The Ron Flatter Racing Pod

From growing up in Kentucky to three decades at NBC as one of its most reliable broadcasters, Tom Hammond brings the stories of a career in racing and sports to the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Hammond talks about his earliest days not only in Lexington, Ky., radio but also in going to the track and getting involved with horses. He even spins a yarn about an early job as the announcer at a sales ring. Hammond majored in animal husbandry at the University of Kentucky, an achievement that translated well to his time covering races on national television. In a business that often rewards sizzle before the steak, Hammond discusses his staying power and all the years he hosted the Breeders' Cup and Triple Crown races, complete with post-parade nuggets that became his signature. Some of the great games and sports events that he has witnessed also are sprinkled in this conversation, and Hammond talks about how he is spending his retirement. Here is a hint. They race horses two months a year near his home in Lexington. Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park offer their popular host chat. 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.

Anticipating Saturday's finale to the Triple Crown season, there are as many humans as there are Belmont Stakes 2026 horses on the regular episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Chris Fallica, who is best known as The Bear on Fox Sports' "Big Noon Kickoff" during football season, leads off the guest list. He also is a seasoned horseplayer who has opinions about how the Belmont will be run. Andy Serling from Fox Sports and New York Racing Association TV offers his analysis of the Belmont and more high points on a loaded undercard Saturday at Saratoga. Trainers Todd Pletcher of Renegade and Powershift, Brad Cox of Commandment and Cherie DeVaux of Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo offer their insights to the Belmont. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch has tips for the Manhattan-Belmont double on Saturday's card. John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park check in with their popular chat segment and throw in their Belmont picks. Sort of. 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.

Belmont Stakes 2026 next Saturday concludes the Triple Crown series as well as the race's three years at Saratoga. It is the focus of this week's Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Maggie Wolfendale-Morley of Fox Sports and the New York Racing Association checks in with early angles on some of the top choices in the Belmont, including likely favorite Renegade as well as Kentucky Derby 2026 winner Golden Tempo. She also has a snapshot of the Grade 1 Met Mile, where Nysos and Journalism are expected to start on the Belmont Stakes undercard. Case Clay of Wathnan Racing talks about Belmont Stakes contender Commandment and multimillionaire Hit Show, who races Saturday on Stephen Foster preview day at Churchill Downs. He also discusses the rapid rise of the Qatar-based operation and his own move from Three Chimneys Farm, which his family used to own. Clay even shares the story of how he tried his hand at comedy with Second City in Chicago. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty has early angles that he is pursuing for the Belmont Stakes as well as handicapping of two of the graded turf stakes on Saturday's card at Churchill Downs. Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park have their popular chat segment and weigh in on listener and reader feedback from last week's interview with Brent Musburger and Chuck Todd. 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.

From Laurel Park in Maryland, this weekend's Preakness Stakes at its unique 2026 location is the centerpiece of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Two-time Eclipse Award-winning turf writer John Scheinman pays his annual visit by way of an after-dinner interview from his hometown Baltimore. He talks about the changing landscape of Maryland racing as it moves to new caretakers and a reimagined Pimlico next year. He also talks about the past, present and future of the Preakness in addition to offering his tips for Saturday's race. Ocelli's trainer Whit Beckman, Chip Honcho's trainer Steve Asmussen and undefeated Taj Mahal's wife-and-husband team of trainer Brittany Russell and jockey Sheldon Russell have the view from the stables as they look forward to the 151st Preakness. Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch zeroes in on three stakes on the Saturday card at Laurel Park, including the $2 million feature. Co-hosts John Cherwa and Keith Nelson join Ron in going through feedback about the Cherwa plan to save the Triple Crown, a proposal built around requiring a fit Kentucky Derby-winning horse to race in the Preakness. 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.

Reaction to the decision not to send Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo to Preakness 2026 is the main topic of discussion this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Sports Illustrated writer Pat Forde talks about the choices he had to make in writing his story about Golden Tempo's victory last week, especially balancing Cherie DeVaux being the first woman to train a Derby winner and the Ortiz brothers riding to a one-two finish. He also weighs in on the long-term future of when the Preakness should be run. From the National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas in March, the reigning NHC Tour winner Dave Nichols talks about how tournament play has improved his everyday play at racetracks. He gets into handicapping strategies that have been born from his becoming a more aggressive tournament competitor. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty has early angles on the Preakness, and he handicaps this weekend's Grade 3 Peter Pan and Take the A Train stakes at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet. Co-hosts John Cherwa and Keith Nelson join Ron in going through feedback from Horse Racing Nation readers about Golden Tempo skipping the Preakness. 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.

They are as much a part of racing as the horses and the bettors. Buglers have been a track tradition for more than 140 years. Four of the best-known convene for an episode full of stories and laughs on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Retired New York Racing Association bugler Sam Grossman, Santa Anita's Jay Cohen, Kentucky's Steve Buttleman and former Arlington Park fixture Monica Benson compare notes about their craft, their other gigs and even some stories of betting on horses. Their challenges of playing in bad weather and trying conditions are combined in this episode with the celebrities they have met and the odd interactions they have had with racegoers and connections behind the scenes. Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park also offer their anecdotes. 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.

Familiar names one day are gone the next. It long has been a reality of the ever-transient nature of media work. Four people who had memorable horse-racing chapters in their careers are reunited this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Former TV analysts Candice Hare, Joanne Jones, Rich Perloff and Jason Portuondo exchange stories of their days covering racing, including highlights they would put on their sizzle reels and those unintended moments in live reporting that turn into funny memories. They also talk about where they are now and how they got there. Hare is a TV news reporter at WKYC in Cleveland, Jones started a family in Los Angeles and is returning to the sport, Perloff is also in Los Angeles and has returned to his theater roots, and Portuondo is a steward based in suburban Toronto. Co-hosts John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson of Fairmount Park discuss the big sports events this month, including their predictions for Super Bowl LX. 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.