Flatter Pod: Derby to Preakness with Francesa, De Julio, Shutty

Lessons learned from the Kentucky Derby are applied to Preakness 2025 on this week’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod.

A familiar voice in the tri-state area, Mike Francesa talks about his successful exacta play pairing Sovereignty and Journalism last week in the Derby. He also talks about his relationship as a horse owner with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and the decision to leave Sovereignty out of the Preakness. He even has some thoughts about the election of Pope Leo XIV.

The nation’s leading workout analyst Bruno De Julio reviews some of the clues he saw in the morning that he applied to the Derby. He certainly had his successes, but he also admits to something he did not see coming. Of course he also weighs in on the scuttling of a Triple Crown opportunity in 2025.

Super Screener creator Mike Shutty had a successful Derby, and he already is looking ahead with angles for the Preakness. He also handicaps Saturday’s key stakes in the Belmont at Aqueduct meet, including the Ruffian (G2) for older fillies and mares and the Peter Pan (G3), the traditional prep for the Belmont Stakes.

Co-host John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times reviews the Derby, looks ahead to the Preakness and offers his reaction to some of the listener and reader feedback about whether the Triple Crown schedule needs to be changed.

The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.