Memorial Day weekend is normally jam-packed with racing action. That’s not entirely the case this time around, but there is a bright side. A number of tracks have ed the ranks of those that are up and running, and many more should follow in the future.
Looking ahead to Saturday, there are a number of intriguing stakes races on the docket to look forward to.
$100,000 Shawnee Stakes
Churchill Downs has a number of stakes races scheduled with the first of the bunch coming in Race 7. It’s a 1 1/16 mile affair on dirt with eight four-year-old and upward filly and mare starters. Post time is set for 4:08 PM ET.
$100,000 Tepin Stakes
Next up at Churchill is Race 8, which is 1 mile on turf for 15 three-year-old fillies. Post time is 4:40 PM ET.
$100,000 Blame Stakes
Post time is 5:12 PM ET for Race 9 on the Churchill card, which is 1 mile on dirt for 14 four-year-olds and upward.
$150,000 Matt Winn Stakes
Race 10 has a post time of 5:44 PM ET. It’s a 1 1/16 mile affair on dirt for 12 three-year-old starters.
$100,000 War Chant Stakes
The final race of the day at Churchill goes off at 6:16 PM ET. It’s 1 mile on turf for 15 three-year-old starters.
$100,000 Daytona Stakes
Santa Anita has a pair of stakes on tap, the first of which comes in Race 5 at 2:39 PM PT. This one is 5 1/2 furlongs on turf for seven four-year-old and upward starters.
$200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes
Race 8 at Santa Anita goes off at 4:18 PM PT. It’s 1 1/4 miles on downhill turf for seven three-year-olds and upward.
$50,000 Coin Collector Stakes
The evening card at Charles Town is highlighted by Race 8 at 10:23 PM ET. It’ll be eight West Virginia bred three-year-olds squaring off over 4 1/2 furlongs on dirt.
The Full Saturday Schedule
The offerings have been a bit scant over the past several Saturdays, but business is starting to pick up as a number of tracks return to action. Here’s a look at all of the cards scheduled to run and the biggest highlights for each.
Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races
9-Race Card at 7 PM ET
Stakes – Race 8
Churchill Downs
11-Race Card at 1 PM ET
Stakes – Race 7 through 11
Golden Gate Fields
9-Race Card at 12:45 PM PT
$31k Allowance – Race 7
Gulfstream Park
11-Race Card at 12:45 PM ET
$40k+ Allowance Optional Claiming – Race 10 and 11
Lone Star Park
9-Race Card at 3:05 PM ET
$35k Allowance – Race 7 and 9
Los Alamitos
9-Race Card at 6 PM PT
Quarter Horse action
Remington Park
11-Race Card at 6 PM ET
Quarter Horse action
Ruidoso Downs
14-Race Card at 12 PM MT
Quarter Horse action
Santa Anita Park
9-Race Card at 12:30 PM PT
Stakes – Race 5 and 8
Tampa Bay Downs
9-Race Card at 12:35 PM ET
$20k Maiden Special Weight – Race 2
Weber Downs
6-Race Card at 12 PM MT
Quarter Horse action
Carryovers to Watch
A number of pools are on the rise as we head towards the weekend and bear watching. Here’s the current status for each of them.
Gulfstream Park Pick 6 – $555,619
Santa Anita Park Pick 6 – $224,102
Tampa Bay Downs Pick 6 – $187,347
Churchill Downs Pick 6 – $79,288
Golden Gate Fields Pick 6 – $31,673
Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races Pick 6 – $6,301
Please note that all of the above tracks are also running on Friday. If any of the pools aren’t hit by a lone bettor, then we could see a good spike moving forward. Enjoy what looks like an exceptional weekend of horse racing action and best of luck!
