Mikee P. hosts inthemoneypodcast.com 's Dean Keppler for a look at the $3 Late Pick 3 for Friday, February 7th, 2025. The bet involves the last three races at Santa Anita, with a $3 minimum and a 15% Takeout. The guys also chatted late in the pod about the Super Bowl.

RACING

• Post Times:
• Friday, February 7 | 12:30 pm
• Saturday, February 8 | 12:30 pm
• Big Game Sunday, February 9 | EARLY POST 11:00 am

$10,000 MYSTERY MUTUAL WINNER

• On Sat, Jan 4, one lucky fan won the Grand Prize of $10,000 as part of Santa Anita's Mystery Mutuel contest. It's FREE to sign up for your chance to win $10,000! Go to the 1/ST REWARDS Center to join and you could be next! 

NEW WAGERS CLASSIC MEET

• NOW EVERY FRI & SAT/SUN: COAST TO COAST PICK 5 – Santa Anita & Gulfstream Sequence - Low 15% takeout
• $2 PICK 6 – Traditional Pick 6 is back
• $3 ALL TURF PICK 3 – Low 15% takeout 
• $3 LATE PICK 3 – Low 15% takeout
• $5 LATE DOUBLE – Low 15% takeout

PROMOTIONS

• FREE FRIDAYS: Every Friday enjoy free admission, free parking and $3 drafts/$5 margaritas.
• 1/ST REWARDS SEABISCUIT PIN– Bet $50 on Santa Anita races via 1/ST BET, Xpressbet, or 1/ST Rewards and receive a limited edition Seabiscuit Pin. Visit 1/ST REWARDS center to redeem.

CONTEST

• SUN/FEB 9: BIG GAME SPECIAL PICK ‘EM CONTEST: ADDED PRIZE POOL OF $3,000 ON FEB 9. Play special props from the Big Game plus horse racing all for FREE online. Play every weekend.
• SAT/FEB 8: $1,000 UBC SUPER LOW RATIO FEEDER CONTEST: $1,000 ($500 Bankroll / $500 Prize Pool) - Compete to win seats into the Ultimate Betting Challenge on Saturday, March 1 and a cash prize pool. Play at Santa Anita or online at xpressbet.com
• SHOWVIVOR CONTEST THROUGH JUNE 15: Select one horse each race day in this FREE online contest for prizes in longest showstreak, winstreak, total wins, highest win payout, and total win earnings.

EVENTS

• SAT: SANTA ANITA CHILI COOKOFF – 100% of chili tastings benefit the Foothill Unity Center! Get tickets at santaanita.com
• SAT/SUN: GOLDEN ROAD LOUNGE – Happy hour at Santa Anita Park! Special online package includes your admission, first draft and a happy hour wristband good for $3 drafts and $2 off cocktails.
• TICKETS AT SANTAANITA.COM

The Factor a top 10 General Sire by Winners in 2023, as well as being the #3 sire of two-year-olds by black type winners. His 2023 stakes winners include two-year-olds Appeal Factor, Grated Coconut and Tipsy Tales. Additional 2023 stakes winners include Aloha Breeze and Factor It in as well as graded stakes placed Piper’s Factors.

He’s the sire of G1 winners Noted and Quoted and Cistron, as well as graded winners Charmaine's Mia (G2), Bound for Nowhere (G2), Factor This (G2), and Multiplier (G3). The Factor has proven to be successful at auction, with over 70 six-digit yearling sales up to $750,000.

The Factor is a son of top sire War Front out of the Miswaki mare Greyciousness. War Front has enjoyed considerable success when bred over mares from the Mr. Prospector line, and has group winners from mares by Fappiano grandson Unbridled’s Song. War Front has Grade 1 winners out of a Forty Nine mare and a daughter of Smart Strike, as well as stakes winners by daughters of Kingmambo and Pulling Punches.

Nick is joined by Lydia Hislop for today's news and views from the racing world. Guests today include Joseph O'Brien, with news on Banbridge, Solness and more, Timeform's Billy Nash on the DRF Novices, and Fitzdares' Orlando Meyrick on the market impact. Also today, the Tote's Corporate Affairs Director Susannah Gill defends the organisation's playing into its own placepot pools, while trainer Amy Murphy explains her move to France and NTF CEO Paul Johnson outlines the cooperation commitment between the RCA and the Thoroughbred Group.

The sire of Champions Corniche, Abel Tasman and Caledonia Road and 39 graded stakes winners, Quality Road has become one of the most successful sires in North America. His 15 Grade 1 winners also include 2023 Preakness S. and winner National Treasure, Bleecker Street, City of Light, Roadster, Bellafina, Dunbar Road, etc.

