetrack to becoming a school-district spokesperson. The advancement of diversity in racing meets Kentucky bourbon. Leon Nichols of the Project to Preserve African-American Turf History and Allen Carter of Silver Springs Farm Eqwine and Vineyard join Macaulay Minton of Dark Arts Whiskey House to discuss their partnership to promote inclusion ahead of the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby. Horse Racing Nation’s Mark Midland handicaps the Rebel, the Razorback Handicap (G3), the Honeybee (G3) and three maiden races on the Saturday card at Oaklawn. John Cherwa and Ron pay tribute to the late Jerry Antonucci and Art Wilson, two longtime turf writers from Southern California. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, Google, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com. This week’s episode is sponsored by the Ultimate Betting Challenge via Xpressbet. To enter the Ultimate Betting Challenge: www.xpressbet.com/tournaments For Horse Racing Nation handicapping tools: www.darkartswhiskey.com/spirits To learn more about Dark Arts Whiskey House: www.darkartswhiskey.com/spirits

This weekend’s Risen Star Stakes is the first win-and-you’re-in prep for Kentucky Derby 2024, and it is the main subject of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. FanDuel TV racing analyst Caton Bredar offers a preview of the race and some highlights from the rest of the stakes-laden card at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. Hall of Fame and Sierra Leone are among the Risen Star favorites not to mention top contenders for the Derby. They will be discussed by Robyn Murray, who handles sales, racehorses and marketing for their lead owner Coolmore America. Horse Racing Nation handicapper Ed DeRosa has tips for the Risen Star and the other races this weekend as well as some thoughts about futures wagering on the Derby. John Cherwa and Ron sample listener and reader feedback about how racing and the Super Bowl have gone opposite directions in the past half-century when it comes to betting handle. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, Google, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.

The next Kentucky Derby 2024 points prep and Super Bowl LVIII are the focus of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey talks about Change of Command, the morning-line favorite for this weekend’s Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. He also discusses some other Derby and Kentucky Oaks prospects in his stable. From Las Vegas, NBC Sports racing analyst and longtime NFL reporter Randy Moss provides insight into the Derby trail as well as Sunday’s championship between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty handicaps the Sam F. Davis and two other weekend stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park. Ron also samples the feedback about his column that declared the absence of Bob Baffert’s horses would make America’s biggest race nothing more than Kentucky Derby 149 1/2. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, Google, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.

This week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod has three main subjects, five races to handicap and one embarrassing admission. Eclipse Award winner Fierceness headlines Saturday’s four Kentucky Derby points preps. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher talks about the champion colt’s 2024 debut in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Todd also discusses two of his other prominent 3-year-olds who are Derby contenders. Bob Baffert’s announcement that he will not have any of his horses in the Derby gets the once-over. Co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times had an exclusive interview with Baffert that was the focal point of his report this week. He and Ron discuss what the absence of the Baffert horses will mean to his year’s Derby. The tenuous future of Turf Paradise in Phoenix is discussed by Arizona Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association executive director Leroy Gessmann. How California’s uncertain racing picture affects his state is also grist for the conversation. Paddock Prince David Levitch has tips for the Holy Bull, the Withers (G3) at Aqueduct, the Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn and the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita plus an allowance race that caught his attention. Ron confesses that he completely missed Camila Cabello in the paddock last weekend on Pegasus day, even though he walked right past her three times. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, Google, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.

A trip to Florida for big races and yearly awards is the focus of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. The Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park has trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and TV analyst and morning-line writer Brian Nadeau talking. They discuss their views of the big three races on the card. Horse Racing Nation handicapper Mark Midland focuses not only on big stakes on Saturday’s card at Gulfstream Park but also on one early offering on the undercard that could yield some strong value for bettors. From The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla., Ron has a recap of Thursday night’s Eclipse Awards, which were dominated by the emotional story of horse of the year Cody’s Wish. Also, John Cherwa joins Ron to discuss Bob Baffert’s decision to drop his appeal to restore Medina Spirit as the winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby and Churchill Down Inc.’s decision to keep Baffert under suspension through at least the end of this year. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, Google, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com. It is sponsored by the Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship. https://www.xpressbet.com/pegasus-world-cup-betting-championship?utm_source=hrn&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pwcbc

