The first decade of America’s Best Racing’s ‘Big-Race Showdown’ closed with Breeders’ Cup weekend Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland. Three different experts finished atop the leaderboard by wins, exacta earnings, and trifecta earnings for season No. 10.

The players’ picks were posted in a regular ABR feature throughout the year and a running tab/bankroll tracked their success. In addition to picking winners for each of the 56 contest races, players amassed exacta and trifecta earnings on the basis of $2 exacta and $2 trifecta box bets of each player’s top three selections. The panel of eight experts made top-three selections for key stakes races beginning in late February through the Breeders’ Cup.

Roberto Rodriguez led all experts by winners

For the third straight season, Roberto Rodriguez topped the panel of experts by winners with 22 from 56 contest races for a winning percentage of 39.3%, boosting his rate from 38.9% a year ago when he selected 21 winners from 54 contest races. Ashley Mailloux, who was the leader by wins in 2023, finished second among the experts with 20 winners (35.7%) from 56 races.

Rowan Ward led all experts with $769.98 in exacta earnings, while Noel Michaels was the top expert by trifecta earnings with $966.88.

Ward’s big score came when they correctly picked the $306.80 exacta in the NYRABets Haskell Stakes, won by 28-1 longshot Baby Vino July 18 at Monmouth Park. Ward connected on the exacta 17 times during the season and narrowly edged Darwin Vizcaya ($728.74) in the exacta category in what was a true battle through the final race of the season.

Michaels banked a robust $543.68 for selecting the $2 trifecta in the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes June 6 at Saratoga, by far the largest of eight trifectas he correctly selected this season. John Piassek finished second in the category with $721.88 in trifecta earnings.

America’s Best Racing’s panel of experts for Big-Race Showdown in 2026 was Thomas Kearney (Track Announcer, Shenandoah Downs), Ashley Mailloux (Freelance Racing Analyst), Noel Michaels (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 Español), Darwin Vizcaya (Handicapper and Host), and Rowan Ward (Chartcaller and Freelance Writer).

Big-Race Showdown will return in 2027 for another great season with expert picks for dozens of marquee races throughout the year, including the Triple Crown races and three World Championship races at the Breeders’ Cup. Stay tuned!