US Racing Weekend Preview: Derby Week Opens at Churchill Downs, Santa Anita Turf Feature Headlines the West
Kentucky Derby Week officially kicks off Saturday as Churchill Downs opens its 44-day Spring Meet with the Roxelana Stakes as the opening-day centerpiece. Out west, Santa Anita rolls out the Grade 3 Royal Heroine on the turf, while Oaklawn Park enters its closing weekend before the meet wraps May 2. Here are our experts’ breakdowns and best bets for the weekend’s biggest races.
Weekend Snapshot: Stakes Races at a Glance
Three graded or black-type stakes headline the US Thoroughbred weekend, all running on Saturday, April 25. See the accompanying snapshot table for the main cards to watch, with post times in Eastern.
| Race | Track | Grade | Distance & Surface | Purse | Post Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roxelana Stakes | Churchill Downs | Listed | 6 furlongs, Dirt | $200,000 | 5:46 PM |
| Royal Heroine Stakes | Santa Anita Park | Grade 3 | 1 mile, Turf | $100,000 | Late card |
| Dig A Diamond Stakes | Oaklawn Park | Listed | 1 mile, Dirt | $200,000 | Featured |
Churchill Downs opens its 152nd Spring Meet on Saturday with a 10-race card, first post 12:45 PM ET. The meet runs through June 28, with 50 stakes races worth a record $27.8 million. Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks post-position draws take place on opening day, setting the stage for next Friday’s Oaks (May 1) and Saturday’s $5 million Kentucky Derby (May 2).
Race 1: The Roxelana Stakes — Two Former Winners Collide
The Roxelana is always a useful opening-day barometer at Churchill Downs, and this year’s renewal is unusually loaded: both the 2024 and 2025 winners are entered, and both are horses with a genuine Churchill edge. Eight fillies and mares go to post for the $200,000 Listed sprint over six furlongs on the main track.
The Storylines
The headline act is the rematch between Zeitlos, the 2024 Roxelana winner for Steve Asmussen, and Mink’s Palace, last year’s winner for Eddie Kenneally. Zeitlos has won four of seven career starts at Churchill Downs and is stretching out from a 5-month layoff; her last start was a fourth-place finish in the Matron (Listed) at Oaklawn on March 27 — a useful prep that should have her sharp here. Mink’s Palace is also a four-time Churchill Downs winner and would become the first-ever two-time winner of the Roxelana if she defends her title. Paul McGee’s Lotsandlotsofcandy is expected to take plenty of money and will challenge the two returning champions for favoritism.
Pace & Track Profile
Churchill Downs six-furlong sprints on opening day tend to favor horses with tactical speed from mid-to-outer posts. The Matt Winn Turf Course won’t be a factor here — this is a main-track affair, and early-meet dirt at Churchill has historically produced a fair bias with a slight edge to horses that can lay off the pace and finish. Watch the first three races on the card to gauge how the surface is playing before committing to your Roxelana ticket.
Runner-by-Runner Breakdown
| PP | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Mink’s Palace | Eddie Kenneally | Luis Saez | +200 |
| 6 | Zeitlos | Steve Asmussen | Jose Ortiz | +250 |
| — | Lotsandlotsofcandy | Paul McGee | TBA | +300 |
| — | Rest of Field | Various | Various | +600 & up |
Post positions and the full morning line are subject to scratches; final entries and the official ML are available via Equibase or the Churchill Downs condition book.
MyWinners Verdict — Roxelana
Top Pick: Zeitlos (+250). The 4-of-7 Churchill Downs record is hard to argue with, and we like the shape of her 2026 debut at Oaklawn — fourth in the Matron beaten less than three lengths, with a clear pattern of improving second-off-the-layoff. Jose Ortiz from post 6 gives her the flexibility to sit just off the pace and pick off a stretch-running Mink's Palace.
Key Alternative: Mink's Palace (+200). Respect the defending champion, but she's the shortest price despite making her seasonal bow, which is a classic overlay trap.
