For the seventh year in a row, America’s Best Racing is challenging some of the brightest minds in horse betting to come up with their top three picks for key races every weekend leading up to the 2023 Triple Crown and then continuing through the 2023 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The handicappers face off in what we like to call the “Big Race Showdown.”

The players’ picks will be posted here and a running bankroll will be kept to track their success all year long. Bankrolls will be tabulated on the basis of $2 exacta and $2 trifecta box bets of each player’s top three selections. We will also be keeping track of which playercorrectly selects the most winners.

Your players for the 2023 Big Race Showdown season are Edison Hatter (In the Money Media Analyst, Meadowlands On-Air Host), Ashley Mailloux (freelance racing analyst), Jessica Paquette (Racecaller for Parx Racing, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation), John Piassek (Communications Manager, Maryland Horse Breeders Association),  Roberto Rodriguez (El Potro Roberto, DRF en Espanol), Mike Somich (The Magic Mike Show, Somo Bombs Handicapper – The Racing Dudes), Naomi Tukker (Eclipse Award-winning Sports Broadcaster, World Horse Racing Producer),  Darwin Vizcaya (Handicapper and Host, La Trifecta from America’s Best Racing), Rowan Ward (Chartcaller at Hawthorne Race Track and a Freelance Writer), and Brian Zipse (Senior Writer for Horse Racing Nation and Host of HorseCenter).

At the midway point in the 2023 season, both Mike Somich and Naomi Tukker have correctly selected the winner of 10 of the 26 contest race to lead the panel of 10 experts by winners selected. Ashley Mailloux and Rowan Ward are hot on their heels with nine winners. Meanwhile Edison Hatter has seized control of both the exacta ($348.86) and trifecta ($541.40) winnings. Rowan Ward is a close second in exacta earnings with $333.54 but none of the other nine participants is closer than $225 to Hatter’s trifecta total as we start the second half of the season.

This week’s Big Race Showdown races are the 56^th running of the TVG.com Haskell Stakes, which will be held Saturday, July 22, at Monmouth Park; and the Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies Saturday at Saratoga. Fans across the U.S. will be able to watch the Haskell on NBC during a program airing from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET as part of NBC Sports’ Breeders’ Cup Challenge series. The $1 million Haskell is a “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series qualifier for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic this November at Santa Anita Park. The Coaching Club American Oaks also will be part of a national telecast on FOX from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.