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 outrider at Churchill Downs, discuss growing up together around horses and how they see their roles today...
Dec 15, 2023•1 hr 32 min•Season 7Ep. 9
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 impressions of the Global Symposium on Racing in Tucson, Ariz., are reviewed. Super Screener creator Mik...
Dec 08, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 7Ep. 8
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 organization’s role in the Claiming Crown as well as some highlights in the making this weekend in New...
Dec 01, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Season 7Ep. 7
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 the most contentious Eclipse Award categories and what he may do next in his career. Ed DeRosa handic...
Nov 24, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Season 7Ep. 6
Can a career sports bettor be convinced to venture into playing the horses? That is the question for podcast pioneer Gill Alexander. He raises questions about how to play the races, especially as someone who does not play pari-mutuels. Was his curiosity satiated to the point of taking a plunge into playing the races? Find out on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation . It is available via free subscription from Apple, Google and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com....
Nov 17, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 7Ep. 5
A look back on Breeders’ Cup 2023 and a freewheeling conversation between two aging turf writers fills this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Friend of the show John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times joined Ron in a look-back at the two-day meet while sitting in the dining room of the media hotel in Pasadena, Calif. As is the usual wont of these two, the talk wandered off in all directions while still touching on such topics as who should be the horse of the year. Hear horse-racing media’s version of...
Nov 10, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 7Ep. 4
From Santa Anita, Breeders’ Cup 2023 is the focus of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Trainers Bill Mott, Todd Pletcher and Brad Cox discuss their top prospects in the 14 championship races Friday and Saturday. World Horse Racing’s Naomi Tukker offers her point of view about the top matchups of the week and how defections have made the Breeders’ Cup Classic a potentially wide open race with longer odds on so many starters. New York radio personality Brad Blanks has a snapshot of the Breeders’ Cup sce...
Nov 03, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Season 7Ep. 3
For the seventh year in a row, the Breeders’ Cup will be featured in a hard-core handicappers episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Hear Horse Racing Nation ’s Mark Midland and Ed DeRosa and DK Horse’s Johnny Avello analyze all 14 races with advice on who and how to bet. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Google and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 7Ep. 2
The Breeders’ Cup is the main topic this week to start the seventh season of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Hall of Famer Mike Smith, who has ridden more Breeders’ Cup winners than any other jockey, talks about his mounts in next week’s championships. FanDuel TV’s Joaquin Jaime offers analysis of some of the 205 horses who were pre-entered this week for the races at Santa Anita. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch has tips on the graded stakes this week at Keeneland and Belmont at Aqueduct as ...
Oct 27, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Season 7Ep. 1
From Keeneland to British Champions day to the Breeders’ Cup, important autumn races are the focus of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Trainer Brendan Walsh talks about Pretty Mischievous and his other contenders for next month’s championship races at Santa Anita. Racing Post turf writer Maddy Playle checks in from England to provide insight into the season-ending card at Ascot, including the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and British Champion Stakes, the last win-and-you’re-in races for the Breeders...
Oct 20, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Season 6Ep. 57
Three continents are spanned on one episode with this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Flying to the U.S. to ride Mawj in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland, three-time U.K.-champion jockey Oisín Murphy discusses the race and his possibilities for the Breeders’ Cup next month at Santa Anita. At $12.8 million, The Everest is the richest turf race in the world, and it will be run this weekend in Australia. That is where RSN927’s Matt Stewart, who has spent 30 years covering ra...
Oct 13, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Season 6Ep. 56
Fifteen races will bring the Breeders’ Cup qualifiers in the U.S. to a climax this week, and they are the focus of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod, which originates from Keeneland. FanDuel TV’s Scott Hazelton is based this month at the Kentucky track, where he looks at the Breeders’ Cup divisions and specifics on some of the big races this weekend. Larry Demeritte is one of the first Black trainers to have won a Kentucky Derby prep. He and West Saratoga, who finished first last month in the I...
