{"id":218990,"date":"2025-10-22T23:34:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T23:34:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/218990\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T23:34:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T23:34:14","slug":"drfs-horse-racing-playbook-for-thursday-october-23-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/218990\/","title":{"rendered":"DRF’s Horse Racing Playbook for Thursday, October 23, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since 1894, Daily Racing Form has been the most trusted source of horse racing news and information, making horseplayers better bettors by cashing more tickets. Here is a free daily playbook \u2013 something hardcore horseplayers and casual observers can reference to get informed of each day\u2019s action. DRF Past Performances (PPs) can be accessed at DRF.com. <\/a><\/p>\n

Get in position to win big this Breeders’ Cup with a DRF Breeders’ Cup Packag<\/a>e<\/a> – featuring Past Performances, Expert Picks, and Betting Strategies.<\/p>\n

Post Time: 1:32 ET
Track: Keeneland (2nd Race)
Horse: FOREVER ROCKET (#8, 15-1)<\/p>\n

First-time starter FOREVER ROCKET is by leading sire Into Mischief and out of Rocketwentyone, making him a full brother to multiple graded-stakes winner Frank’s Rockette, a full brother to Top Gun Rocket, who has gotten up to 91 on the Beyer Speed Figure scale, and a half to American Rockette, fourth in a pair of G1s as a 2-year-old. Video from three workouts looks encouraging from a variety of angles; he has some speed and the look of a hors who will suit this extended sprint. Doubt he’s as high as 15-1, however. -Marcus Hersh | Get Past Performances for this race<\/a><\/p>\n

Post Time: 2:15 ET
Track: Belmont at the Big A (3rd Race)
Horse: PISTOL LIZ ABLAZEN (#3, 4-1)
PISTOL LIZ ABLAZEN got completely outrun after a slow start and was pulled up early when last seen at Saratoga; while concerning, that race was over a wet track going a distance that is beyond her best, and she has been given plenty of time since; was on a roll in races at around this level while winning five of seven between December of ’24 and April of this year, including a pair of wins over this track and trip; starts back at the right level for a new trainer. -Mike Beer | Get Past Performances for this race<\/a><\/p>\n

Post Time: 2:36 ET
Track: Keeneland (4th Race)
Horse: GOOGOL JOKE (#1, 12-1)<\/p>\n

GOOGOL JOKE looks like he’s improving, and cutting back from 1 1\/8 miles to a short-stretch 1 1\/16 miles helps him. He led last time, too, and probably prefers a target. He should get one this time, and like the chances of him saving ground both turns while snugged just behind the leaders. The 12-1 would be plenty fair. -Marcus Hersh | Get Past Performances for this race<\/a><\/p>\n

Post Time: 2:47 ET
Track: Belmont at the Big A (4th Race)
Horse: ENIGMATIC (#3, 9-2)
ENIGMATIC switched to a crafty barn and went to Penn National to post a romping win at a short price last month; had an excuse in her prior start when caught in a fast duel and giving way late in a race that went to closers sprinting; top race makes her tough, and her speed plays at this level. -Mike Beer | Get Past Performances for this race<\/a><\/p>\n

Post Time: 3:08 ET
Track: Keeneland (5th Race)
Horse: PASEO (#8, 20-1)
PASEO is a DRF Best Bet (Marcus Hersh). | Get Past Performances for this race<\/a><\/p>\n

Post Time: 3:40 ET
Track: Keeneland (6th Race)
Horse: WIZARD OF YESTER (#2, 12-1)
WIZARD OF YESTER’s second start, his last race, came over a sloppy track in a one-turn seven-furlong race at Churchill. Maybe it was the wet track, maybe the one turn, maybe a combination of things, but his IND debut in a two-turn MSW was far better. Why cant’ he run back to that race, if not exceed it, first off a $50K claim by trainer J Sharp? Going to show speed; probably not going to be 12-1. Like this recently claimed horse much more than the expense MSW droppers. -Marcus Hersh | Get Past Performances for this race<\/a><\/p>\n

Post Time: 3:53 ET
Track: Belmont at the Big A (6th Race)
Horse: AMICUS CURIAE (#2, 30-1)
Maybe AMICUS CURIAE was never going to run anyway, but she never got a fair chance in her turf debut last time when caught behind horses for a long way while just tracking along, and then getting blocked in the upper-stretch as the race got away from her; like her pedigree for this kind of race, and she might rate one more chance at a big price. -Mike Beer | Get Past Performances for this race<\/a><\/p>\n

Post Time: 4:53 ET
Track: Belmont at the Big A (8th Race)
Horse: TOUGH LOVE TORRES (#2, 8-1)
TOUGH LOVE TORRES was impressive winning her debut early last year on dirt, then caught a wet track and finished gamely for second behind a favored, front-running winner in her only other start before missing a lot of time; this might just be a starting off point for her, though returning at this level suggests otherwise, and there is turf all over her pedigree; interesting if she gets overlooked. -Mike Beer | Get Past Performances for this race<\/a><\/p>\n

Post Time: 5:30 ET
Track: Woodbine (1st Race)
Horse: BEACH READY (#7, 8-1)
BEACH READY wasn’t up to snuff vs. N1X\/$32K company in her last three outings on the Tapeta. She was competitive on the grass in the past and could get back on track in this easier $25K claimer with Flores replacing the departed Civaci. -Ron Gierkink | Get Past Performances for this race<\/a><\/p>\n

Post Time: 5:59 ET
Track: Woodbine (2nd Race)
Horse: PICKFORD SWEET (#3, 6-1)
PICKFORD SWEET is shortening up to seven-eighths off a series of competitive performances over 1 1\/16 miles and should be along for a high placing. Mattine has low numbers with turnbacks, but this one could be the exception. -Ron Gierkink | Get Past Performances for this race<\/a><\/p>\n

Post Time: 7:26 ET
Track: Woodbine (5th Race)
Horse: SPIKEPHIL (#1, 6-1)
SPIKEPHIL is by the superb speed\/debut sire Reload and the homebred is a full brother to stakes-placed Sunsprite along with OS allowance winner Criminal Intent. Cole has solid numbers with first-timers and when giving Munger a leg up. -Ron Gierkink | Get Past Performances for this race<\/a><\/p>\n

Post Time: 7:56 ET
Track: Remington (3rd Race)
Horse: MERRY MARY LOU (#4, 15-1)
MERRY MARY LOU was fourth against steeper last time and note her trainer-jockey team of Bravo and Wethey had a stakes double last Friday night at Remington Park. -Mary Rampellini | Get Past Performances for this race<\/a><\/p>\n

Post Time: 8:24 ET
Track: Woodbine (7th Race)
Horse: TOTALLY IN CHARGE (#4, 8-1)
TOTALLY IN CHARGE is a DRF Best Bet (Ron Gierkink). | Get Past Performances for this race<\/a><\/p>\n

Post Time: 9:48 ET
Track: Remington (7th Race)
Horse: HALEAKALA (#7, 9-2)
HALEAKALA ran a fine race off the bench last time and would seem to have reason to move forward in her second start back. -Mary Rampellini | Get Past Performances for this race<\/a><\/p>\n

Looking for more action? It\u2019s easier than ever to pick a winner with DRF Newbie. Access the most trusted information in horse racing! Start strong with DRF Newbie \u2013 horse racing, simplified. Try it free at newbie.drf.com. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Since 1894, Daily Racing Form has been the most trusted source of horse racing news and information, making…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":218991,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[3004,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-218990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-racing","tag-racing","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=218990"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218990\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/218991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=218990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=218990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}