ITM Players' Newsletter - July 11th, 2025
S-P-A-A-A, that spells SPAAA to me
The dog days of summer are here, and they’ll be our salad days soon enough.
Saratoga time has come at us once again, but for real this time! No more of that Baqueductatoga or Belmontatoga. This is Saratoga now! And in just a week’s time we’ll add Del Mar into the fold.
We will have coverage of both grand summer meetings FREE on inthemoneypodcast.com with Dean Keppler handling Del Mar duties and Nick Tammaro hoisting the helm at the Spa — with TREMENDOUS thanks to the Bucchero Stallion Syndicate, who have graciously sponsored our Saratoga coverage this meet to help bring quality analysis to the public for FREE!
We also welcome Colonial Downs back into the rotation this week. I had the lucky opportunity to chat with the Director of Racing at Colonial this year, Dave Zenner, on this week’s Players’ Podcast for a preview of what’s to come this summer from the Old Dominion. You’ll find that podcast just a few scrolls farther down.
I offered my pen across the pond once more to our friends over on At The Races for a horse-by-horse analysis of the G1 Diana Stakes on Saturday (July 12th) at Saratoga, so you’ll want to check that out too for your handicapping endeavors.
John Gaspar continues with his great interview series with horse racing contest winners. This week he talked with Jeff Bussan, a 10x NHC qualifier and 7x BCBC qualifier, so be sure to check out that discussion too if you’re pushing deeper into the contest wells.
And thanks, as always, to everyone who has participated in our ITM Horseplayers Tour contests over on Horseplayers.com. Your continued support not only gives you a better shot at winning that $10,000 BCBC Seat (if you can qualify for and brave our playoffs starting on October 3), but it also provides continued support to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga — a terrific cause all around.
Lastly, I want to remind everybody that on ITM Plus we currently are offering a FREE SNEAK PEAK into our Inner Circle tier, which includes added exclusive content as well as a weekly best bets livestream where you can interact with our experts, share opinions — the works! You can have access to this free Inner Circle trial period by being subscribed to In The Money Plus.
MYWAYP,
PTF
Subscribe to ITM Plus for exclusive picks, written analysis, and shows from your favorite ITM contributors! Exclusive content this weekend includes:
Notes from this week’s ITM content
Nick Tammaro’s Saratoga Notebook
FREE PREVIEW of Inner Circle Tier - Special Access to Saturday Morning Best Bets Livestream @ 11 a.m. (EDT)
and more!
Make sure to save and follow the ITM blog for daily picks from your favorite tracks and more racing coverage:
Del Mar /// Saratoga /// Prairie Meadows /// Monmouth Park /// Colonial Downs
Players’ Podcast - 7/12/25 – Colonial, Adelphi Saratoga Saturday, Woodbine, Monmouth
Loaded ITM Players Podcast with PTF opening the show with coverage of Colonial Downs and the opening of the Summer Meet with Dave Zenner – Director of Racing at Colonial Downs and then inthemoneypodcast.com handicapper Michael Domabyl looking at races for Saturday. PTF grabs Nick Tammaro for the Adelphi Saratoga Saturday Pick 6. Mikee P and Ray Cotolo look at Woodbine’s Late Pick 4 on Saturday and the show finishes with a return from DD to cover the late Pick 4 from Monmouth.
Harness Players’ Podcast - 7/12/25 | Meadowlands Pace LIVE Roundtable
Join Ray Cotolo and Mikee P from In The Money, Derick Giwner from the Daily Racing Form, Adam Bowden from Diamond Creek Farm and horseman Thomas Svensen for an in-depth harness racing handicapping discussion of the major races on the undercard of the 2025 Meadowlands Pace at The Meadowlands Racetrack on Saturday (July 12). Other stakes up for discussion include the Stanley Dancer Memorial, Del Miller Memorial, William Haughton Memorial, Dorothy Haughton Memorial, Jerry Silverman Memorial, Hambletonian Maturity and the Miss Versatility
In The Money Media thanks the Bucchero Stallion Syndicate, whose sponsorship helps us provide to you FREE coverage of the 2025 season at Saratoga all meet long. Bucchero, now a proven stallion of stakes winners, is the #1 stallion standing outside of Kentucky AND the #1 stallion currently standing in New York. Sire of G1 winner Book’em Danno, he stands for just $10,000.
Don’t forget to play for your shot at a 2025 BCBC Seat in our weekly ITM Horseplayers Tour contests over on Horseplayers.com. Top 4 finishers every week earn a spot into the playoffs while an entry in the Friday contest earns you a spot into a regular $189 Feeder tournament on the following Saturday.
Mark your calendars for the 166th running of Canada’s classic race, the $1-million King’s Plate at Woodbine Racetrack! The festivities take place on Saturday, Aug. 16th - first post at 1:05 p.m. (EDT).
Give your handicapping game a sharper focus with Equibase Race Lens!
Tag and customize Past Performance data in all-new ways, and use leading-edge predictive modeling to generate win probabilities. Race Lens includes access to True Odds, PPs from Equibase and TrackMaster, and video replays!
ITM thanks Diamond Creek Farm, one of the premiere Standardbred breeding operations, for their title sponsorship of the Harness Players’ Podcast LIVE Roundtables in 2025. Be on the lookout for Diamond Creek yearlings at the sales this fall from breakout stallions including Sweet Lou, Father Patrick, Downbytheseaside & many more!
Players’ Podcast - Weekend Recap
PTF and Nick Tammaro are here to look back at racing from Saratoga, Horseshoe Indianapolis, and Prairie Meadows. Horses covered include Magnitude, Think Big, Nitrogen, Fionn, Test Score, Zulu Kingdom, Phileas Fogg, Locked, Bring Theband Home and many, many more. Plus Nick shares thoughts on how the various tracks were playing. For much more of Nick’s thoughts, tips, and analysis, make sure you subscribe to In the Money Plus.
TOP 5 Saratoga Betting Angles for 2025 | Race Lens Saratoga PREVIEW
In The Money's Peter Fornatale is joined by Race Lens's Matt Vagvolgyi to take a look at some of the top angles for handicapping the 2025 Saratoga meeting. They break down specific patterns in horse racing and whether they prove profitable, or if they are worth avoiding.
Saturday Saratoga Pick 6 PREVIEW | 7/12/25 | Players' Podcast
Video version of the Saratoga Pick 6 Preview segment from this week’s Players’ Podcast. PTF & Nick Tammaro analyze the Pick 6 sequence at Saratoga for Saturday (July 12th).
And the Contest Winner Was… - Episode 4 – Jeff Bussan
This week, John Gaspar sits down with 10x NHC qualifier and 7x BCBC qualifier Jeff Bussan. Jeff captured a BCBC seat this past weekend while playing in the Xpressbet July 5th Live Money tournament that featured Saratoga.