Live Value: Lotsandlotsofcandy (+300). Worth keeping in exactas and trifectas — McGee knows how to get one primed for an opening-day spot.
Suggested Play: Win & place on Zeitlos; $1 exacta box Zeitlos / Mink's Palace / Lotsandlotsofcandy ($6 total).
Race 2: Royal Heroine Stakes (G3) — D’Amato’s West Coast Turf Specialty
Santa Anita rolls out the Grade 3 Royal Heroine Stakes on Saturday, a $100,000 one-mile turf test for fillies and mares aged four and up. Named for the 1984 inaugural Breeders’ Cup Mile winner, the race has become a reliable pointer to the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes on Memorial Day weekend and the wider Hollywood Meet championship series.
The Angle That Matters: Trainer Phil D’Amato
Phil D’Amato has dominated this race in recent years — he’s won three of the last five runnings (Going Global 2022, Uncorked 2024, Public Assembly 2025). Any D’Amato-trained entry has to be respected here as a matter of course. Richard Mandella is the other major barn to watch, and his debut runner May Day Ready — making her first start for the barn — is already drawing buzz in Southern California.
Course & Distance Profile
One mile on Santa Anita’s turf course typically favors horses with a tactical turn of foot — the run to the first turn is short, and wide trips can be costly. Horses drawn mid-field (posts 4–7) with an established stalking style have the strongest historical record in this race.
Runners to Note
| Horse | Trainer | Running Style | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| May Day Ready | Richard Mandella | Stalker | +300 |
| D’Amato Barn Entry | Phil D’Amato | Tactical | +250 |
| Public Assembly | Phil D’Amato | Tactical (defending) | +350 |
| Balance of Field | Various | Mixed | +600 & up |
Full entries, post positions, and the official morning line are confirmed by the Santa Anita racing office the day prior.
MyWinners Verdict — Royal Heroine
Top Pick: The D’Amato Entry (+250). With a 3-of-5 strike rate in the race over the recent cycle, D’Amato’s runner is the one you back by default unless the market gives you a compelling reason not to. Antonio Fresu or Umberto Rispoli up is the preferred rider profile.
Live Longshot: May Day Ready (+300). A new barn can spark improvement, and Mandella rarely runs one cold on a weekend with Derby Week media attention in town.
Suggested Play: Modest win on D’Amato’s entry; $1 trifecta key: D’Amato / May Day Ready, Public Assembly / rest of field ($6–$10 depending on field size).
Race 3: Dig A Diamond Stakes — Oaklawn’s Closing-Weekend Feature
Oaklawn Park is winding down its 2025–26 Classic Meet, which closes for good on May 2. Saturday’s card is headlined by the $200,000 Dig A Diamond Stakes, a one-mile dirt test for fillies and mares aged four and up. It’s a transitional race on the calendar — many of these runners are pointing to summer campaigns at Churchill, Belmont, or Saratoga, and a strong effort here often signals a graded-stakes-ready horse.
Why This Race Matters for Betting
Oaklawn’s closing-weekend stakes historically produce generous prices. Owners and trainers with barn-stars aimed at bigger spring and summer targets often send out well-meant runners that fly under the radar in a market fixated on Churchill Downs. The track has played relatively fairly through April, with a modest edge to horses that can sit within a few lengths of the pace at the half-mile pole.
MyWinners Verdict — Dig A Diamond
Approach: Play against the favorite here. Target shippers from Fair Grounds or Gulfstream whose last-out Beyer is within 5 points of the chalk's best figure but whose morning line is +600 or longer — that's the price-to-form gap this race historically produces. Oaklawn favorites have hit at a rate in the high 20s across the Classic Meet, roughly four to five percentage points below the national chalk benchmark of 33%, so blind win bets on the favorite are a losing proposition at level stakes. Avoid a straight win wager on the morning-line favorite unless the live tote drifts them to +150 or longer.