Oct 06, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Season 6Ep. 55
Breeders’ Cup win-and-you’re-in races go from California through Kentucky and New York and all the way to Europe. They are the focus of this week’s episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. From Paris, Racing Post turf writer Scott Burton previews the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and four other Breeders’ Cup qualifiers being run Sunday on the undercard. Godolphin bloodstock director Michael Banahan talks about Cody’s Wish in the Vosburgh Stakes and the immediate plans this fall for him, Pretty Mischie...
Sep 29, 2023•1 hr 46 min•Season 6Ep. 54
What may be a rainy renewal of the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby is the highlight of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Track announcer Jessica Paquette previews the $1 million race and talks about her groundbreaking year at Parx Racing. Jockey Florent Géroux talks about his ride on Saudi Crown in the Penn Derby as well as his other stakes mounts on the undercard. Handicapper Ed DeRosa has tips not only for the big races at Parx but also the Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park. Listener feedback is f...
Sep 22, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 6Ep. 53
The road to Kentucky Derby 150 begins this weekend, and it is the focus of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas talks about Market Street and Seize the Grey, his two starters in the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes that christens the points preps for 2023-24. He also has some early details on the yearlings he has been involved in buying at this week’s Keeneland sale. TV analyst Joe Kristufek looks at the Iroquois as well as other stakes this weekend at Churchill Downs. He also ...
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr 32 min•Season 6Ep. 52
The big-money meet at Kentucky Downs plus closing weekend at Del Mar and Colonial Downs are the talking points on this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Vice president of racing Ted Nicholson and National Horseplayers Championship Hall of Famer Chris Larmey talk about Kentucky Downs’ ongoing growth and its 1 percent increase in takeout this year. Trainer Michael McCarthy discusses his young horses who are racing in Grade 1 stakes at Del Mar. Horse Racing Nation ’s Mark Midland handicaps weekend rac...
Sep 08, 2023•1 hr 48 min•Season 6Ep. 51
The Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic, a win-and-you’re-in qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, is the centerpiece of this week’s episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella talks about his morning-line favorite Geaux Rocket Ride, who won for him this summer in the Haskell (G1). He also discusses his other entries in the graded stakes Saturday at Del Mar. FanDuel TV’s Andie Biancone offers the story of her life in horse racing and how it has turned to being...
Sep 01, 2023•1 hr 32 min•Season 6Ep. 50
The mid-summer derby at Saratoga formally known as the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes is the focus of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. TV analyst Andy Serling from Fox Sports and the New York Racing Association previews the race and offers his thoughts about the Saratoga summer. At this time last year the 80-1 winner of the 2022 Kentucky Derby was getting ready for the Travers. What is going on now with Rich Strike, who has raced only once since November? His owner Rick Dawson provides...
Aug 25, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Season 6Ep. 49
The King’s Plate at Woodbine and a tribute to the late Jerry Moss are featured this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Track announcer Robert Geller discusses Canada’s biggest race and trends that have developed through the entire meet. A 2010 interview with Moss, owner of Zenyatta and Giacomo, has been brought back from the archives and will be played in honor of the man who was iconic in racing and in the music industry. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty handicaps the Alabama (G1) and the La...
Aug 18, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 6Ep. 48
The Grade 1 Arlington Million has a new home at Colonial Downs in Virginia, and that is this week’s venue for the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Adrian Beaumont of the International Racing Bureau provides insight into the rebuilding of the Million and the horses from Europe who will be in this weekend’s featured stakes. Trainer Michael Stidham discusses United Nations (G1) runner-up Catnip’s bid to win the Arlington Million. David Levitch handicaps weekend races at Colonial Downs and Saratoga, and ther...
Aug 11, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Season 6Ep. 47
Cody’s Wish returns in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, and that puts him in the spotlight for this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. His Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott talks about the challenge of his extending to 1 1/8 miles this weekend. He also discusses his sprint star Elite Power. Tom Law of The Saratoga Special examines the shrinking field sizes in the Spa’s top stakes as well as the controversy over last week’s Jim Dandy Stakes won by Forte. He also offers his thoughts about the Whit...