Also in 2023, Quality Road sired undefeated multiple GSW Integration, additional GSWs include two-year-old Agate Road, Aspray, Missed the Cut and Hopkins. He was responsible for four TDN Rising Stars, second only to Into Mischief. His 2024 got off to a fast start with National Treasure returning to the winner’s circle in the G1 Pegasus World Cup, Impel being named a TDN Rising Star and Track Phantom earning points for the 2024 Kentucky Derby.

Among others, Quality Road has sired: G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Hootennany from a mare by Storm Cat son Hennessy; multiple graded winner Blofeld out of a mare by Storm Cat himself; and stakes-placed horses out of mares by Forest Wildcat and Giant’s Causeway. Storm Cat could also be brought in through lines such as Forestry, Stormy Atlantic, Stormin Fever, Tale of the Cat, Mountain Cat, Tabasco Cat and Harlan’s Holiday. There are several other branches of the Northern Dancer line that should work well under Quality Road. His sire, Elusive Quality, has been extremely strong over mares by Dixieland Band and his sons, with Dixie Union appearing as broodmare sire of a stakes placed Quality Road two-year-old. Deputy Minister line mares should also work well, particularly through Silver Deputy. Elusive Quality, and the Gone West line in general, has enjoyed considerable success with Danzig-line mares, and Quality Road has stakes winner Overprepared out of a mare by Dayjur. Other promising sources of Danzig include Danehill and Belong to Me.

(UPDATED FEB 1, 2025)

Eclipse Champion Turf Male, Up to the Mark began his racing career breaking his maiden at first asking in a Saratoga MSW on the dirt by 4 1/4 lengths at three.

He began his four-year-old campaign with back-to-back wins at Gulfstream Park, before placing third in the G1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland after a wide trip in his first start at the G1 level. His follow-up performance on Kentucky Derby day in the G1 Turf Classic resulted in his first win at the highest level. Winning by 3 3/4 lengths, he earned a 103 Beyer for the impressive performance.

Making his next start on Belmont Stakes day, he earned his second G1 victory by daylight in the G1 Manhattan S., earning back-to-back triple-digit Beyer figures with a career best 105, the top Beyer speed figure in 2023 at a mile and a quarter on the turf.

Up to the Mark added his third consecutive G1 victory in the Turf Mile at Keeneland defeating G1 winners Master of the Seas (GB), Atone, Set Piece (GB) and Annapolis. He earned a 100 Beyer for the determined effort. He next took on European invaders in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf at 1 1/2 miles. He finished an impressive second by only 3/4 of length in a deep field, earning a 105 Beyer and boosting his earnings to $2,511,050.

His first in-foal mares sold for up to $550,000, the co-highest of Keeneland November 2024. First foals arrive in 2025.

Nick is joined by David Yates to reflect on an absorbing edition of the Dublin Racing Festival. Guests today include Nicky Henderson, who analyses the performances of the DRF stars with relation to his own "Big Four" and how that affects their chances at Cheltenham. He also looks ahead to Sir Gino and his William Hill hurdle entries at Newbury this weekend. Plus, Kopek des Bordes owner Charlie McCarthy and Gordon Elliott, who explains why Gerri Colombe is out for the season, and takes positives out of his lighter team in Dublin.

The show kicks off with PTF and Nick Tammaro looking back at a trio of Kentucky Derby prep races from last weekend: Burnham Square's win in the Holy Bull at Gulfstream,  Citizen Bull's three-year-old debut in the Lewis stakes at Santa Anita, and Captain Cook's nice effort in the Withers at Aqueduct.

Then they dive deeper into various Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita races from the weekend.

For the final segment, recent $100,000 winner Jim Tragos, who took down the 1/st Grand Three, joins PTF to talk about his time being a horseplayer and his winning strategy in the contest.

Takeaways:

• The podcast provides an in-depth analysis of the Kentucky Derby prep races, focusing on the performances of Burnham Square, Citizen Bull, and Captain Cook, highlighting their potential in upcoming races.
• PTF and Nick Tammaro engage in a detailed discussion about recent races at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita, emphasizing the significance of buyer speed figures in evaluating horse performances.
• Jim Tragos shares his experience as a horseplayer and the strategy that led him to win a $100,000 prize in a contest, providing insights into the competitive nature of horse racing contests.
• The hosts reflect on the importance of evaluating horses based on their racing circumstances, including pace and competition, rather than solely on pedigree or previous performance.
• The episode underscores the evolving landscape of horse racing contests, particularly the shift towards more structured and competitive events, as exemplified by Tragos's recent success.
• Listeners are encouraged to follow the hosts' expertise in handicapping and to engage with the content available on the In The Money Media platforms for further insights.

