DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Thursday, June 31, 2025

Keep an eye on these handful of races as the experts from Daily Racing Form make their picks.

Woodbine Race Track | woodbin.com

Since 1894, Daily Racing Form has been the most trusted source of horse racing news and information, making horseplayers better bettors by cashing more tickets. Here is a free daily playbook – something hardcore horseplayers and casual observers can reference to get informed of each day’s action. DRF Past Performances (PPs) can be accessed at DRF.com.

DRF handicappers share their plays for the day, including best bets, for racing at Saratoga, Colonial Downs, and Canterbury.

Post Time: 2:27 ET Track: Colonial (5th Race) Horse: DITCHED (#12, 9-2)

DITCHED stepped up to a maiden special weight last time out and was overwhelmed in a deep 11-horse field, so Joseph is responding by dropping her to an all-time low claiming level of $16,000; she has run fairly well in two maiden claiming races in her career, so she is either regressing sharply or is simply landing in an ideal spot against older horses. -Patrick Moquin | Get PPs for this race

Post Time: 3:27 ET Track: Saratoga (5th Race) Horse: ROSEBERNS DREAM (#2, 15-1)

ROSEBERNS DREAM is from a stakes-winning dam whose first three foals are all winners. While her two stakes-winning foals are dirt horses, her top performer, Bernieandtherose ran fine in her career debut on the grass, and the other sibling is a turf winner; just one of several interesting frsters in this field, and her trainer can have one ready on debut. -Mike Beer | Get PPs for this race

Post Time: 3:43 ET Track: Woodbine (2nd Race) Horse: MISS OZEGE (#6, 8-1)

MISS OZEGE is a DRF Best Bet - Ron Gierkink | Get PPs for this race

Post Time: 3:55 ET Track: Colonial Downs (8th Race) Horse: TWAIN (#9, 6-1)

TWAIN is a DRF Best Bet - Patrick Moquin | Get PPs for this race

Post Time: 4:02 ET Track: Saratoga (6th Race) Horse: ENCANTAR (#5, 8-1)

Homebred ENCANTAR is the first foal from her dam, who spent most of her career on turf before retiring a maiden, but was a sister to Water's Edge, a very good dirt horse for these connections who ran big on debut, before going on to become a stakes winner; trainer doesn't press for first-out success bit he can have the right one ready to go. -Mike Beer | Get PPs for this race

Post Time: 4:25 ET Track: Colonial Downs (9th Race) Horse: OUR LORDSHIP (#4, 7-2)

OUR LORDSHIP will make his second North American start for Motion, who took a bold shot with him when he finished seventh in a $100,000 maiden special weight at Saratoga earlier this month; the trainer's confidence there is a bigger indicator than anything else, and this spot shouldn't give him nearly as much trouble as that New York try and he has had a little more time to get his feet under him. -Patrick Moquin | Get PPs for this race

Post Time: 4:35 ET Track: Saratoga (7th Race) Horse: BEAUTIFUL CRAZY's (#6, 6-1)

BEAUTIFUL CRAZY's is a DRF Best Bet - Mike Beer | Get PPs for this race

Post Time: 4:49 ET Track: Woodbine (4th Race) Horse: BRIGHT SUNSHINE (#3, 6-1)

BRIGHT SUNSHINE battled three-wide for the lead before folding in the stretch over an inside-favoring track in her second straight double-digit loss on the Tapeta three weeks ago. Her lone turf race wasn't bad and she could get back on the beam in this main turf sprint while being reunited with Husbands, who broke her maiden. -Ron Gierkink | Get PPs for this race

Post Time: 5:44 ET Track: Saratoga (9th Race) Horse: DOC SULLIVAN (#12, 10-1)

DOC SULLIVAN put together a strong - and somewhat underrated - 3yo campaign last year which has highlighted by a win in the Mike Lee over this track and distance; thought he ran very well in the Alex M. Robb in December when sent aggressively to the lead and just getting nailed by BANK FRENZY, but he appeared to tail off a bit after that; freshened up for this and starts back at the right distance for a capable new trainer. -Mike Beer | Get PPs for this race

Post Time: 6:03 ET Track: Del Mar (3rd Race) Horse: SUPER ELLIE (#7, 10-1

SUPER ELLIE is a DRF Best Bet – Brad Free | Get PPs for this race

Post Time: 6:29 ET Track: Woodbine (7th Race) Horse: SIL'S GAMBLE (#1, 8-1)

SIL'S GAMBLE defeated two next-out winners when graduating over the Tapeta in her second race off the shelf June 14 on the Tapeta, over which she made all five of her starts. The daughter of high-percentage grass sire Gamble's Exchange is a full-sister to inner turf winner Gamble's Silver, who won three allowances for these connections. -Ron Gierkink | Get PPs for this race

Post Time: 6:35 ET Track: Del Mar (4th Race) Horse: LADY RIDER (#4, 5-1)

Despite a 10-length drubbing last out, LADY RIDER gets the call in this maiden-20 route based on her runner-up finish two starts back. She misfired last time but was claimed, worked well since, and can win if she reproduces her best race two starts ago. -Brad Free | Get PPs for this race

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