Aug 04, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Season 6Ep. 46
Summertime stakes at Saratoga and Del Mar and concerns about rider safety are the hot topics on the table for the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Fox Sports and New York Racing Association TV analyst Sara Elbadwi checks in from Saratoga to discuss this weekend’s Jim Dandy Stakes and Vanderbilt Handicap. Jockeys’ Guild president and CEO Terry Meyocks provides updates on the safety concerns raised in the past week at Del Mar, Saratoga and at Finger Lakes, where riders refused to continue racing Wednesday ...
Jul 28, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 6Ep. 45
Opening week at Del Mar, the closing of Golden Gate Fields and the $1 million Haskell Stakes are the focus of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Owner, handicapper and radio host Jon Lindo discusses the developments in California, including featured stakes at Del Mar. From Monmouth Park, Mage’s assistant trainer and co-owner Gustavo Delgado Jr. talks about the Kentucky Derby winner’s bid to win the Haskell. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty has handicapping advice for Del Mar and Saratoga as well as t...
Jul 21, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Season 6Ep. 44
It is opening week at Saratoga, and that is the focus of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Fox Sports and New York Racing Association TV analyst Acacia Clément previews the summer meet, including this weekend’s Grade 1 Diana Stakes. National Horseplayers Championship Hall of Famer David Gutfreund discusses the recent collusion controversy that led to three players being disqualified and questions about how long this has been going on at the annual tournament. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty...
Jul 14, 2023•1 hr 37 min•Season 6Ep. 43
Equine safety, a controversial suspension and closing weekend at Belmont Park are the topics of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Attorney Clark Brewster talks about trainer Bob Baffert’s ban from Churchill Downs Inc. tracks being extended by another 1 1/2 years. He also discusses the setting aside of the medication suspension of trainer Ray Handal. Trainer Dale Romans and veterinarians David Lambert and Denise Mc Sweeney offer an audio tour of the new StrideSafe technology that was deployed i...
Jul 07, 2023•1 hr 34 min•Season 6Ep. 42
This weekend’s $1 million Stephen Foster Stakes, the first Grade 1 in the history of Ellis Park, is the centerpiece of this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Recently retired Dallas sports-talk icon Norm Hitzges talks about his radio career and his years of experience as a horseplayer. Owner Mike Mackin discusses his horses Smile Happy and Rattle N Roll, who are racing in the Stephen Foster. Handicapper Ed DeRosa has betting advice for the Stephen Foster and other weekend races. The Ron Flatter Rac...
Jun 30, 2023•1 hr 48 min•Season 6Ep. 41
What is behind the making of some of the best horse-racing photos around? Alex Evers from Eclipse Sportswire answers that question and talks about his travels as a photojournalist. As summer approaches, Louis Rabaut of the Horse Racing Happy Hour takes a final look back at the spring of 2023 and a troubled Triple Crown season. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Google, Spotify and Stitcher as well as HorseRacingNation.com....
Jun 23, 2023•1 hr 18 min
From New York, a preview of Royal Ascot and a review of the Triple Crown are heard this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. For the 14th time in the last 15 years, trainer Wesley Ward sends horses to England for the most prestigious five days of racing in the world. He discusses each of the runners who will try to add to his 12 previous victories at Royal Ascot. He even has a hilarious story about a conversation he had with the late Queen Elizabeth II. Los Angeles Times writer John Cherwa joins ...
Jun 16, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 6Ep. 39
Amid the smoky conditions ahead of Belmont Stakes 2023, the Ron Flatter Racing Pod originates from New York to preview the last race of this year’s Triple Crown. Trainers Brad Cox and Jena Antonucci discuss their Belmont horses. TV analyst Maggie Wolfendale-Morley of the New York Racing Association and Fox Sports offers her thoughts about Belmont week and her tips on Saturday’s $1.5 million race. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty has handicapping advice for three undercard stakes plus some thou...
Jun 09, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Season 6Ep. 38
The sixth annual hard-core handicappers roundtable to preview Belmont Stakes 2023 has been convened for this pop-up episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Hear Horse Racing Nation ’s Mark Midland and Ed DeRosa and the return of DraftKings Sportsbook’s Johnny Avello. They preview all nine horses and provide their handicapping advice for the 155th running of the Belmont. They also have some tips for Saturday’s undercard at Belmont Park. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is availab...
Jun 07, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 6Ep. 37
