Xpressbet’s annual ‘Fun in the Sun’ handicapping tournament kicks off this Saturday, and continues through Monday, September 1. Contested each Saturday, Fun in the Sun challenges bettors to make $10 Win bets on 5 specified contest races each at Saratoga and Del Mar. Players compete each week for cash prizes, plus a coveted seat at the $10,000-added Final Table on Labor Day.Last season, Gordon Maruya was the runaway winner of the $15,782 final table in the FITS competition and bagged $8,680 in prize money. It was Maruya’s third final table appearance (also qualifying in 2021 and 2023). The Final Table format was created in 2020 and its winners have included Robert Rosen (2020), Wayne Tam (2021), Kevin Saunders (2022), Joe Tambasco (2023) and Gordon Maruya (2024).2025 Tournament DatesSaturday, July 19, 26Saturday, August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30Monday, September 1 (Final Table)Buy-In$125 Buy-In per week, split between $100 Bankroll + $25 Entry FeeHow to PlayTournament consists of the last five (5) races each Saturday at Saratoga and the first five (5) races each Saturday at Del MarPlayers must make a $10 Win bet on one (1) horse in each race via the Contest WagerpadWeekly Prize Pool70% of Entry Fees are paid out each week as the Weekly Prize PoolWeekly PrizesTop Five (5) finishers each week automatically qualify for the Final Table1st Place Finisher – 60% of Weekly Prize Pool + Final Table Seat2nd Place Finisher – 25% of Weekly Prize Pool + Final Table Seat3rd Place Finisher – 15% of Weekly Prize Pool + Final Table Seat4th Place Finisher – Final Table Seat5th Place Finisher – Final Table SeatFinal Table Prizes30% of Entry Fees carried over to the Final Table$10,000-added prize pool courtesy of Xpressbet1st Place Finisher: 55% of Final Table Prize Pool2nd Place Finisher: 25% of Final Table Prize Pool3rd Place Finisher: 10% of Final Table Prize Pool4th Place Finisher: 5% of Final Table Prize Pool5th Place Finisher: 5% of Final Table Prize Pool For more and to register, visit the Tournaments page.

Six stakes make up the 14-race Saturday card at Monmouth Park, where the $1 million Haskell Stakes will be renewed for the 58th time. The Haskell lineup includes 3 of the top 4 finishers in this year’s memorable Preakness Stakes. The main event goes as Race 12 with post time set for 5:45 pm ET.Horseplayers with 1/ST BET and Xpressbet be sure to take part in Saturday’s $5,000 Hit & Split promotion across the late pick 4 ($2,500) and late pick 5 ($2,500) sequences.Let’s meet the contenders for the Haskell (Race 12):#1 BRACKET BUSTER-: Front-running winner of Monmouth’s Haskell prep, the 1-1/16 miles Pegasus Stakes on June 14. That was the first stakes win for the Victoria Oliver trainee, who has been runner-up in Keeneland’s Lexington this spring before Haskell re-matched rival Gosger. Jockey John Velazquez is a 2-time Haskell winner (2006, Bluegrass Cat; 2013, Verrazano) and can be expected to employ early speed Saturday. The rail has produced 3 straight Haskell winners.#2-JOURNALISM: The only horse to compete in all 3 Triple Crown legs this season, the Michael McCarthy trainee appears to have bounced out of the series eager for more. Connections could have waited for more time or closer spots to his Santa Anita home base, but aggressively come east a second time in 2025. Exaggerator in 2016 was the last Preakness winner to add the Haskell – and was the fifth between 2008-’16 to do so. He’s the 4-to-5 morning line choice coming out of his Belmont Stakes second-place finish to Jim Dandy-bound Sovereignty.#3 WILDNCRAZYNIGHT-: 31-1 Pegasus Stakes runner-up is 30-1 longest shot on the morning line for the Haskell while making his fifth local start. Most experienced runner in the field has been to post 10 times overall, including a New Jersey-bred allowance sprint win here May 25. Son of Midnight Lute, who won the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Monmouth and repeated a year later at Santa Anita.