Breeders’ Cup week is behind us and Flemington’s Cup Week is in full swing. Even so, the first full weekend of November still gives us plenty to bet. To start, Flemington closes Cup Week with three Group 1 races worth A$3 million apiece. Meanwhile, Belmont Park runs the Grade 2 Mother Goose on a four stakes Saturday. Churchill Downs counters with the Grade 3 River City on the turf. Del Mar also opens its Bing Crosby Season on Friday. So this weekend racing preview walks through every card, the horses we already know about and how we plan to attack it.
Weekend Racing Preview at a Glance
Twelve stakes run across four tracks between Friday and Sunday. So before we dig in, the table below sums up each track’s card and purses in US dollars.
| Track | When | Stakes Races | Purse (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flemington | Saturday, Nov 7 (Friday night ET) | Champions Sprint (G1), Champions Mile (G1), Champions Stakes (G1) | About $2.1 million each |
| Belmont Park | Saturday, Nov 7 | Mother Goose (G2), Dwyer (L), Pumpkin Pie (L), Carle Place | $175,000 to $300,000 |
| Churchill Downs | Saturday, Nov 7 | River City (G3) on turf, then Bet on Sunshine (L) on dirt | $300,000 each |
| Del Mar | Friday, Nov 6 to Sunday, Nov 8 | Let It Ride, Chosen Vron and Betty Grable Stakes | $100,000 each |
Flemington purses are A$3 million each, converted at about US$0.70 per Australian dollar. Churchill Downs races are only available to MyWinners bettors in Connecticut.
Flemington Champions Stakes Day Wraps Up Cup Week
Saturday, November 7 is the fourth and final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. The card carries seven stakes, led by three Group 1 races worth A$3 million each. That works out at roughly $2.1 million apiece. Right now Melbourne sits 16 hours ahead of the East Coast, so the first race at 12:40pm local time goes off at 8:40pm Eastern on Friday. The last race, at 5:50pm in Melbourne, runs at 1:50am Eastern on Saturday. As a result, Flemington opens our weekend.
Four more stakes also fill the card. The Group 2 Matriarch Stakes (2,000 meters, A$300,000) is for mares, and the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2,600 meters, A$300,000) is a quality handicap. The Listed Always Welcome Stakes (1,200 meters, A$175,000) is an open handicap. Then there is the Inglis Banner, a Restricted Listed race for two year olds over 1,000 meters. It carries A$500,000, or about $350,000, which beats every purse at Belmont, Churchill Downs and Del Mar this weekend. On top of that, a A$200,000 Pink Bonus goes to the first eligible horse past the post.
However, final fields and barriers only land midweek after acceptances close. Until then, treat any prices quoted here as early guide prices only, since the pool payout settles every bet. Expect them to move.
Champions Sprint: Tempted Takes On the Flemington Straight
Tempted arrives as the headline act. In fact, Ciaron Maher’s mare won The Everest at Randwick last month. Under Chad Schofield, she beat Ka Ying Rising, the world’s highest rated sprinter, into second. Straight after that win, Maher confirmed she would make her Flemington debut in the 1,200 meter Champions Sprint.
Betting sites made her a 7/10 favorite straight after The Everest, as an early guide price. That price leaves little room for error. Still, she has earned it. The real question is the Flemington straight, a test she has never faced, and Maher said himself that the stable is keen to see how she handles it. Indeed, 14 of her 15 starts have come in New South Wales, and her only Victorian start was the 2025 Blue Diamond at Caulfield.
Champions Stakes: A Cox Plate Rematch at Flemington
The Cox Plate moved to Flemington for one year only in 2026. As a result, the Champions Stakes over 2,000 meters sets up a rematch on the same track. Cosmic Crusader won that race at $9.50, roughly 17/2, for trainer Andrea Leek and jockey William Pike. He beat Birdman by three quarters of a length, while Aeliana, the favorite for Chris Waller and James McDonald, finished a head away in third. Meanwhile, Sir Delius, the long time market leader, ran sixth.