Suggested Play: Use the Dig A Diamond as the spread leg in the Oaklawn Late Pick 4. Ticket structure: SINGLE in leg 1 (your strongest opinion on the card), 2 horses in leg 2, ALL or 4 horses in leg 3, and 4 horses in the Dig A Diamond — the two shortest ML prices plus two live overlays at +800 or longer. On a 50-cent base that's a $16 ticket (1 × 2 × 4 × 4 × $0.50).
Bigger Picture: What to Watch Beyond the Featured Races
The calendar is dominated this week by what’s not happening. Keeneland’s Spring Meet closed on Friday, April 24, and Churchill takes over as the Kentucky focal point. See the accompanying weekend landscape table for the wider US racing picture across Churchill Downs, Santa Anita, Oaklawn, Gulfstream, Aqueduct, and Woodbine.
| Track | Racing Status | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Churchill Downs | Opening Day Sat + Sunday Funday | Derby/Oaks post-position draw, first-ever Sunday of Derby Week since 2010 |
| Santa Anita Park | Weekend card | Royal Heroine (G3) + turf-rich support stakes schedule |
| Oaklawn Park | Closing weekend (meet ends May 2) | Dig A Diamond + last chance for Arkansas-meet specialists |
| Gulfstream Park | Regular weekend card | Key spring turf form for summer East Coast meets |
| Aqueduct (Big A) | NYRA spring meet | Secondary support races; Belmont Stakes prep form starts to build |
| Woodbine | Early-meet card | Canadian turf form rebuilding after April 18 opener |
Weekend Best Bet & Value Angle Summary
If you’re building a single-horse best bet for the weekend, our Racing Desk lands on Zeitlos in the Roxelana. Second-off-the-layoff at a track she knows, trainer she’s thrived for, and a pace setup that plays to her strengths.
For a price-hunter play, look at the Oaklawn Dig A Diamond for live longshot exposure — this is the weekend where shippers with barn-star trainers can sneak in unnoticed while the market is staring at Louisville.
And if you want a single weekend-long multi-race play, the Churchill Downs Opening Day Jackpot 8 is a new wager debuting this Saturday and promises a sizeable opening pool — worth a modest ticket if you have strong opinions in three or four sequence legs.
Ready to Bet the Weekend?
Get in on Derby Week with MyWinners. Place your bets on the Roxelana, Royal Heroine, and Dig A Diamond — plus every Churchill, Santa Anita, and Oaklawn race this weekend — via our licensed Connecticut ADW. New customers can claim our welcome offer and get a free Equibase past-performance program for any Churchill Downs card through Kentucky Derby Day.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the biggest US horse races this weekend, April 25–26, 2026?
The three headline stakes are the $200,000 Roxelana at Churchill Downs (opening day of the Spring Meet), the Grade 3, $100,000 Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita Park, and the $200,000 Dig A Diamond Stakes at Oaklawn Park on its closing weekend.
When does Churchill Downs open its 2026 Spring Meet?
Churchill Downs opens its 152nd Spring Meet on Saturday, April 25, 2026. The meet runs 44 days through June 28, with first post on opening day set for 12:45 PM ET. Kentucky Derby Week runs April 25 through May 2.
When is the 2026 Kentucky Derby post-position draw?
The 152nd Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks post-position draws take place at Churchill Downs on Saturday, April 25, 2026, on opening day of the Spring Meet.
Who won the Roxelana Stakes in 2024 and 2025?
Zeitlos won the 2024 Roxelana for trainer Steve Asmussen, and Mink’s Palace won the 2025 renewal for Eddie Kenneally. Both return for the 2026 running, with Mink’s Palace seeking to become the first two-time winner of the race.
Is Sunday racing at Churchill Downs a new tradition?
Yes — Sunday, April 26, 2026 marks the return of Sunday racing during Kentucky Derby Week at Churchill Downs for the first time since 2010. It’s billed as “Sunday Funday” and features a brunch-focused hospitality program around the card.
Image by Don Sniegowski, licensed under [CC LICENCE] 2.0. Source: Flickr.
