Hi there,
I’m writing this from a booth in the corner of Bobby V’s in Stamford, with a cheeseburger off the new lunch menu and my back to the room. The burger is excellent. The booth is strategic. It has been a week.
On Sunday morning Chelsea, my EPL soccer team (the one in London, not the neighborhood in Manhattan), had 68% of the ball against the team at the bottom of the league and lost 1-0. On Sunday afternoon the Jets went to Kansas City, kicked four field goals, scored no touchdowns and lost 35-12. On Saturday my Bet of the Week, Sea Strike, ran second in the Dwyer to a horse who paid $20.56. I told you Ted Noffey was a bad price off a year away. He finished fifth and was retired by Tuesday. I was right about him and still lost, which is a very specific kind of pain. I thought I’d had a bad week. Then I read about Jensen Huang’s. I’ve decided to stop complaining.
And my wife, who is at home in New Haven, has found out how much I had on the Breeders’ Cup. The 4-for-4 Friday did not help my case as much as you’d think. Apparently “but I won” is not an answer to “how much.” So I’m in Stamford, in a booth, with a burger, until further notice.
About your t-shirt. Last Friday I said the first five people to reply would get a shirt. More than 100 of you replied before I’d finished my coffee, and we said yes to all of you, which is how you run out of shirts. If I promised you one and it hasn’t arrived, it’s coming: the new batch lands in my office next week and every tee will be out before the end of the month. Thank you. I read every reply.
Now. Saturday is enormous, and it starts in England before you’re out of bed.
→ RACING THIS WEEK
→ SATURDAY NIGHT, THE MEADOWLANDS
THE LAST BIG HARNESS NIGHT OF THE YEAR, AND RON BURKE HAS FOUR IN ONE RACE (from 6:20pm ET).
Eight championship races, over $2.6 million, and the two-year-olds get the richest of them. The Governor’s Cup for colt pacers has eleven, and Ron Burke trains four, including Eastie Boy, who won the Matron at Dover last week. The Open Trot is the rematch: On To Norway has beaten Super Chapter three times out of four and trotted 1:50 in the Breeders Crown. 3% cashback on every harness bet, and Rob’s Meadowlands preview has the fields.
Bet the Meadowlands on MyWinners →
→ SATURDAY, CHURCHILL DOWNS
THE CLAIMING CROWN: $1.2 MILLION FOR THE HORSES WHO DO THE ACTUAL WORK (from 1pm ET).
The Breeders’ Cup is for the horses who cost a million dollars. The Claiming Crown is for the ones who cost $7,500, and I know which day has the better stories. Nine races, 101 horses, eleven a race on average, all of them graduates of the claiming ranks.
Start with Kerness K in the Ready’s Rocket Express (Race 4, 2:28pm ET). He has won eleven in a row, more than any horse in North America this year, and Jamie Ness claimed him back for $7,500 in March. Twelve straight is on the line. In the same race, Concrete Glory is trying to become the first three-time winner in Claiming Crown history.
The Jewel ($200K, Race 11, 5:54pm ET) is the main event, a mile and an eighth, nine runners, and last year’s winner paid 9/1. Mike Maker has won 23 Claiming Crown races, more than anyone, and sends six. The Dream Supreme ($300K, Race 3, 1:58pm ET) is the stakes on the undercard, six fillies and mares, three of them from Saffie Joseph. Big fields, honest horses, prices everywhere. Rob’s race-by-race guide has all nine.
Connecticut only: the Churchill Jackpot 8 carryover stands at $464,477 into Race 9 on the next card. Same rule as last week: the carryover only pays out to a single ticket with the top eight in exact order. Short of that, a share of the day’s pool goes to the closest tickets and the rest rolls.
Bet the Claiming Crown on MyWinners →
→ SATURDAY, BELMONT PARK
TWO TURF SPRINTS FOR TWO-YEAR-OLDS, AND AN IRISH FILLY WHO FLEW IN FOR ONE OF THEM (from 11:40am ET).
The Awad and the Stewart Manor, $175,000 each, six furlongs on the grass. The Stewart Manor is the one: twelve fillies, including Pink Venom, three straight wins in Ireland for Johnny Murtagh, with Jamie Spencer over to ride, against Brickyard Belle, who won the Matron here. In the Awad, Brad Cox sends Titan Ready. One warning: rain might be in the forecast for Saturday, and if they come off the turf, the fields change, so check the scratches. From December 10, every Belmont winter race moves to the new all-weather Tapeta track.
Bet Belmont Park on MyWinners →
→ 
TODAY TO SUNDAY, CHELTENHAM
HORSES, FENCES, HILLS AND TWENTY-RUNNER FIELDS. WHY YOU SHOULD BE UP EARLY FOR THIS (from 8:10am ET).
