US Horse Racing Tips: Paul marks your Saturday card with four selections

Our Stateside guru Paul Quigley returns with four picks to watch Stateside - coming from Belmont at the Big A, Churchill Downs and Santa Anita.

Check out his US Horse Racing tips below for Saturday 23 May.

Today's US Racing Odds

21:09 Belmont at the Big A - Twilight Delight @ SP

A couple of last time out stakes placed runners will take money here. The speedy Track Tiger (2) followed up a victory in a conditions event with a second in a stake at Santa Anita. The slight cut back in distance will suit. He may have company on the front end from the likes of Chasing Freedom (1). That may mean Azizam (6) gets a nice trip. He ran third in The Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot when trained by Karl Burke. He has been placed in two of three starts since moving Stateside. On his three-year debut at Keeneland, he was a closing third in a stake at Keeneland. More ground today will suit. He did have a perfect set up last time parked off a pace that ultimately collapsed.

Itza Lock (9) and Intricate Spirit (3) finished behind Azizam (6) at Keeneland. Itza Lock (9) has more speed than he showed last time. Intricate Spirit (3) with no visible excuse. Interestingly, he now races in blinkers first time. That and returning to the track he won a Grade 3 on as a juvenile are grounds for thinking he will rebound.

Bronze Bullet (5) and Glorious Boy (7) both cut back from a mile. Bronze Bullet (5) has form sprinting. The booking of Flavien Prat probably kills his chances of being a price. Glorious Boy (7) has a win and a stakes runner up over course and distance so six furlongs is not an issue.

Twilight Delight (8) goes for a low-profile connection so may go off at a big number. All his three starts as a two-year-old were good ones. The form of his third in a stake at Santa Anita was given a boost when the runner up won his next two races. That was in October and he’s not raced since. He did win on career debut, and his trainer has had some success with long absentees.

21:56 Churchill Downs - Sultana @ SP

The principals from a couple of Grade 3’s run in March and April over today’s trip are in this line up. In the first at Gulfstream, Sultana (1) out finished the frontrunning Ayra Stark (3). The winner was defying a lay off.

She’s a lightly raced five-year-old who has improved as the distances have increased. As Ayra Stark (3) only has a neck to find with her, she must be reckoned with. She had no excuses on a soft lead. The good news for her chances is there may be nothing in this line up to take her on early.

The form of The Grade 3 Sultana (1) won in Florida was given a boost when the third came back to win at the same level at Keeneland last month. Golden Sunshine (4) and Way to Be Marie (5) filled the places behind her. Both gals are unexposed at these longer distances. The Godolphin owned Golden Sunshine (4) has the pedigree to be good in these extended distance stakes. Way to Be Marie (5) has now ran well in both starts this year. The pair are both players in a race with a few chances.

Venencia (8) and Virgin Colada (6) ran below form when behind Golden Sunshine (4) and Way to Be Marie (5) last time. Venencia (8) may rebound if ridden a little more aggressively early on. That’s how she won a Grade 3 at Keeneland last autumn. Virgin Colada (6) pulled hard and bolted before being pulled up. She now races with blinkers off so should settle better.

Awesomesauce (2) and Queens Command (7) both step up from nine furlongs. Awesomesauce (2) is from a family of stayers. The four-year-old’s best races are likely to be head of her. Her stablemate Queens Command (7) did run Sultana (1) to a head in a Grade 3 at Woodbine in November.

22:00 Santa Anita - Lonesome Stew @ SP

Big City Lights (5) is the undoubted class of this race. He is a multiple stakes winner including at The Grade 3 level. The seven-year-old won his last two stakes against fellow California breeds by an aggregate of 16 lengths. He had Drop Um (4) back in third when winning an open conditions event on his comeback. If he repeats that run, he’s likely to take this with lengths to spare. He doesn’t stand much racing these days. It is a little surprising he makes his second start of 2025 only three weeks after the first.

Big City Lights (5) could regress after a big run on his return. That could also be the case with Lonesome Stew (7). He defied an even longer lay off than the favourite at the end of last month. That was on the turf but he’s a three-time winner on dirt. He draws best of the forwardly placed runners. As the likely second choice in the betting, he may be worth siding with.

The returning Pure Madness (1) has won three of his four career starts. He’s not raced since September 2024 so could be a little ring rusty. He is in capable hands and is proven fresh. Book Smart (6) has a recency edge on him.

He was a little disappointing when beaten a neck in a stake at Turf Paradise last time. His chance seems to depend on making the lead on his own. That didn’t happen when beaten at a short price in this race last year.

Uncle Chilly (3) has rattled up a hat-trick since joining trainer Jeff Mullins. He gets a class test but could be a late player if there is a pace meltdown.

22:33 Santa Anita - Om N Joy @ SP

The class plunging Grand Slam Smile (3) is clearly the gal to beat. She comes off a fine third in a Grade 3 here last month. The five-year-old has won her last three starts against California breds, like today. In two of them, she beat the same pair of rivals, Take Another Card (1) and Prancingthruparis (2). She has speed can run her race from just off the pace.

Although Take Another Card (1) and Prancingthruparis (2) are obvious forecast candidates, if Grand Slam Smile (3) is to be beaten it may be a new face. Om N Joy (8) could cause a minor upset. She has been beaten double-digit lengths in her last two starts. They were in Grade 1’s against some of best older fillies and mares around. She is a three-time stakes scorer against California breds plus a Grade 3 winner.

All her form is on dirt. On face value, she looks to have improved since switching from the turf during her juvenile season. She is bred to handle the surface. The four-year-old may be able to mirror that improvement now getting back on the grass.

O K Rose (4) is progressive but gets a class test. Sunset Grazen (7) went close in a swiftly run sprint on her return. If she can replicate that run over two furlongs further, she will go well.

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