More qualifying points are on the line for Kentucky Derby 2024 with the Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds, the centerpiece this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. FanDuel TV’s Michael Joyce checks in from New Orleans to offer his insights on the Derby trail and with some predictions about next week’s Eclipse Awards. Trainer Mark Casse talks about his Lecomte colt Can Group and his Colonel E. L. Bradley Stakes starter Strong Quality. Handicapper Ed DeRosa has tips for weekend races, including the Lecomte, more stakes at Fair Grounds and one at Gulfstream Park to start the coast-to-coast Pick 5. Listeners and readers join the Los Angeles Times’ John Cherwa to offer their feedback about last week’s visit to Old Friends retirement farm in Kentucky and the future of Maryland racing. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, Google, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com. It is sponsored by the Pegasus World Cup Betting Championship. https://www.xpressbet.com/pegasus-world-cup-betting-championship?utm_source=hrn&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pwcbc

How great does it sound to spend a day at Old Friends retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky.? That is exactly what happens on this week’s episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Michael Blowen, who started the program 20 years ago, is handing over the reins as president next month, but not before he takes listeners on an audio tour of the farm, providing his thoughts about how it has gone and how it will be going after he leaves. He also introduces listeners to 1997 Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm, who looks great at age 30. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty handicaps weekend races, including the Pasco at Tampa Bay Downs and two turf stakes at Santa Anita. Listener and reader feedback centers on the decline of Southern California racing and Ron’s column about underperforming winter preps for Kentucky Derby 2024. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Google and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.

It is a coast-to-coast episode to start the new year on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. From the east, Brittany Russell talks about being the first woman to train the most winners in a calendar year in Maryland. She also looks at Regalo’s bid to win the Jerome Stakes, a Kentucky Derby 2024 prep Saturday at Aqueduct. Racing insider Bob Ike looks at some early returns on the winter-spring meet at Santa Anita, where the handle is down, and the San Vicente Stakes (G2) will be run Saturday. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch has tips for weekend races, including the Jerome at Aqueduct and the all-stakes late Pick 3 at Gulfstream Park. There also will be listener and reader feedback and a tribute to the late comic and horseplayer Shecky Greene. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Google and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com. The Sept. 13, 2019, episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod featuring the late Shecky Greene: https://content.libsyn.com/p/b/6/3/b636abe52b19b496/HSW6226440037.mp3?c_id=118786664&cs_id=118786664&response-content-type=audio%2Fmpeg&Expires=1704367542&Signature=JyfzUnURNfIu~06lsgYcjryXlxGoPGqToWfwRPLcLcBLLT4N0Gv-qonyv9sdCiUny3V4oHGoq1S0joBwcZCPSlIi7hWPg4fHhasnqz45f~7kz9ZRSRAL8-BvOGG5BMzJMfkBQAqmEIZ6iQtd1zaUdL5uUDC7uj~FjziVmkGi19HKe-74jyiqamFU6b0uscN-IKAhCtmTO~CdJLZHxyrlkjjBfxi2PJ5vKJEiIgAmpIRCmMyqIhE2lOoQ~VacxV6pKQ6kfMlGw7ZszqWbIPaTQK2iSQg5XL03hR-UfixjkDeeNu~rkIiclOMMNkQF04LPQXGcoPnmPjz-HRuEUcv-8g__&Key-Pair-Id=K1YS7LZGUP96OI The story Ron wrote Sunday on the death of Shecky Greene: https://www.horseracingnation.com/news/Flatter_Remembering_comic_and_horseplayer_Shecky_Greene_123

The end of the year brings the Eclipse Awards. This week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod brings together a panel of Horse Racing Nation writers who will be among the roughly 250 media and racing-industry voters who will have a voice in the 17 championship categories. Las Vegas correspondent Mike Brunker, division-rankings expert Chip Gehrke and pedigree analyst Laurie Ross offer their opinions on all the major categories, including their varied opinions on who should be the finalists and the winner of the horse-of-the-year award. Mark Midland takes his turn in the handicappers rotation with an emphasis on a late Pick 4 on Saturday at Gulfstream Park plus some first-time starters who have caught his eye. John Cherwa discusses opening day at Santa Anita as it was cast against his Los Angeles Times story about the future of horse racing in California. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Google and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.