If you’ve only ever bet the flat, here’s what you’re looking at. In jump racing the horses run two to three miles and more, over hurdles (smaller, they give) or steeplechase fences (four and a half feet, they don’t). Cheltenham, in the Cotswold hills, is the sport’s home field, and its Festival in March is the Super Bowl. This weekend is the November Meeting, the first big gathering of the season, three days, and the first look at the horses who’ll matter in March. If you bet Far Hills with us through Monmouth Park last month, this is where that sport lives full time.
Why it’s a bettor’s game: the big handicaps draw fifteen to twenty runners, the favorite is often 4/1 or longer, and the pools pay accordingly. England is five hours ahead, so the whole card is done before Belmont’s first race. Every race, all three days, is live to watch and bet in the MyWinners app.
Tomorrow, the big one. The Paddy Power Gold Cup (9:20am ET), two and a half miles over fences, fifteen runners, £160,000, about $214,000. Meetmebythesea (5/2 to 4/1 depending where you look) won at the Festival here in March. Quebecois (9/2) runs for Paul Nicholls, who went into last weekend two winners short of the all-time British record of 3,930. Before that, the Arkle Trial (8:45am ET) has Old Park Star, a Festival winner over hurdles, jumping fences in public for the first time against Kabral Du Mathan. First race 7:35am ET.
Sunday. The Greatwood Hurdle (10:10am ET), up to twenty runners over two miles, with Idaho Sun the favorite if the ground is soft enough for him to run. The day opens with a Shetland pony race, which is exactly what it sounds like, and which I will be watching.
Leon is giving 3% cashback on every Cheltenham bet, all three days. Rob’s Cheltenham guide has every race in ET.
One horse, one bet, win only. Last week: second. I’m told second pays nothing. So I’m back on the pizza. That never loses.
The bet: 
Meetmebythesea to win the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham, tomorrow, 9:20am ET. Yes, I’m sending you to England before breakfast. He won at the Cheltenham Festival in March by nearly five lengths, over this course, at this kind of trip, and eighteen of the last nineteen winners of this race had run at Cheltenham before. The owner is JP McManus, who does not travel to Cheltenham for the scenery, and Harry Cobden rides. Fifteen runners means things go wrong, and that’s why he’s not even money. At 3/1 or better, that’s the bet. Under 5/2, I’d rather have a small each-way saver on Blueking d’Oroux. And with Leon’s 3% cashback on Cheltenham, even my losers come back slightly smaller.
→ MORE RACING THIS WEEKEND
Woodbine · tomorrow · the Kennedy Road (G2, C$200K, 5:42pm ET), six furlongs on the Tapeta. Nobals won it in 2024 and 2025 and is back for a record third. Sunday there’s C$300K in stakes for the Ontario-sired three-year-olds, from 1:05pm ET.- Del Mar · the Desi Arnaz for two-year-old fillies tomorrow, with two for Baffert, and the Bob Hope (G3) on Sunday. From 3:30pm ET both days.
Bahrain · today · Bahrain International Trophy ($1.5M, 11:35am ET). Newly a Group 1, thirteen runners from four continents, led by dual Derby winner Lambourn.
Kyoto · Sunday · Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 1:40am ET). Eighteen fillies and mares, a mile and three-eighths on turf, Oaks winner Kamunyak the one to beat.- Openers · Tampa Bay Downs opens Wednesday and Fair Grounds opens Thursday from 1:55pm ET. Winter racing starts here.
Carryovers · Parx has a Pick 5 carryover of $123,538 into Race 5 on its next card. At Pelota Miami, Wednesday is closing day and the Jai 5 jackpot is forced out from 11:30am ET.
Greyhounds · Wheeling Downs Wednesday to Sunday from 1pm ET, Tri-State Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm ET, Australia overnight with 4% cashback.
Bet This Weekend’s Racing on MyWinners →
→ SPORTS THIS WEEK
NFL Week 10 · Sun Nov 15 · Patriots v Lions in Munich, 9:30am ET, so get your bets in early · Bills @ Jets 1pm ET · Steelers @ Bengals 8:20pm ET · Mon Nov 16 8:15pm ET: Chargers @ Ravens
EPL soccer · international break. Chelsea cannot lose this weekend. I checked twice.
→ At Bobby V’s this week
Stamford. The new lunch menu is on, weekdays from 11:30am ET. I can vouch for the cheeseburger and for the corner booth. Bills-Jets on every screen Sunday at 1pm ET, the Claiming Crown and all racing on live upstairs on Saturday and Sunday.- Black Friday Watch Party, Stamford. Skip the shopping lines. On Friday, November 27, Bobby V’s Stamford is throwing a watch party for Broncos v Steelers, hosted by Rali Sports Bar Finder (a fancy new app to help you find sports bars on the East coast). Kickoff 3pm ET, free jersey giveaways, drink specials, and nobody fighting you for a TV. Bring your crew.
