Each new year in horse racing brings with it the hopes for a newly emerging group of star horses, anticipation for all the stakes races to come in the year ahead, and of course, the hopes of plenty of winning bets and big payoffs. As the calendar flips to 2025, let’s revisit our list of New Year’s resolutions horseplayers can make.

1. Pick the Kentucky Derby winner

This is easier said than done. There is no single race that gets as much attention and scrutiny for months and months as the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, and there is no other race like it in North America with a 20-horse field. Rich Strike’s 80-1 victory and $163.60 payoff in 2022 reminds that you cannot discount the chances of any horse in the starting gate. Did you pick Mystik Dan in 2024? He paid $39.22 to win.

2. Donate to a horse-related charity

If you love horses and/or horse racing, one of the best ways you can give back is by supporting a horse-related charity. There are dozens to choose from. Some of the most popular options include the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Thoroughbred Charities of America, and the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF).

3. Visit Del Mar and/or Saratoga

Saratoga and Del Mar are the summer showplaces of Thoroughbred racing, and both are worthy vacation destinations. Put at least one of these racetracks on your summer travel itinerary. In Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (fly into Albany), the entire town lives, eats, and breathes horse racing – and in June, the track and town will host the Belmont Stakes festival for the second year in a row. Del Mar offers great racing and perfect summer weather “where the turf meets the surf” just north of San Diego. This fall, Del Mar will also host a major event for the second consecutive year: the 2025 Breeders’ Cup World Championships (see no. 5 below).

4. Qualify for the National Horseplayers Championship

The NTRA National Horseplayers Championship is the “holy grail” for handicappers. It is an annual three-day tournament that awards cash prizes in the $3 million range plus an Eclipse Award to the winner. First you must qualify. Go to www.NTRA.com/nhc for all the information on how to get involved. The next NHC finals will be March 14-16, 2025, at Horseshoe Las Vegas.

5. Bet the Breeders’ Cup

If you’re reading this story, you’re already a racing fan and therefore this is a no-brainer. These are the two truly can’t-miss dates on the annual calendar for horseplayers. Put the 2025 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on your agenda now and circle the dates so there can be no possible conflicts when you get ready to unleash your bankroll on Oct. 31-Nov. 1.

6. Hit the Pick 6 or the Pick 5

You can’t win if you don’t play. The Pick 6 was once the realm of big-money players and syndicates, but not anymore. Pick 6 bets are available in 20-cent denominations almost everywhere these days. If the Pick 6 isn’t for you, certainly the Pick 5 can be. There is least one Pick 5 per day available at most tracks, and with 50-cent denominations the norm, so you can play tons of combinations. Go ahead, swing for the fences.

7. Introduce your friends to horse racing

It’s a lot of pressure to bring your non-horse racing friends to the racetrack, because they assume you know everything and should be able to win every race. They will be disappointed when you don’t. This shouldn’t stop you, however, from bringing your novice friends out for a day at the races. Share your hobby with your friends. It’s your chance to turn them into racing fans.

8. Support your local racetrack

Racetracks seem to be an endangered species these days, and some are here today and gone tomorrow. You might do your day-to-day watching and wagering online with an ADW account, or at a local OTB. These are fine options, but wherever you live, you should always make time to visit your local racetrack and watch and wager on the races live and in person whenever possible. It will remind you why you became a fan in the first place.