DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Saturday, August 16, 2025

DRF handicappers share their plays for the day, including best bets, for racing at Saratoga, Del Mar, Woodbine, Gulfstream, Monmouth, and Colonial Downs.

Post Time: 12:45 ET
Track: Woodbine (1st Race)
Horse: BUIUM (#6, 6-1)

BUIUM is a DRF Best Bet (Ron Gierkink). | Get Past Performances for this race

Post Time: 1:10 ET
Track: Saratoga (2nd Race)
Horse: MAXPOWER (#5, 12-1)

MAXPOWER is by a new sire who is off to a hot start in Maxfield - 5 for 17 with first-time starters so far; the dam went 0-2 in her career while racing exclusively on turf, but she is a sister to the excellent dirt sprinter Clearly Now, who won multiple graded stakes and earned over $1 million; ships in for a trainer who does good work with first-time starters. – Mike Beer | Get Past Performances for this race

Post Time: 2:20 ET
Track: Monmouth (4th Race)
Horse: AL AMEEQ (#9, 7-2)

AL AMEEQ is a DRF Best Bet (Scott Shapiro). | Get Past Performances for this race

Post Time: 3:00 ET
Track: Gulfstream (5th Race)
Horse: ATWORK (#7, 6-1)

ATWORK has run better and better in all three starts and just won when first time going two turns. He won gate to wire but we bet he can stalk if needed. Many times very good horses just find a way. This barn is 19% with horses that won their last race so you can check that box. His turf breeding is good and win rider stays put. – Scott Ehlers | Get Past Performances for this race

Post Time: 3:16 ET
Track: Monmouth (6th Race)
Horse: CURLIN GUNNER (#2, 5-1)

CURLIN GUNNER ships in from Pennsylvania for trainer Elliott Soto-Martinez. The son of Curlin has been outrun in his last two, but they came against stronger competition. The last time he competed against conditional claimers he won going by open lengths at Parx. If he finds a forward spot early, he should loom large late in his first local try. – Scott Shapiro | Get Past Performances for this race

Post Time: 4:15 ET
Track: Monmouth (8th Race)
Horse: CEEPEEGEE (#5, 10-1)

CEEPEEGEE makes his third start off the claim for trainer Dan Ward after being caught wide over the sloppy going at Saratoga against starter allowance foes on a day the rail was the place to be. Prior to that the son of Army Mule rattled off a pair of victories at Oaklawn Park. He should find a comfortable spot just off the early pacesetters in his first try over this surface. – Scott Shapiro | Get Past Performances for this race

Post Time: 5:05 ET
Track: Colonial Downs (10th Race)
Horse: COBBLESTONE BRIDGE (#6, 6-1)

COBBLESTONE BRIDGE is a DRF Best Bet (Patrick Moquin). | Get Past Performances for this race

Post Time: 5:18 ET
Track: Gulfstream (9th Race)
Horse: GEMSTONE WARRIOR (#5, 12-1)

GEMSTONE WARRIOR is a DRF Best Bet (Scott Ehlers). | Get Past Performances for this race

Post Time: 5:34 ET
Track: Woodbine (9th Race)
Horse: SEDBURYS GHOST (#12, 6-1)

SEDBURYS GHOST closed from sixth to take the nine-furlong Plate Trial with an 85 Beyer, the third-highest fig in the Plate field. The powerful chestnut worked beautifully last Saturday under Munger and should take some beating if he continues to improve by leaps and bounds. – Ron Gierkink | Get Past Performances for this race

Post Time: 5:44 ET
Track: Saratoga (10th Race)
Horse: LA CARA (#6, 5-2)

This distance will almost certainly test the limits of stamina possessed by the speedy LA CARA, but she has been at her best when able to control the early pace, and that seems a likely scenario in this race with little other speed signed on; underrated filly has to go from the start and see how far she can take them. – Mike Beer | Get Past Performances for this race

Post Time: 9:03 ET
Track: Del Mar (9th Race)
Horse: CONTRARY CHIEFTAIN (#7, 4-1)

CONTRARY CHIEFTAIN had no shot last out when he broke from post 10 in a turf mile and was wide throughout before he chucked it and finished last. Now he returns to dirt, drops to $12.5k claiming (he won two back for $16k), and has speed to set or press the pace. – Brad Free | Get Past Performances for this race

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