Christmas parties. December Saturdays at both Bobby V’s are nearly fully booked. Get a table of six or hire a whole room.
Email us to inquire about your party →
→ VIC’S SPORTS PICKS: WEEK 10
Victor went 2-1 last week. The Bills covered, the Giants won in Philadelphia, and Minshew Mania lasted about as long as Vic said it would, just not long enough to cover. Last three weeks, he’s eight wins, one loss. I’ve stopped making jokes about him. He’s waltzing around the office and demanding I call him Nostradamus and make him coffee on the hour every hour. A bit much.
Anyway, his three for Week 10 are in the video. Watch it now and let’s keep the streak going.
→ LIVE PROMOS
Leon, our Head of Promotions, is spending like Steve Cohen with the Mets. Steve runs his empire from an office in Stamford, about five minutes from the booth I’m hiding in, and I’m fairly sure Leon thinks they have the same budget. They do not. Here’s what he’s giving you this week:
- New: 3% cashback on Cheltenham, today to Sunday, every race.
- Bet & Get at Finger Lakes and Mountaineer. Bet $150, $300 or $500 at each track and get $10, $20 or $30 back. Per track, every bet type except show.
- 3% cashback on all US and Canadian harness, which covers the Meadowlands on Saturday night.
- 4% cashback on Australian greyhounds.
- 3% cashback on jai alai exactas and trifectas.
- Pelota Miami jersey, very last chance. Eighteen of you have already won a player-worn jersey. The meet ends Wednesday, so if you’re close to $2,500 for the season, this is the week to get there.
→ REEL OF THE WEEK
Between races, we have Reels: instant, quick games in their own tab in the app, alongside Jackpots & Virtual Sports (with Contests coming soon).
This week’s pick is Devil’s Treasures 2, a Power Bet reel with a happy red devil on the front, which is either a good omen or a comment on my week. Reels are available to players outside Connecticut. Set a limit, play inside it, and be back in time for the next post.
→ LIVE FROM THE BLOG
Rob has been writing a frankly ludicrous amount of content. He’s also been talking to trainers, barns and tracks around the world, so expect more tips, interviews and inside stories from here into 2027. If there’s something you’d like to read, hit reply and tell me. Rob will make it happen.
Here’s what’s new this week:
Cheltenham November Meeting: the betting guide. Every race, US times, Rob’s picks.- Claiming Crown 2026: complete race guide. All nine, field by field.
One thing that isn’t a joke. Izzy Neale, an apprentice jockey in New South Wales, Australia, died on Tuesday, two days after a fall in a race at Warren. She was 22 and had ridden 88 winners. Her family said her organs were donated, which tells you who she was. Every race any of us has ever enjoyed depends on someone like her getting on a horse. We’re thinking of her family, her weighing room and everyone at Racing NSW. RIP Izzy.
See you at the rail. Or in the corner booth in Stamford. Hit reply and tell me who you’ve got in the Paddy Power. No t-shirt this time. Gio has asked me to stop with the merch promos for a week or so.
All the best to you.
Mike B
VIP & Community Manager MyWinners
Tel: +1800 468 2260 (support)
P.S. Another strong week for the value hunters. David, one of our regulars, turned a $60 Pick 5 into almost $5,000. AG and JR each turned the price of a Dunkin’ coffee into just shy of $1,000. And LT went overseas without leaving the couch and came home with a profit from the UK and Irish tracks, which is a hint about this weekend. At Winners New Britain, a $700 five-leg parlay paid $19,966. New Britain is on a run. I’d like whatever they’re having.
A few from the family. Happy 50th birthday to Frank, from all of us. Get well soon to Erin in New Canaan. Thank you to Paul, who has been a customer for 40 years (you read that right) and still likes to spend his time with us at East Haven. And congratulations to Tom from Atlanta, who just got married. I hope the wedding went better than my week.
P.P.S. By our count, we recently sold our 10,000th winning lottery ticket. We can’t tell you exactly which one it was, so if you’ve cashed a ticket with us lately, feel free to assume it was yours. Connecticut has been on a run, too: in the last week alone there were $25,000 winners in East Hartford and South Windsor and $20,000 winners in West Hartford, New Britain and Coventry. Tonight’s Mega Millions is $555 million and tomorrow’s Powerball is $63 million. Tickets are at all nine MyWinners venues, and you can check your Mega Millions and Powerball numbers in about ten seconds at mywinners.com/lottery.
P.P.P.S. Two weeks to Thanksgiving, which means the Clark at Churchill, two Grade 1s on the turf at Del Mar, and the Japan Cup, where Ombudsman runs for the last time. Plan your leftovers accordingly.