#4-BURNHAM SQUARE: Rallying winner of the Holy Bull and Blue Grass this spring, the Kentucky Derby sixth-place finisher bounced out of that test with a runner-up in the Matt Winn at Churchill Downs. He’s been training on the synthetic surface at Ian Wilkes’ Skylight Training Center since and will reunite with regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr.#5-NATIONAL LAW: No threat fourth of 6 in the Pegasus Stakes when more than 8 lengths behind Haskell rival Bracket Buster et al. Grey by Constitution debuted fourth at Monmouth last summer and represents local connections Colts Neck Stables LLC. Second-longest shot in the Haskell morning line at 20-1 odds but lures top pilot Irad Ortiz Jr. for the first time.#6-GOSGER: Daylight leader late in the Preakness Stakes at 15-1 odds before Journalism reeled him in over the final strides. Son of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist had won 2 straight prior, including the 1-1/16 miles Lexington at Keeneland and a 1-turn mile at Gulfstream. Jockey Luis Saez won this race last year aboard Dornoch as well as 2019 with Maximum Security. Returned to the workout tab at his Churchill Downs base in mid-June with the Haskell targeted.#7-KENTUCKY OUTLAW: Monmouth’s Long Branch Stakes winner skipped the Pegasus in favor of the Delaware Derby, where he tired late to be third as the 9-5 favorite. Jockey Florent Geroux piloted Haskell winners in 2021 Mandaloun and 2022 Cyberknife and takes over the mount for the first time. Parx-based colt by Outwork hails from the tiny stable of owner-trainer Felissa Dunn, which has won with 13 of 36 starters in 2025.#8-GOAL ORIENTED: Bob Baffert has a record 9 Haskell victories on his ledger, most recently Authentic in 2020. This lightly raced colt finished fourth in the Preakness after absorbing several bumps in upper stretch while making his stakes debut. He had 2 prior wins in maiden and allowance company, including an April 6 unveiling at his Santa Anita home base. Flavien Prat has been aboard in his last 2 and returns to the saddle, having won last Saturday’s Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga.

The day has finally come for the season to wrap up in Hong Kong before taking a brief hiatus. As sad of a day as it may be for those of us losing sleep over racing on the other side of the world, we have one more card to tackle and one more chance to make our stacks a little fatter. Let’s see what we can find!Helpful ResourcesHappy Valley – July 16Past Performances Speed Pro Pace ProjectionsUnique Bet TypesSWINGER – Select at least two runners to finish in the top three in a race in any order, get paid for each correct combinationQUINELLA – Select the top two runners in a race in any order, get paid for each correct combinationTRIO – Select the top three runners in a race in any order, get paid for each correct combinationDOUBLE TRIO – Select the top three runners in TWO races in any orderMethodologyPower ratings are calculated by a mix of runner performance versus historical average, quality of the field in each race, weight-based handicaps, and lengths beaten or won. New additions have been made to more accurately weight recent runs, and a new pace figure has been introduced to help quickly find horses with a strong pace advantage on the front and back ends of the race.Race 1 | 1200M | Class 5Win – 9 YOU’REMYEVERYTHINGExacta Key Box – 9 w/ 3,5,11Notes: At 27/1, 9 YOU’REMYEVERYTHING looks like a value grab to me. His Prime Burke Ratings are close to the best in this field, and from a raw speed perspective he’s about as fast as anyone in the field. In his last trip, he was boxed in with 200 meters to go and had to find room three lanes from the rail. He ran out of track, but with a better trip I think he could be one of the better closers on paper. He’s running back after just a week, which gives me a bit of pause, but the price is too juicy to ignore.Race 2 | 1200M | Class 4Win – 2 THUNDER PRINCEExacta – 2 w/ 8Notes: 2 THUNDER PRINCE is picking up Hong Kong’s top mount in Zac Purton, who is 10-for-47 and in the money in 22 of those starts for trainer Chris So Wai-yin. His