In The Money Telegraph
Tuesday, June 23, 2026 · By ITM Staff
A quick spin around the sport as the American summer comes into focus — plus a Tuesday card to play.
Around the Sport
Golden Tempo maps his summer. Dual classic winner Golden Tempo will return to Keeneland to freshen, then point back to Saratoga for a Jim Dandy (G2, Aug. 1) and Travers (G1, Aug. 29) double, trainer Cherie DeVaux confirmed. The Jim Dandy drops him to nine furlongs for the first time since the winter — a useful read on his versatility before the Midsummer Derby.
Saratoga opens July 3. The Spa’s 46-day summer meet kicks off Friday, July 3 with an Independence Day 250 opening weekend, and the Saturday card is a heavyweight — the Grade 1 Belmont Derby and Belmont Oaks headline, run at Saratoga for the final time before the new Belmont reopens in September.
See the Saratoga stakes schedule at NYRA →
Next stop on the Classic trail: the Haskell. The next big “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Classic is the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park on July 18 (live on NBC and Peacock) — the centerpiece of the New Jersey racing year, and a loaded spot for this three-year-old crop.
See the Breeders’ Cup Challenge schedule →
Tuesday Card: Presque Isle Downs
Chance Rains is back with a race-by-race look at Tuesday’s Presque Isle card — flagging a live post-position bias on the tapeta and digging for the off-the-wall prices that have been landing at the meet.
Read Chance Rains’s Presque Isle card →
Contest Corner: Big Saturday for Tournament Players
Saturday is a loaded day for the contest crowd, with seats to the sport’s richest handicapping championships on the line:
ITM HorsePlayers Tour feeder. Our own Friday feeder on HorsePlayers.com funnels into Saturday’s BCBC qualifier — and it benefits Breeders’ Cup charities. Top four advance to our season-ending Playoffs, where the champ wins a $10,000 BCBC seat on us.
Laurel — De Francis Day Challenge. A $500 buy-in ($250 bankroll) on De Francis Dash Day, with a BCBC seat, two NHC seats and cash up for grabs. Online players pre-register by 3:00 PM ET Friday.
TwinSpires — $3,500 Stephen Foster Betting Challenge. The featured Saturday tournament at Churchill, with a guaranteed $15,000 pool and seven championship seats (BCBC, KDBC and NHC). Lower-cost feeders are in the lobby too.
Full rundown — plus the big summer dates →
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