For the third 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 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, beginning with the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 26. The handicappers face off in what we like to call “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 2019 players are Dan Cronin, Megan Devine, Emily Gullikson, Candice Hare, Mike McCormick, Nicolle Neulist, Dan Tordjman, and Brian Zipse.

Our featured races this week are the $1 million, Grade 2 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby on Saturday at Fair Grounds and the $800,000, Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby on Sunday at Sunland Park.

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Dan Cronin

Horse Racing Handicapper, NHC Qualifier

$1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby

1. Country House

2. War of Will

3. Lemniscate

Alternate: Spinoff

$800,000 Sunland Park Derby

1. Mucho Gusto

2. Cutting Humor

3. Wicked Indeed

Alternate: Anothertwistafate

Winning Top Choice: 5/14

Exacta Earnings: $181.60

Trifecta Earnings: $208.48

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Megan Devine

TVG On-Air Host and Analyst

$1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby

1. War of Will

2. Sueno

3. Limonite

Alternate: Country House

$800,000 Sunland Park Derby

1. Mucho Gusto

2. Cutting Humor

3. Wicked Indeed

Alternate: Anothertwistafate

Winning Top Choice: 2/14

Exacta Earnings: $203.40

Trifecta Earnings: $517.28

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Emily Gullikson

OptixEQ, Tournament Handicapper

$1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby

1. Limonite

2. Country House

3. Bankit

Alternate: War of Will

$800,000 Sunland Park Derby

1. Cutting Humor

2. Wicked Indeed

3. Mucho Gusto

Alternate: Anothertwistafate

Winning Top Choice: 0/14

Exacta Earnings: $85.00

Trifecta Earnings: $0

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Candice Hare

TVG On-Air Host and Analyst

$1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby

1. Spinoff

2. War of Will

3. Country House

Alternate: Roiland

$800,000 Sunland Park Derby

1. Hustle Up

2. Diamond Blitz

3. Mucho Gusto

Alternate: Anothertwistafate

Winning Top Choice: 5/14

Exacta Earnings: $177.80

Trifecta Earnings: $0

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Mike McCormick

Horse Racing Writer, Handicapper

$1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby

1. War of Will

2. Sueno

3. Country House

Alternate: Spinoff

$800,000 Sunland Park Derby

1. Wicked Indeed

2. Mucho Gusto

3. Cutting Humor

Alternate: Anothertwistafate

Winning Top Choice: 3/14

Exacta Earnings: $71.20

Trifecta Earnings: $14.80

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Nicolle Neulist

Arlington Park Chart Caller and Freelance Writer

$1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby

1. War of Will

2. Limonite

3. Country House

Alternate: Lemniscate

$800,000 Sunland Park Derby

1. Wicked Indeed

2. Hustle Up

3. Mucho Gusto

Alternate: Cutting Humor

Winning Top Choice: 6/14

Exacta Earnings: $185.20

Trifecta Earnings: $321.68

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Dan Tordjman

Correspondent and Handicapper for America's Best Racing

$1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby

1. Limonite

2. Lemniscate

3. War of Will

Alternate: Country House

$800,000 Sunland Park Derby

1. Mucho Gusto

2. Wicked Indeed

3. Cutting Humor

Alternate: Diamond Blitz

Winning Top Choice: 2/14

Exacta Earnings: $65.20

Trifecta Earnings: $0

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Brian Zipse

Derby Day Racing Managing Partner 

$1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby

1. Country House

2. War of Will

3. Spinoff

Alternate: Sueno

$800,000 Sunland Park Derby

1. Wicked Indeed

2. Mucho Gusto

3. Anothertwistafate

Alternate: Cutting Humor

Winning Top Choice: 2/14

Exacta Earnings: $62.40

Trifecta Earnings: $113.20