late-race dash is exceptional, and I think this is the race where this four-year-old finally puts it together in the Class 4 ranks. With Purton in the irons, I expect this gelding to take some money, but 8 FLYING WROTE is right there in the next tier of PBR ratings to round out a cold 1-2 punch.Race 5 | 1200M | Class 4Win – 4 TACTICAL COMMANDExacta – 4 w/ 1Notes: Picture this with me. 1 DANCING CLASSICS goes to the front from the tenth post. From inside, he’s got company from 6 BITS SUPERSTAR, 7 HONEST WITNESS, and 12 CIRCUIT VICTORY. Sure, DANCING CLASSICS is the best of this bunch but settled inside behind this pack is 4 TACTICAL COMMAND waiting for his window to open. 200 meters to go, the front runners start to drop, and our top choice emerges. Nailed at the wire, down goes the heavy favorite. Anyway, I’m gonna bet 4 TACTICAL COMMAND at anything close to 5/1 or better.Race 8 | 1200M | Class 4Quinella Box – 5,6,11Notes: Our routine numbers play is back again for the penultimate race of the Hong Kong season. I have two horses rated higher than these three in the PBR table, those being 2 RAGING BLIZZARD and 12 STORM RIDER. However, we’re only going six furlongs, and my two top-rated choices are likely to be far off the pace. That would be helpful if there was a blazing speed expected, but I think this one plays fairly and sets up some combination of our three Quinella choices to take over late from just off the pace.Good luck!

EXTRA INCENTIVESGold Cup & Saucer VIP Trip Sweepstakes | Red Shores-Summerside20% Exacta Payouts Boost (up to $20) | Assiniboia Downs | today’s racesTOURNAMENT TIME$40 Assiniboia feeder | detailsNOTABLE CARRYOVERSJackpot Pick 5 | $381,052 | Parx | begins Race 1 | 12:40 pm ETJackpot Pick 5 | $315,691 | Assiniboia Downs | begins Race 3 | 9:25 pm ET1/ST BET AI MOST LIKELY PARX WINNERParx | Race 4 | 2:01 pm ET | #5 Emily’s On Fire (29%)KEY RACESAssiniboia Downs | Race 5 | 10:15 pm ET | Canada StakesLONGSHOT RACE ALERT FROM BETMIXHorseshoe Indy | Race 6 | 4:45 pm ETMountaineer | Race 2 | 7:25 pm ETLouisiana Downs | Race 7 | 7:53 pm ETTRAINERS TO WATCHScott Becker | Fairmount Park | all 7 entrants 4-1 or less oddsDID YOU SEE?Yesterday | Thistledown, Presque Isle | trainer Tim Hamm | 4 wins, 1 second from 7 startersPUT US ON YOUR HANDICAPPING TEAMFrank Carulli & Brian W. Spencer Tuesday best bets available in Xpressbet.com member’s section

Saturday’s 12-race card at Saratoga co-features the Grade 2 $400,000 Alfred Vanderbilt for the sprinters, while 3-year-old fillies share billing in the Grade 1 $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks. The 1-1/8 miles test is part of the Grade 1 Alabama series for the sophomore gals at the Spa.Horseplayers with 1/ST BET and Xpressbet be sure to take part in this week’s Money-Back Special races each racing day for Saratoga.Let’s meet the contenders for the Coaching Club American Oaks (Race 10):#1-IMMERSIVE: Seeks to become the first Champion 2-Year-Old Filly to add this race at age 3 since Songbird in 2016.. Trainer Brad Cox won the 2018 CCA Oaks (Monomoy Girl) and 2023 CCA Oaks (Wet Paint). Nyquist filly won all 4 starts a year ago (including the Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga), but was defeated by a neck in her lone 2025 start when runner-up in Churchill Downs’ Monomoy Girl Stakes on June 14. Gets a rematch with her Louisville nemesis Take Charge Milady on Saturday.#2-SWEET SERAPHINE: Quality Road home-bred filly makes the rise in class off back-to-back wins in a limited campaign this year. Nose winner at Churchill in late May and talked the Wilton Stakes on June 22 at Aqueduct by a head, showing a penchant for taking the close ones. Jose Ortiz piloted 2019 CCA Oaks winner Guarana. Trainer Cherie Devaux won a pair of races opening week at the Spa from 5 starters and was runner-up in the Grade 1 Diana with favored She Feels Pretty.