Big-Race Showdown: Wood Memorial, Blue Grass, and Santa Anita Derby Picks

For the sixth year in a row, America’s Best Racing is challenging some of the brightest minds in horse betting to come up with their top three picks for key races every weekend leading up to the 2022 Triple Crown and then continuing through the 2022 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The handicappers face off in what we like to call the “Big Race Showdown.”

The players’ picks will be posted here and a running bankroll will be kept to track their success all year long. Bankrolls will be tabulated on the basis of $2 exacta and $2 trifecta box bets of each player’s top three selections. We will also be keeping track of which player correctly selects the most winners. 

Your players for the 2022 Big Race Showdown season are Edison Hatter (In the Money Media Analyst, Meadowlands On-Air Host), Spencer Luginbuhl (Redboard Rewind Podcast from In the Money Media, The Daily Gallop), Ashley Mailloux (Project Lead, 1/ST Racing), Jessica Paquette (Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, analyst for Colonial Downs and Sam Houston Race Park), John Piassek (Handicapper and Writer, America’s Best Racing),  Louis Rabaut (Handicapper and Host, Horse Racing Happy Hour), Roberto Rodriguez (El Potro Roberto, DRF en Espanol), Mike Somich (The Magic Mike Show, Somo Bombs Handicapper – The Racing Dudes), Naomi Tukker (Maryland Jockey Club Racing Analyst),  Darwin Vizcaya (Handicapper and Host, La Trifecta from America’s Best Racing), Rowan Ward (Chartcaller at Hawthorne Race Track and a Freelance Writer), and Brian Zipse (Senior Writer for Horse Racing Nation and Host of HorseCenter).

Put our experts picks into play on AmWager.  Sign up for an account this week using and make a deposit using promo code ‘ABR100’ and enjoy a 100% bonus match up to $250.

This week’s Big Race Showdown features three Derby preps: the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct, the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, and the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park. All three races offer 170 qualifying points each towards the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. They will be shown on TVG, as well as on on NBC as part of a broadcast that will run from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. The Santa Anita Derby will also be featured on the “Santa Anita: Road to the Derby LIVE!” broadcast, which will be livestreamed on the America’s Best Racing Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.