The 70th running of the Woodbine Oaks is here, and Blinkers Off is going behind the scenes. Colton Phillips chats with top trainers Katerina Vassilieva, Catherine Day Phillips, and Rachel Halden about their contenders for Canada’s biggest race for 3-year-old fillies. Covering Reveler’s Row, Innisfree Isle, and Aristella, we get the stories, strategies, and quirks behind this year’s Oaks hopefuls. Plus, we wrap things up with a quick round of Mail from the Rail, answering your listener-submitted questions. It’s all Oaks, all episode.

The National Thoroughbred League is shaking up tradition. Is it the future of racing or a step too far? Plus, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring a colt to development camp, and Colton breaks down what it means for building trust in high-performance athletes. Then, Canadian trainer Santino Di Paola joins the show, and we wrap things up with listener questions, including why bettors are called handicappers and why there’s always a wait between races.

Welcome back to Blinkers Off! In Episode 2, Colton covers some headlines, including the Supreme Court’s decision in HISA's favour, the opening of the Saratoga meet, and the issues of computer-assisted wagering.

Then, Colton welcomes the podcast’s very first guest, legendary Canadian jockey Emma Jayne Wilson. From being the first woman to win the Queen’s Plate to holding the title of highest-earning female jockey of all time, Emma shares stories from her career, her mindset on competing, and what’s still left on her bucket list.

Finally, in “Mail from the Rail,” we tackle a couple of listener questions, including why horses run on turf vs. dirt and whatever a "furlong" is.

Welcome to the debut episode of Blinkers Off, your bi-weekly guide to North American horse racing. I’m Colton Phillips, here to break down the action, talk to the people behind the sport, and help you see The Sport of Kings, through a new lens.

In this launch episode, I introduce myself, break down what Blinkers Off is all about, and preview the segments you can look forward to each episode.

This week’s Track Talk features a look at the Greenwood event at Woodbine, a recap of Royal Ascot, plus the controversy around Flavien Prat’s ride on Factor Cheval.

In Mail from the Rail, I tackle two big questions: how odds work in horse racing, and how to watch live racing in Canada.

We’ll also preview a massive weekend ahead, from the Penn Mile to Canada Day weekend stakes at Woodbine, the Stephen Foster showdown at Churchill Downs, and the Los Alamitos Derby.

It’s time to take the Blinkers Off, let's go.