In The Money Telegraph
Sunday, June 14, 2026
By ITM Staff
From PTF
The More Things Change: The Knicks Win the NBA Finals
PTF touched down in London to the one result he couldn’t get on the plane: the Knicks are NBA champions for the first time since 1973, with Jalen Brunson taking Finals MVP. He found out from a border agent at passport control. In a new essay, that moment sends him spinning back to 1994 — a six-week solo trek across Europe, a kid brother taping games onto VHS, and a single line of agate type in a French newspaper that dropped his stomach to the floor — for a reflection on fandom, the shrinking world, and exactly why he’s in England this week.
Hernandez Lands Three Ward Mounts at Royal Ascot
Add another marquee American name to the Ward camp’s Royal Ascot corner. Steve Andersen reports for the Daily Racing Form that Juan Hernandez — a multiple Del Mar and Santa Anita riding champion — will make his Royal Ascot debut next week, picking up three mounts for Wesley Ward: Ruiva, Bacio, and Ez Tina.
It’s one more thread in this year’s American story at the Royal meeting. Andersen has the race-by-race assignments and Hernandez’s prep over at DRF — and for the full rundown on Ward’s filly brigade, Outfielder’s tall order, and the Florida flier, see our American Raiders preview.
Source: Steve Andersen, Daily Racing Form
Play Along
TwinSpires Royal Ascot Tournaments — Get Them on Your Radar
Royal Ascot isn’t just for watching. TwinSpires runs daily handicapping tournaments across the meeting (Tuesday, June 16 through Saturday, June 20) — a chance to test your read on the world’s best racing against the field. PTF finished second three times in these contests last year, and he’ll be firing from London all week. Now’s the time to get them on your radar.
Around the Sport
Daryz heads the Prince of Wales’s confirmations. Day-two declarations are in, and last year’s Arc hero Daryz is set to face eight rivals — Ombudsman among them — in Wednesday’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1). The Royal Hunt Cup, meanwhile, drew a typically jammed field. Racing Post has the full day-two picture.
The American raiders sit out the opener. All ten U.S.-based horses now in England are being held back from Tuesday’s opening-day card — so the Stateside contingent waits its turn. DRF’s Royal Ascot hub has the rundown.
Almeraq reroutes to Saturday. William Haggas and Shadwell have switched the progressive sprinter out of the King Charles III Stakes and into the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee (G1) on closing day, a step up into Group 1 company. Details via Racing Post.
Today’s Free Analysis
Monmouth Park — Eric Solomon. Now in his sixth straight year on the Monmouth beat, Solomon closes the Jersey Shore weekend with full-card analysis of Sunday’s eight races (first post 12:50 PM ET) — top picks, exotics tickets, and his running turf rail-bias data. Storms are a back-card watch for the multi-race players. Read the full card →
Santa Anita — Dean Keppler. Selections and notes through all 12 on the Sunday card. Keppler’s Best Bet is 6-Gold Phoenix in Race 9 — the hard-hitting D’Amato gelding back in a softer turf spot in Southern California after a traffic-troubled Turf Classic (G1) at Churchill on May 2. Read Keppler’s card →
Laurel Park — Will Humphrey. Top-pick selections across the Sunday card plus detailed trip notes on the runners worth an asterisk. Humphrey’s Horse to Follow is Band Camp (5/1 ML) in Race 6, whose last-out fifth reads better than it looks on paper. Read Tips and Trips →