#3-SCOTTISH LASSIE: Last year’s Grade 1 Frizette winner was most recently third in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Acorn Stakes behind CCA Oaks return rival La Cara. McKinzie filly is 1-for-5 lifetime, but hasn’t missed a sujperfecta – including fourth in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies behind Immersive. Jorge Abreu gets a chance to slay two dragons here and employs Joel Rosario in the saddle for the first time.#4-TAKE CHARGE MILADY: Trainer Kenny McPeek seeks back-to-back wins in this race after champion Thorpedo Anna’s 2024 score. This 2-time listed stakes winner in 2025 has scores at Oaklawn and Churchill on her ledger, but is 3: 0-1-0 in graded stakes bids. Runner-up in the Grade 1 Ashland behind CCA Oaks rival La Cara, beaten 1-1/4 lengths at the shorter trip. Saratoga debut for daughter of Take Charge Indy, who seeks his first Spa graded stakes winner on dirt.#5-DRY POWDER: Wilton Stakes runner-up to CCA Oaks rival Sweet Seraphine bids for her first career stakes win. She won 1 of 3 career starts but has never been worse than second for trainer Chad Summers. $525,000 daughter of Gun Runner got a late start to the races with a March 16 debut at Gulfstream. This will be her first start around 2 turns as Jose Lezcano takes the return mount.#6-LA CARA (pictured): Mark Casse trainee’s 5 wins include 4 wire-to-wire jobs, none more impressive or important than the Grade 1 Acorn over this track June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Jockey Dylan Davis has been the regular pilot this year, mastering the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland on the front end as well. Dropped the ball on the big stage in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and Kentucky Oaks, beaten more than 29 lengths combined, but is 2-for-3 locally and vies for favoritism.

Yonkers Raceway has a 9-race card. The $1.00 Pick 5 has a $10,000 guaranteed pool, and the sequence begins in Race 5. The $2.00 Late Pick 4 starts in Race 6, and it will be my focus. Comments and selections below are based on a fast track.Race 6 (8:25 PM EDT)3-Heza Charttopper A (7/2)-Willing to toss last against Open company and now drops back down to the level of a win 2 back. Beat these that night going gate to wire leaving from the rail. Has enough gate speed to get the top and not look back again.5-Jumpingjackmac N (4-1)-New Zealand bred looks like a good one winning its qualifier on 7-7 with a 0.55 back half. Banked over $167k in 20 starts last year, and the 8-year-old should be tough to beat if dialed on high. This will be the first real race since 12-20.Race 7 (8:45 PM EDT)1-Huntinthelastdolar (8/5)-Had a 3-race win streak snapped after drawing the 7 hole in last. Knows how to go gate to wire against this type, and Jason Bartlett will look to work that plan tonight.7-Desperate Man (3-1)-Beat the Invites from post 7 in its last start on 6-30. Knows how to string wins together. Matt Kakaley could look to leave hard or may duck and try to take control after the dust settles. Either could work and will respect despite drawing outside.Race 8 (9:05 PM EDT)1-The Bigboss A (4-1)-Raced well in last after stepping up off a win. Finished a close 3rd and the two that finished ahead are not in this field. Aussie bred appears to be getting better and could be sitting on a big try leaving from the 1-hole. Brent Holland takes the lines and will look for an aggressive steer.6-Soho Dow Jones A (3-1)-Bumps up after going gate to wire, paced the back half in 55.2 and drew off by almost 4 lengths. Jason Bartlett sticks, when driving for the Dilloian barn he posts 45% winners and has a good chance to add to that total here.Race 9 (9:25 PM EDT)1-Why Tomorrow Ray (5/2)-Ray is often in the hunt but like most in this field is camera shy. Fits, Bartlett steers and now draws the rail which could be the winning difference.7-Lyons Benjamin (4-1)-If Tyler Buter is determined to get the top that could happen. The question is how much gas was used to land on the point. Unlike others this horse likes to win in general and has taken 5 pictures in 15 races at YR. Makes the first start for the Laterza barn and is in sharp form.$2 Late Pick 43,5/1,7/1,6/1,7Total Bet $32Check me out on Twitter!

