Richard Eng is the author of Betting on Horse Racing for Dummies. For 20 years, he was Turf Editor and Handicapper for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Rich is a frequent guest on the show and was very informative over the months about the scene at his home base of Las Vegas. He vividly described the changes the town went through during the pandemic. Things are sunnier there now and the Del Mar summer meeting begins Friday. Del Mar is offering record overnight purses this year, as well as an enhanced bonus program for horses shipped to the state from other circuits. The boutique meet starts with the Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-olds trying the turf and it has drawn a full field. Rich will select his top contenders in this race filled with numerous betting opportunities.
Back east it is Haskell Day at Monmouth Park, with a sensational card that features five graded stakes! Rich and John will discuss the Haskell itself that features two young eye-catching colts. The current “Best of the West” – Tiaba ships in to challenge “The Beast from the East” – Jack Christopher. It could be a race for the ages and will have championship implications. Gun Runner, the 2017 Horse of the Year and a leading sire, will begin covering mares for the Southern Hemisphere season. Three Chimneys is exploring the Southern Hemisphere market with its top sire, Gun Runner , without physically shuttling this year's leading second-crop sire overseas. Tom Hamm, director of stallion nominations for Three Chimneys, confirmed a report by Thoroughbred Daily News. He said Gun Runner will stand the season at the central Kentucky farm for a fee of $75,000. Tom will join the show to explain how this unique scheduling process works at the farm and what it is like to have such a valued stallion standing at Three Chimneys.