Big-Race Showdown: Expert Picks Spotlight for Jockey Club Gold Cup, Cotillion Stakes, Pennsylvania Derby

# What this roundup is America's Best Racing runs its 10th annual Big-Race Showdown, asking eight handicappers to name their top three picks in marquee races each weekend through the Breeders' Cup. This installment covers three $1 million races: the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park and the Cotillion Stakes and Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing.

# Who's picking The contest field this season includes:

• Thomas Kearney, track announcer (Shenandoah Downs)
• Ashley Mailloux, freelance racing analyst
• Noel Michaels, racing analyst and tournament handicapper
• Jessica Paquette, racecaller (Parx Racing) and Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
• John Piassek, assistant racing secretary (Yonkers Raceway)
• Roberto Rodriguez (El Potro Roberto), DRF en Espanol
• Darwin Vizcaya, handicapper and host
• Rowan Ward, chartcaller (Hawthorne Race Track) and freelance writer

They each submit three selections per target race. The site publishes the picks and maintains a running bankroll and winner count for the season.

# The races and why they matter Jockey Club Gold Cup (Belmont Park)

• Distance: 1 1/4 miles. Grade 1.
• Stakes role: "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

• TV: Televised on FOX as part of NYRA's America's Day at the Races coverage.

• Distance: 1 1/16 miles. Grade 1.
• Restricted to 3-year-old fillies.
• TV: Televised live on FanDuel TV.

• Distance: 1 1/8 miles. Grade 1.
• Restricted to 3-year-olds.
• TV: Televised live on FanDuel TV.

# How the competition is scored

• For each player's top three selections in a race, the contest posts simulated wagers: a $2 exacta box and a $2 trifecta box.
• Those bets are used to tabulate a running bankroll across the season.

• The site also tracks which player correctly selects the most outright winners over the season.

# Broadcast and timing Weekend television schedule (high level)

# What this means for bettors and followers

• Showdown offers a curated set of expert views each week, useful for comparison and spotting consensus picks.
• The bankroll scoring method mirrors common exotic-bet strategies (exacta and trifecta box), so the leaderboard rewards handicappers who produce strong combinations rather than only single winners.
• With the Jockey Club Gold Cup as a Breeders' Cup Classic qualifier, its outcome affects Classic entries late in the season.

# How to follow

• America's Best Racing publishes the players' picks on its site and updates season bankroll standings.
• Broadcast windows: check FS2, FOX, FS1 schedules for Belmont coverage and FanDuel TV for Parx cards.

The piece frames the weekend as both a betting contest among handicappers and a guide for viewers who follow major fall Grade 1 dirt races en route to the Breeders' Cup.