EXTRA INCENTIVES1 Million 1/ST Rewards Points Hit & Split | Ellis Park late pick 4TOURNAMENT TIME$40 Assiniboia feeder | detailsNOTABLE CARRYOVERSJackpot Pick 5 | $363,706 | Parx | begins Race 1 | 12:40 pm ETJackpot Pick 5 | $113,351 | Prairie Meadows | begins Race 7 | 7:33 pm ET1/ST BET AI MOST LIKELY NEW YORK DERBY WINNERFinger Lakes | Race 7 | 3:54 pm ET | #1 Train the Trainer (32%)KEY RACESFinger Lakes | Race 3 | 1:58 pm ET | New York OaksFinger Lakes | Race 7 | 3:54 pm ET | New York DerbyFinger Lakes | Race 8 | 4:23 pm ET | Leon Reed Memorial StakesAssiniboia Downs | Race 3 | 9:25 pm ET | Derby Trial StakesAssiniboia Downs | Race 5 | 10:15 pm ET | R.J. Speers Memorial StakesLONGSHOT RACE ALERT FROM BETMIXEllis Park | Race 5 | 2:44 pm ETHorseshoe Indy | Race 7 | 5:16 pm ETLouisiana Downs | Race 7 | 7:53 pm ETTRAINERS TO WATCHBrendan Walsh | Ellis Park, Horseshoe Indy | 6 of 7 entrants 5-1 or less oddsDID YOU SEE?Yesterday | Mountaineer | favorites went 1-for-8 on the cardPUT US ON YOUR HANDICAPPING TEAMFrank Carulli & Brian W. Spencer Monday best bets available in Xpressbet.com member’s section

EXTRA INCENTIVES1 Million 1/ST Rewards Points Hit & Split | Saratoga late pick 4TOURNAMENT TIME$40 Monmouth feeder | detailsNOTABLE CARRYOVERSMandatory Payout Pick 6 | $98,693 | Gulfstream Park | begins Race 5 | 2:56 pm ETJackpot Pick 5 | $95,674 | Prairie Meadows | begins Race 7 | 7:33 pm ET1/ST BET AI MOST LIKELY GULFSTREAM PICK 6 WINNERGulfstream Park | Race 5 | 2:56 pm ET | #2 Rashid (28%)KEY RACESWoodbine | Race 3 | 2:10 pm ET | Ballade StakesSaratoga | Race 9 | 5:44 pm ET | Quick Call StakesLONGSHOT RACE ALERT FROM BETMIXMonmouth | Race 1 | 12:50 pm ETCanterbury Park | Race 7 | 5:46 pm ETMountaineer | Race 1 | 7:00 pm ETTRAINERS TO WATCHJose D’Angelo | Gulfstream Park | 5 of 6 entrants 9-2 or less oddsDID YOU SEE?Yesterday | Gulfstream Park | favorites went 1-for-11 on the cardPUT US ON YOUR HANDICAPPING TEAMScott Shapiro: Saratoga Sunday Late Pick 4 Hit & Split AnalysisBrian Nadeau: Gulfstream Park Mandatory Pick 6 Payout Selections for SundayFrank Carulli & Brian W. Spencer Sunday best bets available in Xpressbet.com member’s section