Classic-winning millionaire Union Rags has sired six individual Grade 1 winners in Free Drop Billy, Paradise Woods, Union Strike, Dancing Rags, and Express Train. In 2024 Power Squeeze became the sixth, winning the historic G1 Alabama S. at Saratoga. Union Rags has had yearling and two-year-old sales up to $1,000,000.

In 2023 Caramel Swirl won the G2 Gallant Bloom S. and the G3 Vagrancy S. in New York. Additional stakes winners include Wet My Beak, Unifying and Arham among others. He started 2024 quickly with three-year-old filly Power Squeeze winning the Cash Run S.

The son of Dixie Union is out of the Gone West mare Tempo, and comes from the family of multiple G1 winner Declaration of War and graded winners Vertiformer, Terpsichorist and Pratella, to name a few.

There are six stakes winners by Dixie Union and sons out of A.P. Indy-line mares, including A.P. Indy himself, as well as Mineshaft, Aptitude and Old Trieste. Dixie Union and sons have sired 21 stakes winners out Mr. Prospector-line mares, including through daughters of Smart Strike; Forty Niner and his sons Distorted Humor and Coronado’s Quest; Carson City (sire of City Zip); Unbridled’s Song; Machiavellian (sire of Street Cry and grandsire of Street Sense); Woodman; Fusaichi Pegasus; Allen’s Prospect; Fortunate Prospect; Naevus; and Robyn Dancer. Dixie Union is a Northern Dancer-line stallion, but he has enjoyed success when crossed back over other branches of the Northern Dancer line, and should do well with mares by Touch Gold, Awesome Again, Dehere, Silver Deputy, Theatrical, Tale of the Cat, Stormy Atlantic, Forest Wildcat, Forestry, Yankee Gentleman and Johannesburg.

Honor A. P. broke his maiden as a two-year-old at Santa Anita by over five lengths posting a 91 Beyer, one of the highest of his generation. His first start as a three-year-old was in graded stakes company when he finished second in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes.

Honor A. P. took the G1 Santa Anita Derby by an easy 2 3/4 lengths for trainer John Shirreffs. The three-year-old earned a blistering 102 Beyer Speed Figure and became the only horse to defeat eventual Horse of the Year Authentic. The Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby has long produced breed-shaping sires with past winners including A.P. Indy, Sunday Silence, Affirmed, Pioneerof the Nile and more. In his next start, the Shared Belief Stakes, he posted another 102 Beyer making him one of four three-year-old colts in 2020 to post multiple triple-digit Beyers beyond a mile.

Bred by George Krikorian, Honor A. P. sold for $850,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

Honor A. P.’s dam, Hollywood Story, had a long and illustrious career earning over $1 million on the track and scoring Grade 1 victories at two and five-years-old in the Hollywood Starlet and Vanity H., respectively. She produced the multiple graded stakes-placed Hollywood Star and the multiple stakes winner Miss Hollywood.

Hollywood Story is by Wild Rush, making Honor A. P.'s pedigree free of Mr. Prospector on his dam's side to five generations.

Honor A. P.’s first yearlings sold for $375,000, $275,000, $100,000, etc. In his first crop to race in 2024 he was represented by multiple stakes winner Glee and stakes winner Hollywood Beauty, and more than a dozen winners.

(UPDATED: Feb 1st, 2025)

Game Winner, earned over $2 million from four graded stakes wins, is by perennial leading sire and Lane’s End stallion Candy Ride. During his Championship season, Game Winner remained unbeaten with victories in the G1 Del Mar Futurity, G1 American Pharoah Stakes and G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs. As a three-year-old, Game Winner ran a terrific race in the G1 Kentucky Derby. Wide throughout, he finished fifth beaten just 3 ¾ lengths and good enough to earn the best Thorograph figure of .25 in the field. That same year, his graded stakes performances featured second-place finishes in the G2 Rebel Stakes and G1 Santa Anita Derby. He wrapped up his career winning the G3 Los Alamitos Derby.

Game Winner's first-crop yearlings were in demand with sales up to $600,000. He saw 15 six-figure sales and an average of $95,772 throughout the 2023 yearling sales. His first-crop two-year-olds made a splash in 2024 with Gaming, winner of the G1 Del Mar Futurity and a second place finish in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Nick is joined by RTE and Racing TV broadcaster Jane Mangan to discuss the latest from around the racing world on the eve of the Dublin Racing Festival. After the last minute jockey shenanigans ahead of the Irish Champion Hurdle, they reflect on the various choices made. Joining the show today is trainer Declan Queally, with a tidy select hand at the DRF, including in two Grade Ones. Plus, Harry Derham on his three-country weekend, Paul Nicholls pays tribute to John Hales, who has died aged 85, and Ben Linfoot has something for the weekend from SportingLife.com.