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...

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 wh...

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 Illus...

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. He...

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 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 Serl...

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 spokespe...

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 t...

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...

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 D...

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 sta...

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. Brad...

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 wi...

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...

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...

Whether it is Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or even Festivus, it is the perfect time to gather friends. That is precisely what happens this week in a special holiday episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times , Lee Mottershead from Racing Post in England and international racing liaison Kate Hunter in Japan review the headlines of the 2023 racing year. They discuss...

Siblings in racing are in the spotlight on this week's Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Trainer Cherie DeVaux and her assistant and younger sister Adrianne DeVaux talk about their relationship and how it has grown into working together in a stable that is coming into its own with graded-stakes success. Scott Blasi, the longtime assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen, and his older brother Greg Blasi, an outri...

Entrepreneur and horse owner Mike Repole is the featured guest this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Repole discusses his creation of the National Thoroughbred Alliance and why he believes he was right to name himself the commissioner of horse racing. He also answers questions about how likely he is to prevail with his rewriting of the way the sport carries out its business. Highlights and impr...

The Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct and the Claiming Crown at Fair Grounds share center stage on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. TV analyst Maggie Wolfendale Morley from the New York Racing Association and Fox Sports previews the graded stakes at Aqueduct that will be highlighted by the Cigar Mile. Eric Hamelbach of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association shares insight on his or...

The final days of the fall meet at Churchill Downs and a prep for Kentucky Derby 2024 are the focus of the Thanksgiving week episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Trainer Dale Romans and jockey Tyler Gaffalione talk about their entries in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes as well as some of their other stakes horses this holiday weekend. Rich Perloff, who just left FanDuel TV, talks about t...