Neither camp had confirmed a run when we went to press, so acceptances matter here. Even so, if both turn up, we side with Cosmic Crusader. After all, he has now won 12 of his 24 starts and already beat Aeliana on this track. So if Aeliana goes off the shorter price again, we take the value with him.
Champions Mile Completes the Trio
Then the Champions Mile runs over 1,600 meters for the same A$3 million purse. Its market stays wide open until acceptances close, and we would rather see the final field than guess at it now. We will wait.
Belmont Park Saturday: The Mother Goose Leads Four Stakes
Back in the US, Belmont Park stages four stakes on Saturday, November 7, with first post at 11:40am Eastern. The Grade 2 Mother Goose tops the card at $300,000 and runs over 1 1/16 miles on the dirt for three year old fillies. Since NYRA moved the race to the fall, it now serves as a late season target for the top fillies in New York. Last year, Fully Subscribed won it for Chad Brown and Flavien Prat.
Three more stakes also fill out the card. First, the Listed Dwyer ($200,000) goes one mile on the dirt for three year olds. Next, the Listed Pumpkin Pie ($175,000) sends fillies and mares, three and up, seven furlongs on the dirt. Finally, the Carle Place ($175,000) is a six furlong turf sprint for three year olds. Entries for all four come out midweek, so our standalone Belmont preview will break down every field once the draw is in. Until then, this weekend racing preview sets out the shape of the card.
Churchill Downs Saturday: River City and Bet on Sunshine
Churchill Downs also offers two $300,000 stakes on Saturday, and both purses include $50,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund. First up, the Grade 3 River City runs 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course for three year olds and up. Last year, Wolfie’s Dynaghost won it for Brian Lynch and Luis Saez and paid $27.68 for a $2 win bet. So a big turf field here can throw up a price. Keep that in mind.
By contrast, the Listed Bet on Sunshine is the sprint of the day at six furlongs on the dirt. Roll On Big Joe won it last year as the 5/2 favorite for Bob Hess Jr. and Julien Leparoux. He drew off to win by four and a half lengths. As always, Churchill Downs races are only available to MyWinners bettors in Connecticut, online and in venue.
Del Mar Opens the Bing Crosby Season
Out west, Del Mar returns on Friday, November 6 for its 13th Bing Crosby Season. The meet then runs 13 days through Sunday, November 29, with racing Friday through Sunday plus Thanksgiving Thursday. First post comes at 12:30 Pacific time, so 3:30 Eastern. In total, 15 stakes worth $2.1 million fill the meet. The highlights come late, with the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on November 28 and the Grade 1 Matriarch on November 29.
Even opening weekend carries a stakes race each day. Friday’s Let It Ride Stakes ($100,000 added) goes a mile on the turf for three year olds. On Saturday, the Chosen Vron Stakes ($100,000) brings California bred sprinters, three and up, over seven furlongs. Then Sunday’s Betty Grable Stakes ($100,000) offers the same trip for California bred fillies and mares. After this weekend racing preview, our full Del Mar meet guide follows with the angles we like across all four weekends.
How We Are Betting This Weekend’s Racing
Friday night belongs to Flemington, so we want Cosmic Crusader in the Champions Stakes at a bigger price than the favorite. Tempted looks too short to back on her own, so we would rather use her on top of exactas in the Champions Sprint. On Saturday, the River City is our main US target, because last year’s $27.68 winner proves the race can pay. After that, we will build our Belmont and Del Mar plays once the fields drop, and we will update this weekend racing preview with links as each one goes live.
Bet This Weekend’s Racing With MyWinners
From Friday night at Flemington to Sunday’s Betty Grable at Del Mar, this weekend serves up three days of racing across two hemispheres. Fields change right up to post time, so use this weekend racing preview as your map and check the MyWinners racecards for final fields and live odds once the draws are in, then build your tickets.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
Image by Chris Phutully. Licensed under CC by 2.0.
