For the 10th 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 2026 Triple Crown and then continuing through the 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland. 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 2026 Big Race Showdown season are Thomas Kearney (Track Announcer, Shenandoah Downs), Ashley Mailloux (Freelance Racing Analyst), NoelMichaels (Racing Analyst, Tournament Handicapper), Jessica Paquette (Racecaller for Parx Racing, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation), John Piassek (Assistant Racing Secretary, Yonkers Raceway),  Roberto Rodriguez (El Potro Roberto, DRF en Espanol), Darwin Vizcaya (Handicapper and Host), and Rowan Ward (Chartcaller at Hawthorne Race Track and a Freelance writer).

This week’s Big-Race Showdown races are: the $400,000 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes Saturday at Keeneland, the last qualifying race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby prep schedule; and the $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap for fillies and mares Saturday at Oaklawn Park, a “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series qualifier for this fall’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

On Saturday, Keeneland coverage will be part of “America’s Day at the Races” on FOX Sports along with live racing from Aqueduct and Oaklawn Park. Afternoon races at Keeneland including the Lexington Stakes will air on FS1, as will the Apple Blossom Handicap for fillies and mares at Oaklawn Park. FanDuel TV also continues its comprehensive coverage of the Keeneland meet with a broadcast of the Lexington Stakes, which also will be available via the Keeneland livestream on keeneland.com.