These are heady times in the world of horse racing. We’re coming off a year that saw one of the best collections of 3-year-olds ever assembled; if you want in on the action in 2008, keep these five simple tips in mind:

Tracks matter: The switch to synthetic surfaces marches on. As always, see which horses run best on which tracks (and in which conditions).

No long shots: Good genetics, as proven on the track, point to continued success during a horse’s peak months.

Don’t forget this year’s horses: Most of the top 3-year-olds from 2007 will go to stud. Don’t assume that those who fail in the sack won’t do well on the track as 4-year-olds.

Stay away from the superfecta: The more horses you pick, the more you’re turning your betting ticket into a lottery ticket.

Better living through Lasix: Expect a bump in performance when a horse is on Lasix (a diuretic) for the first time.

The greatest races go hand in hand with some of the greatest horses. Here then is our top 5 greatest races of all time.

1. Quashed and Omaha in the Gold Cup, 1936: To see Quashed and Omaha battle out the finish of the Ascot Gold Cup took years off a man’s life, though it was well worth it.

2. Grundy and Bustino in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes 1975: The hardest, most implacable, most moving Flat race most have ever seen - a judgment widely shared about a contest soon dubbed ‘The Race of the Century.

3. Arkle and Mill House in the Cheltenham Gold Cup 1964: A race so fabled there’s even a song about it - Dominic Behan’s boozy ballad ‘Arkle‘ - that chronicled the famous showdown between two young and apparently unbeatable steeplechasers.

4. Mandarin in the Grand Steeplechase de Paris 1962: Sheer heroism from horse and jockey. Mandarin’s bit broke early in the race, leaving Fred Winter with no brakes or steering around Auteuil’s dizzying four-mile figure-of-eight circuit, but a combination of leg-power and willpower kept the partnership intact

5. Secretariat in the Belmont Stakes 1973: One of the greatest displays of individual equine brilliance in the modern era.

The biggest event on the thoroughbred calendar just got even bigger – again.

After the success of the expanded two-day version of the 2007 Breeder’s Cup at Monmouth Park, the 2008 event at Santa Anita will see three more races added to the lineup: the $1-million Turf Sprint, the $1-million Juvenile Filly Turf, and the $500,000 Dirt Marathon. This trio will be run on Friday, Oct. 24.

The Sprint will be run at Santa Anita’s El Camino Real hillside course, but the Marathon (1-1/2 miles) might prove to be the most interesting addition to the Breeders’ Cup. An advisory panel has recommended to Cup officials that they establish a series of 12-furlong races as a warm-up for the Marathon.

There are a small handful of these longer stakes races in North America – the Belmont being the most famous. No doubt some of these recommended Marathon preps will become part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge. The more, the merrier.

The Grade I Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes is considered the wrap-up event of the season, usually pulling in a solid field of Breeders’ Cup entrants. This past Saturday’s $250,000 event was a little different. The 17-10 favorite, Champs Elysees, was making his first start in the United States. And the winner, 4-year-old Sunriver, was not part of the festivities at Monmouth Park.

You may recall Sunriver as one of the longer shots on the 2006 Triple Crown trail. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt finished third at the Belmont before making the switch to turf this spring. The move has paid off; Sunriver now has three wins in six attempts, including July’s Bowling Green Handicap. He paid $6.00 to win the Turf Cup.

Champs Elysees ($3.20) was 2-3/4 lengths behind Sunriver in second, followed by Spring House ($2.40) in third. Rounding out the field were Obrigado, Tissy Fit, Chief Running Bear and Heroi Do Bafra. Sudan was a scratch.

Don’t put away your tail combs just yet. The horse racing season doesn’t end with the Breeders’ Cup; there are still plenty of graded stakes races left in the winter session, including the $1-million Delta Jackpot Stakes at Delta Downs on Dec. 7.

This is a Grade III Juvenile event, but the seven-figure purse ensures the highest level of competition. Nineteen pre-entries were taken in November; they’ll be whittled down to 10 on Tuesday. We do know that Golden Yank has qualified. This 2-year-old burst on the scene in October by winning his debut over six furlongs, then claiming the MEC Mile before his impressive showing at the Jean Lafitte – thus qualifying for Dec. 7.

Other viable favorites for the Delta Jackpot include Slew’s Tiznow, Old Man Buck and Z Humor, all with podium finishes at the Breeders’ Cup. Sky Cape, St. Joe and Briarwood Circle are also in position to make the field.